Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-19
SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER 49, 1885.
A Tribune Libel.

Virginia." as he styles them, would
resort TO either fraud or force to carry
An election? Hon. JOHN S. BARBOUR
IL chairman Of the State Executive Com
mjttee and of the State Central Com
mittee. and the other members OF those
committees are gentlemen of the high
est standing in the community. Is II
these men that Mr.. REID would have his
readers believe are partisan despera-
does bent upon accomplishing their OBJ
jects by fair means or foul?
Here is one Of Mr.. REDS asser-
tons:
"The Virginia Republicans have been
working splendidly, though against
great odds. Too little is known at the
North of the reason Why the odds
against them are so great. 1t is but
little known that the election laws were
changed by the last Legislature on pur-
pose to give larger power to Bourbon
managers than before. The question
is whether it is still possible to secure
in the State Of Virginia a vote suf-
fcicntly free and count sufficiently
honest to give effect to the will of the
people,"
The election laws were changed by
the last Legislature on purpose to take
the election machinery out of the hands
of the Nahoneites. We call Mr..
REID's attention to the following pro-
vision Of the new law, and ask him to
reproduce it for the information of his
readers. The law first provides for
Electoral Boards to choose judges of
elections, registrars, &C., and then
adds:
"whenever it is possible to do so,
the persons so selected and appoint
ed as judges Of election shall be
chosen for each voting place from
persons known to belong to diff
ferent political parties, and each one
of whom shall be able to read and write.
The members of any electoral board
who shall wilfully fail to comply with
this requirement shall be guilty OF
misdemeanor, and on conviction thereof
shall be fined not less than one hundred
nor more than five hundred dollars"
Mr.. REID also makes al amusing re-
mark occasionally, as for example when
he says:
"If it be proved, therefore, that no
appeal to the people of southern States
can be heard, or that their voice can
find no expression through the ballot
box, it will be necessary for the people
of northern States to put aside all other
questions, until they can bring about 4
free expression of the popular will, and
to unite as they have never united be-
fore to resist the Bourbon conspiracy
against free government. The future of
parties largely depends upon the result
Of the election in Virginia, and the in
dustrial future, alike of the North and
of those southern States in which the
development Of manufactures has re-
Gently been promising, clearly depends
upon the same decision"
The Tribune may rest assured that
all such utterances have the effect Of
making the people Of Virginia and Of
oil the southern States only the more
decided in their determination to vote
with the Democratic party so long as
the party opposing it shall continue to
be a party of prescription and hatred.
Our stump-speakers regard those utter
ances as capital for the Democrats.
There are thousands of voters in Nir'
ginia whose predictions and political
opinions would have led them into the
Republican party before now lift had moi
been for the malignant libels and ISLANDERS
which northern papers and speakers
have for q quarter Of century poured
out upon the southern people. Doe
not the Tribune know that the Repub
lican party can never regain control o
the national House Of Representative
10 long rs that party forces the Soutl
to remain "solid"? Why, ever
SHERMAN has found himself con
victed Of such folly and ignoranc
in claiming tina. Congress coul
under the fourteenth smendmer
reduce the representation Of
State in Congress, that in his Massi
Ion speech, quoted by us yesterday, h
"changed his base" to use Geners
McCLELLAN's famous phrase, an
claimed that as each house Of Congress
is under the Constitution the sole judy
Of the election, qualification, and n
turns Of its own members, the Hous
Of Representatives could under that pre-
vision cut down the number Of represer
tatives from any southern State -
proposition more preposterous and al
surd, II possible, than his threat to Gu
il down under the fourteenth amend
Jnent. This country cannot be hall slay
and half free, Mr.. REID. Whateve
right Congress shall take away from an
southern State will be right to b
taken awsy-in fact, already take
Away-from every northern State
The southern States are part an
parcel Of the Union, and canoo
be made to fare any worse thai
the northern. II the eleventh amend
ment can be set aside in order to com
pei sovereign State to receive coupons
for taxes, it can be set aside for any
other purpose, and will be set aside 10
the injury and wrong Of the northern
States Is frequently as to the injury and
wrong Of the southern States. 1--WE