Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1880-10-18
The Virginia MIDDLE.

IL looks now as II the triangular contest In
Virginia will be fought through to the end
The prospect Of union Of the democratic fac
tons has grown less with each day of late, and
the present indications are that movement to
that end is no longer contemplated. The chair
man OF the regular, Or fundcr, democratic
state committee has issued an address, stating
that ''the May (funder) ticket has come to stay
and to VIM The readjuster leaders and
organs are no less determined, judging from
their utterances, to hold the fort, and conse-
quently the result In the state depends entirely
upon the strength that each democratic faction
commands. IL these factions divide the demo-
cratic vote anywhere nearly equal then the
election of the GARFIELD ticket Is within
the bounds OF probability. The funders esJt-
mate the total democratic vote at about $50, 900,
and allow the readJusters 10000; they estimate
that the republicans will not cast exceeding
90, 900 votes, and therefore that their (fundersD
ticket Will be elected by plurality of 10000.
The readjusters substantially reverse this cal
culatiOn In their behalf, and count upon
plurality or from is, 900 TO &c, 000 One effect OF
the capitation tax law will be to disfranchise
thousands of colored voters, according to dem
Ocratic calculations, but as there is ample time
for the pay ment Of this tax yet, it Is difficult TO
tell how 1t will operate upon the two. or rather
three parties. The law Is very stringent In pro-
yiding against the payment OF the tax by
others than the voters themselves, the object
being to prevent politicians and political organ
izations from supplying voters with tax receipts
In return for their votes, as is done In Penn
sylvaDfa and Massachusetts,. These pro-
visions OF the law may be used SO as
to prevent any wholesale payment of
the tax by the republican national
committee. The last state election affords no
sort OF basis for an estimate of the vote that
may be cast on the I'd of next month, because
thousands remained away from the polls The
contest was between funderS and readjuSter5
and tens OF thousands Of white democrats did
not vote. Whether this large number of voters
VIII swell the ranks OF funders or readjusters
next month, there is no means Of knowing. Not
less than two-thirds of the democratic papers of
the state support the regular ticket, but the re-
adjusters have live organ In Richmond and
are supported by. perhaps, score OF weekly
Journals throughout the commonwealth. The
read1uSters have congressional candidates In all
the districts except the fourth. The repubI-
cans nave candidates In every district where
they have any chance to win, and unless their
voters are captured TO considerable extent By
the readJusters. they (the republIcans) have a
fair prospect OF gaining one or two congressman.
The estimate Of the republican state commit
tee Is that there are In Virginia IS, 900 white
registered voters, and $4,000 colored; that
10000 CT the whites and nearly all the colored
men are republicans; making the total repub-
ncan vote 132, OOO; that 10000 will be disfran-
chised by non-payment OF the capitatton tax,
leaving net vote at the polls of 1922 900; that
10000 white democrats Will not pay the tax, and
deducting the 10000 white republicans, this
leaves White democratic vote OF 154 ,OO0 which
will be about equally divided between runders
and re-adlUsteTs. Then, deducting Il 900 from
100000, the committee figure plurality OF q, 900
for the republicans In the state.
The readjusters certainly have some republican
support, In spite OF the appeals OF Chairman
Jewell to his party In Virginia This supper
comes from a class OF republicans who do no.
believe their party can win, apd their policy is
TO aid In defeating the bourbon" wing of the
democracy. There is doubt and confusion al
around the political board In Virginia. The SIT
uation Is muddle, and the wisest political
prophet in the state would not bet dollar
either way on the outcome