Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-12-01
REDEE MED.
How Virginia Was Snatchs9 From
the C0alitioaists.
CHARGES OF INTIMIDATION NAILED
Facts That Speak for Themselves and do Not
LEA Fairer Election on the Part
of the Democrats Never
Held in Virginia.

Heiu III HSH'a'
RICHMOND, November 30.-Following is
the address of the Democratic State Com
mittee to the people of Virginia, made pub
lie to-day:
The State Central and Executive Com
mittees desire to congratulate the Demo
cratic party of Virginia upon great and
signal triumph at the polls. This is their
formal duty; but, to give full rein to the
feelings Of the hour, their congratulations
must extend farther and embrace all the
people of the State and all the friends Of
republican government in every part Of the
Union; for an ancient Commonwealth has
been redeemed, trsvesty of free institu.
tions will no longer disgrace the earliest
home of political liberty in America. Vir-
ginia has shaken Off the degrading chains
of a corrupt and corrupting tyranny.
The late election illustrated many OF the
best features of popular government None
ever more deeply stirred the hearts OF the
voters; yet, in substance, the peace was
nowhere broken.
A revolution in the government was
effected: yet the machinery of the election
was under the control and absolutely in
| the hands OF the party now driven from
power. The colored race,
Innamed by Ambitious Demago2ues,
with unreasoning prejudice against their
white fellow-citizens, were led, with rare
exceptions, in solid battalion to cast their
| votes against the party now triumphant;
yet no trace of passion or resentment
| against the colored people will find any
place in the conduct or the legislation OF
| that party. The liberal declaration OF
principles to which the Democratic party
| pledged themselves in July last, when they
| asked the votes of the people, will not
cease to be their guide in the hour OF vic
| tory. Every pledge OF that declaration
| will be fulfilled as the most slcred promise
These general statements would suffice
| in Virginia, where the facts are known, to
| give the only answer needed
An Indignant Denial
to the unfounded charges against the good
| people OF this State contained in recent
| address from the leader Of the Coalition
party. But as that manifesto was meant to
| affect the opinion of distant communities,
| its principal allegations must be noticed in
\ detail.
If the voters were intimidated, as alleged,
| the result ought to appear in q diminished
| total vote, or, at any rate, in diminished
| Coalition vote. What are the facts?
The total vote cast in Virginia in 1876
the largest ever cast before this year-was
| 235.22S.
| The total vote cast this year was 2!2,6ji
| or 81 600 more than in 1876.
| Ia 1876, as at this election, the payment
| OF capitation tax was not a qualification
| OF voters.
In 1850 the entire vote cast was 81 900
| less than the vote of this year. In 1882 II
was 1900 less. One.sixth in number OF
| the entire population, white and black,
minors and adults male and female,
| Voted in the Late Election.
| Upon these figures alone the question
may well be asked Where are the voters
| who were deferred from voting? lntimida-
| ton at elections by secret ballot must oper.
| ate almost exclusively to prevent voters
| from voting at all. Now, the enormously
| increased aggregate Of the total vote must
| alone go far TO remove the suspicion OF such
undue influence but, when 1t further APP
| pears that the Coalition party actually in
| creased their vote by more than 1000, if
| the comparison is with the election OF 1881,
| and by more than 26,0OO-that is, by more
| than one-fourth-as compared with the
| Coalition vote of lSS2, it may be fairly as
| serted that all the general indications
| which ought to disclose intimidation OF
| voters are absent from this election. In
| truth, the only ground on which the char 5e
| rests is the partisan necessity OF suggesting
| some reason
other than the Natural Reason
to explain the defeat OF the Coalltionists at
the polls.
| 1t appears that in the election OF
| 1882 the Coalition majority in sixteen
counties was 2,6i2, and that in the late
election they have a Democratic majority
of ], ,SO3, making Democratic gain of 1915,
which is about one-fourth Of the Demo
cratic majority of the State, and nearly
| one fifth of the total Democratic gain as
| compared with the last election. These
counties contain only about one eighth OF
the population OF the State. One eighth OF
the State, then, in counties where the
purity of the election is not impeached by
the widest Coalition partisan, has con-
r.huted nearly one iith Of the total Dem
ocratiC gain. What caused this revolution
| of public opinion in these sixteen coun-
| ties?
A Legislature
Pledged in Advance TO Obey Every
Mandate OF u Party Caucus:
/
transmit the DEGREES Of its master; the ex.
ecutive and judicial offices greedily seized
| BY the dictatOrs personal adherents: blind
loyalty to one man set up as the sole test OF
fitness for positions OF trust; the asylums
for the insane, those touching monuments
| of the public charity and the free school
| system, that nobler monument OF the pub
| lie wisdom, thrown in to swell the dirty
heap OF party spoils-so much of this wild
revei Oi mock craftsmanship has passed
into history. What was threatened-rear-
raugements of Congressional districts and
| judicial circuits, repeal OF municipal char
| ters. usurpation OF the powers long vested
in chancery courts 10 control through their
own commissioners, judicial sales OF lacds
| all this was INTENDED 10 fix, confirm, and
| peIpetuate the power Of the autocrat, this
| new DR.. Francia.
| The truth is that all the conditions con-
| CURED whicn thinking men recognized as
the necessary forerunners of
Tne Downfall of the Coalition.
| The uprising OF the people OF New York
! and PeunSylvanis lsst year against boss
| ism" and other vicious methods in politics;
| the marked success of the Democrats in
the local elections last spring in this State;
| the recent Democratic triumph in OHIO.
| the steady and predestined march OF the
| Coslstiou party into the arms OF the Stall
wart Republicans; the patriotic fervor an.
| imating The Democratic ranks and kindIing
| in old srd young very contagIon oil puS-
| lie spirit-all the portents of the political
skies plainly toretold that Virginia would
| prove true to her Democratic traditions.
The peaceful revolution has come. To
| doubt its coming weuld have been to de-
| spsiH of free instituiions-to doubt the
| Justice Of the final judgment OF the people.
Here follows a detailed account OF the
actual facts in regard to the Danville riot,