The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-05-29
rhe City Election.

The City Election.
In the announcement Of the plan and
conditions of the primary election it was
stated in the address published by the
Democratic Committee that none but
white Democrats. and those who intended to
abide by the decision Of the primary were
entitled to vote in that election. While it
was professedly an exclusively Democratic
arrangement, on the day of the primary
Republicans as well as Democrats were
urged to participate in the proceedings,
alleging in the case of Republicans, that it
would be only binding as to the corpora
tion election. The object Of this was to
secure as many votes as possible, in order
to show the popularity Of the primary land
that the people desired that mode of Sc
lecting those who are to administer the
CITY government. A number of Republi-
cans, desiring the election of some partic-
ular candidates, were induced to vote in
the primary, especially as there were no
Republicans running for Office, and no Re-
publican ticket proposed or in contempla-
tion.
After the result of the Primary was
made known there was considerable
dissatisfaction manifested, and another
ticket was brought out, composed of
some of the primary nominees and
Democrats who had not gone into the
primary. All however, were Democrats
not one of whom had ever, to our knowl-
edge, voted any other than the Democratic
ticket in State and National elections. On
the day of election, the efforts of the Ring
that controlled the primary, were not con-
fined to urging Democrats to the polls to
vote the primary ticket, but Republicans
as well were solicited to lend their aid to
make sure the election Of the Primary
ticket. Not only was verbal persuasion
used, but whiskey was literally applied to
those who could be approached in that
way and during the day number of col
ored people were enlisted to use their in
fluence for the Ring ticket. Having polled
as many of the Republicans as was thought
it was possible to induce to support that
ticket, the following circular was issued
some three or four hours before the close
Of the polls. This appeal was to bring
out the reluctant Democratic vote, after a
number Of Republicans had been drawn
| into the meshes of the Ring:
| DEMOCRATS, BE NOT DECEIVED.
Yelled under the hypocritical mask of ire
| form,'' your old and INSCRIPTIONS enemy the
polls and see revenue, and other United States
| officers engaged in running the machine"
John Noon is again to the fore VIII you
| train under such leadership? II you voted at
the the whole ticket then nominated. Permit no
or # yoS failed 70 vote at the Primary. You are
nevertheless bound by party fealty to support al
the add yo1 $ oc liz
dents. Remember, friends, the road to "lnde-
pendence" runs through the Radical camp I
which few go beyond. DEMOCRATS.
We give this circular to show the ami
mus of those who used it, and as a warn
ing to all Republicans in the future against
the false pretenses and seductive state
ments Of the Democratic Ring leaders,
The authors of this circular knew that
there was not a Republican candidate in
the field for any office. They knew that
not man on what was called the RE
FORM ticket had ever voted with the Re-
publican party. But to arouse party
feeling and excite partizan prejudice,
this device was employed, after most
of the Republican,, and especially the
polored voters, had deposited their ballots.
a number Of them for the Ring ticket and
some Of the nominees Of the Primary.
We do not remember ever to have wit
messed more reprehensible methods than
were employed on the day of the primary
election to induce voters to come into the
arrangement. The surprise to us was
that men Of Independence and conviction
would have allowed themselves to be in
fluenced by the means employed to that
end. Even with the unusual and question
able efforts put forth not one-half OF the
vote of the city was polled. Consequently
when the day of the regular election came,
the necessity was presented of bringing
out larger vote in favor of the primary
nominees to secure their election. All
kinds of appeals and assurances were en-
ployed to do this. Whiskey was used
freely. From early morning to the close
of the polls, the workers were in the field,
some Ut them with their coats off and all
making urgent appeals to Republicans
and all others to vote the primary ticket.
And not until the list of voters had been
reduced to minimum, particularly as to
the colQred vote, was the above circular
issued. Had it been circulated in the
morning, not Republican vote would
have been cast for the primary nominees,
and with that vote cut from the primary
candidates and added to the independent
ticket, the result would, in all probability,
have been different to what it was.
We have referred to this matter to ex-
pose the means employed to control the
government of this city and to place in
power political faction which assumes to
dictate to the people Of Staunton who they
shall elect and who defeat for municipal
offices.
We took little or no interest in the re-
suit, so far as individual candidates were
concerned. We had no personal feeling
in the matter. 1t was against the meth
DDS employed to secure the offices that we
protested for the Republicans had no
candidates and had nothing to gain, in a
party sense, by the election of either tick
ct. We trust, however, that the exhibits
made both in the primary and regular
election will teach lesson not only to Re-
publicans, but all others, for future gui.
| dance and advantage.
Bishop VIM. Taylor.