The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-12-11
gitl,,nulll lsnattla
.r arm ~ DECEMBER II, 1879.
Virginia Libelled.

Virginia Libelled.
:. nrdnr TO deceive the outside worle'
,he Allied forces Of the negroes ana tue nv
adiustcrs have evidently detefm,neu y
xynye the bloody shirt here IN V'1's'".a.
TbeY have made up their minds, u we iaas
snare from, what we see published 10 Isa.
.,o~s outside OF the State aud seproduceu
sare> 10 initiate In every particular the tae,
.;cs Of BLAINE, EoSKLrSa, MOTION oso
z.ca. CHASpLss, aad the rest OF the o'''e s
enemies OF the southern people VINO "As !
FOR so many gears vi'itied ana s's"uo'e g
the true people OF the South. 49,
Tho Cinciauati Commercial is one % 'ne
iourna,s which have been ln'peseu up..
Nv these eoemies OF Virginia. a gen.M-
y. ,.ho mas recently visited Richmond 70
study the phases OF Virginia poli',es, :. "u ~
who Is himself an earnest opPoue"t =.
..a;,,s,ment.n was msied and decetfee
...,.;,st NO was here, aud when ne reacoeo
ha,no IN in turn misled and deceived tue
aa;,or ., the Commercial. Here is what nc
learned in Virginia:
GA law passed by the Legislature TWO on
t,roe vears ago for the purpose OF lnt'nl,-
,s1a,ion has been mercilessiy enforced gu sue
eIanks Under its provisions piach unen
go arrested on the most trlninS accusa"
.,;ons and sentenced by county COURTS 70 re-
.ceiyc Ave Iashes on the bare Dach. lug
nunishme Mt disqualified Tor Vot!ns Vi
holding Office during lie. LII tnls way,
and as the law was enforced, muitituues VI
black men were deprived or rolNlcai l,su's.
the capitation-taX law, disfranchls'nS
-. ~ ,>ai5 his nOIl.taN, was also
.ripidly enforced, and other multltuaes
were thus deprived Of the ballot. Inc
whole aim OF legislation had been 10 ais
franchise the coiored people. 49,
aWben the Re&djustc1S began the can,
ross thew soIemniv pledged themselves II
snccossfnl. TO wipe out these 1niqultouS
laws and Iegislate out OF office every neulo-
cratic county judge who had enforced Ihe.n'
Malone, who is the autocrat OF the Read-
busters, gave these pledges IN the most
solemn and formal manner"
There never was any law passed IN Fir-
ginia for the purpose OF intimidation. Inc
statement is fasehood having no founda-
ton whatever. The negroes are as free to
vote in Virginia rs are the whites. The
number disqualified by reason of having
been convicted Of stealing is surprisingly
small considering the propensity OF negroes
3perhaps we ought to say as result OF
slavery to appropriate other peoples goods
to their own use. We don't know the num-
Der; but we suppose that not more than
one in fifty of the male negro adults is thus
disqualified. We confess, however. that
we can see nothing wrong in deprlvlng
man of the right to vote who has been
convicted OF petty larceny, whether the
thief be white or black. A man must have
a strain of communism in bis composition
who sympath;zos with such characters, or
would permit them to have voice in elect
ing the officers OF the State, whose laws
they constantly violate and whose property
they render insecure, and in proportion as
they thus render it insecure cause it 10 de-
Dreciate in value. We repeat 1.-THE ne
uroes are Just as free in Virginia in every
respect as they are in Ohio. They decided
the last elections in favor OF the Readiust-
ers. There are thirteen negro members OF
the Legislature. What sort oil "intlmida-
ton" do you call that? ....
But the Commercial goes on to make the
absurd statement that this punishment /"
flashes on the bare back) disqualities man
for voting OF holding office during life. We
cannot imagine any reason why anybody
should object to such qualification for vo-
tiers if it existed; but the fact is there is 10
truth in the statement. There is not &
word in the Constitution about clashes"
Persons convicted of embezZlement, BRIDE
ry, treason, felony. or petty larceny, are
thereby disqualified. All the lashes which
are laid upon the backs OF the vagabonds Of
either race are prescribed by law which
ecan be repealed at any time ii the Gov
.ernor and the Legislature so will; but
we don't think the Governor has any SYM
patty with any one Of the prescribed
CLASSES; and if the present Legislature
should profess to feel any the profession
would necessarily be hypocritical. No good
citizen can desire 10 see the prisons OF the
State crowded with criminals convicted OF
petty offences when both the State and the
prisoners may DE advantaged by using the
lash instead Of the iall-the former by saw
ing-a large sum Of money and the latter by
being taught q lesson in good citizenship.
AS TO the poll-tax it is not necessary to
say aught. The Commercial knows that
Massachusetts requires her men to pay two
dollars year as prerequisite to voting.
sOne dollar qualities man in Virginia,
Surely Virginia may follow the example oi
a STATE which is So devoted to the negro as
is Massachusetts.