The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-06-02
Virginia,


The telegraph surprised us yesterday by
ssl,lug us that General wfcxaAa nad as
sured the delegates to the Chicago Conven-
lion that General GRANT, n nominated for
president, would carry Virginia next ian.
We give General wioKHAx credit Tor pei :
feet sincerity Ia making this statement; YET
We are norc the less confident that ne VIII
and himself totally mistaken next Novem'
her shou,d the Chicago Convention DC in'
fluenccd by his aud similar declarations "
: run the risk Of nominating General GRANT.
Irdeed we casnot well imaginc upon wha'
facts, or supposed facts, General wAhaS
bases his statement. Let us look INTO Tue
matter.
The vote IN Virginia last fall was small
one. There were only about 10000 votes
east rs against 235,O0O four years ago. lh
1874 Mr.. TupES received 1860 votes IN
yirginia-nearly as many as were cast Iss'
ss,, nv All three ies-Conservatives, he-
adjus,ers, and Republicans. The negro vote
was last yeaf added to the white heao ulster
vote, as a general rule. and SO gave tue VIC
tory "a General MAHoNE's followers. bu'
the negro vote will note be REINFORCED 'h's
wear by the white Ieadiusters. III Genera'
S;R.Sr is to carry Virginia at all he must
carry il without the aid OF the white head'
busters. We cannot think that there are
fen thousand OF them in Virginia who VII
vote for General GRANT. Inasmuch, then
as Mr.. TnpEN's majority was over $4,000, II
a. not easy TO guess how General WIcKHAM
arrived at the conclusion which he has COM
muuicatcd to bis Republican friends IN
Chicago.
Again: II Mr.. TrLDEN received over
$4,000 majority in Virginia in 1876, when
all men over twenty-onc years OF age, In
GLIDING paupers, were allowed to VOTE 1t
must be evident TO everybody who reflects
upon the subject for a moment that the ma
jority for the Democratic candidate for
President must be relatively much larger
this year IL there are only two electoral
tickets In the field. 1t will enable the reader
10 appreciate the difference between the
strength OF the Republicans in 1876 and the
strength OF the same party in 1880 in Vir"
with that cast here last week. In 1876 TIL
DENIS vote was 1850 and HAYEs's vote was
GAS. The Conservative majority was
about 1000, or something over 20 per
cent. OF the entire Conservative vote.
Last week the average vote cast
in the city elections was about 1920 Con-
seryatives to about 1900 Readiusters.
These figures include the large negro vote
in jackson Ward. The Conservative ma
jority was about 5000, or over 70 per cent.
OF their entire vote. This wonderful change
in favor Of the Democrats is mainly il not
solely attributable to the constitutional pro-
vision, which went into effect after 1876,
requiring the payment OF capitation tax
as a prerequisite 10 voting. 1t is to be pre-
sumed that larger vote will be cast in the
presidential election than in the late NUM-
cipa election, yet there can hardly be rea-
sonabe doubt that Virginia is safe for the
Democratic nominee.
Perhaps, however, General WIcKHAM
bases his calculation upon supposed split
in the Democratic party. We do not think
that he can derive any comfort from esti-
mates OF that sort. II General MALONE
supports General GRANT he will lose nearly
all bis white followers. He cannot lead
them into the Republican camp. II. on the
other hand, he sets up an unpledged cleo
toral ticket, it will draw of more negroes
from the Republican party than whites
from the Democratic party, though it will
miserably fail to damage either party mate
rally.
We have no fears whatever as to the re-
suit in Virginia. Neither the Republicans
and the Readiusters combined, nor either
OF those parties separately, can induce the
good people Of Virginia to forsake the faith
OF their fathers.