The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1882-11-16
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coming SO obnoxious to the popular con-
science. overthrow the faction, still cling
to it. Learning nothing from the past,
and ambitious only OF place and spells. the
ruling spirit of its existence manifests
itself, when by any means. however qaes-
tionable. there is an apparent opening Tor
its insatiate craving for Office and position
Even before the election which has just re-
corded another verdict of popular condemna.
ton in Virginia, the threat was made that II
Paul were elected and the House should De
Democratic, his seat woulds be contested,
Judging from the motives which influenced
its own political action, that the Democrat
c majority in Congress would nave no
scruples in using the power it might pos
sess for partizan ends, regardless OF law'
Justice and the will of the people, as ex-
dressed &C the ballot box. No sooner was
it found that Paul had been elected, ano
that the Democrats would have majority
in Congress, than it was flashed over Tie
wires that frauds had been practiced by the
Liberals in Augusta and other counties OF
the district. without knowing where pre-
cisely or how they had been perpetrated
and that o Ferrall would contest the seat.
In the First Distr lct, the same spirit pre-
vailed, and Mr.. A. NJ. Kelley, as Chairman OF
the State Executive Committee of that fac
| tion. in formal card to the public, called
upon all the little ring managers at the
court houses to go into the business OF out
rage manufacture.
So accustomed has this faction been to
rule with rod of iron, and 30 sanguine
were its leaders that the methods they had
| in practice and the means they employed
to intmidate and deceive the voters. would
| be successful, that defeat stunned them, and
their only relief was the senseless and ma
licious clamor about frauds committed by
the Liberals. Such charges are known to
! be false. There was no fraudulent vote,
known to be such, cast in Augusta county,
by the L liberals. There was no law VIC
lated by them, and all their actions and
every movement they made, will bear the
strictest and most searching legal scruti-
ny. There was nothing done by them to
suppress or compromise the will OF the peo-
| pie, but their labors were directed to secur-
ing full and fair expression of it. But
in this, to degree, they failed, not because
of any fault of theirs, but by reason OF the
methods of the Bourbons, by which voters
were forced to vote against their declared
convictions in supporting the Bourbon
ticket. If there had been fair, nDem bar
raised and full expression OF the popular
will of Augusta county, Col. O'Ferrall
would not have carried the county. The il
| legal registration requirement. in the
county different from every one in the
State, and fatally defectiye-and the capt.
tation tax restriction ON the ballot. pre-.
vented hundreds from qualifying, who
would have voted With the Liberals. These
Instructions to the ascertainment OF the
will of the people, supplemented by the
systematic efforts to intimidate and cOerce
men to voting against what they had de.
clared TO be their views and purpose. had the
effect to lessen the Liberal vote, and enlarg.
ing that Of the BOurbOns.
Notwithstanding these knows facts, des-
perate part!zans are seeking TO create the
impress ion that the Liberals were guilty OF
the grossest frauds, and because of them Q
contest is to be made before the next Con.
gress for the seat the people have awarded
to Capt. Paul. We are not surprised al
this. Indeed, we were prepared for it from
declarations before the election, and i'm.
mediately afterwards, and from the past
history of the Bourbon faction in Virginia.
We challenge them to the contest. We
dare them to legal scrutiny into the meth
DDS and practices OF each of the parties
for we know that such proofs can be pre-
sented that not even a Democratic Con-
gress would have the effrontery to stop
short of a severe condemnation of the
agencies employed by the Bourbons OF Vir.
ginia to defeat the popular will.
We learn that already have the Bourbon;
of Albemarle thrown out precinct that
gave Paul 101 majority because OF mere
technical informality-the polls not peine
sealed when delivered to the clerk. There
was no fraud charged or intended In this,
but he informality occurring at a precinct
which gave large Liberal majority, to
make pretense of contest, the poll Is re-
iected for partizan purposes, and not to
obtain an expression Of the will OF the
people. 1t is stated that other precincts In
other counties will be or have been rejected
upon similar frivolous grounds. or tie at.
tempt made to reject them, land in each case
it happens that the Libera ais have major.
ity. Bnt in no instance do we learn that
they have sought to enforce the strict let
ter of the law atthe precincts where O'Fer.
all has majority.
It is the current of the decisions of tie
Courts on election cases that when the de.
feet or fault in strictly legal returns lies
with the officers, whose sworn duty il is to
execute the law. that the voter could not
thus be deprived of his rights-that the
penalty was against the officer and not the
people. Any other Interpretation of the
law would be against the whole spirit and
scope of our institutions. and would place
it 10 the power of corrupt or careless and
ignorant officers to defeat the will of the
people, whether through design or neglect.
We do not know to what extent these
technical nformalities obtain throughout
the district. We do know that they have
occurred in this county. at precincts Civ
ing Bourbon msjorities. yet the polls have
been recognized and counted. We do know
that the whole vote Of Augusta county
might be rejected, because OF clear legal
defect in the application of the registration
laws, but this should not operate to deprive
the citizen of his vote, who is innocent Of
wrong himself, ard acting in good faith in
conforming 30 the practice which has been
observed for years.
But if techn icalities are to be availed OF
| by the one party, it would be proper and
right for the other to meet them with tech
nicalities. and this will be done il the B0ur-
bons persist in their mad and senseless
purpose to defeat the popular will, by re-
iecting polls where no fraud can or will be
charged or sustained. We haye no sympa-
thy with or approval for su:h procedure,
| N - ~ Infa