Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-08-09
The Lepislatnre.

The contest now going on in Virginia
is between the Democratic party and
General MALONE. That is to say,
General MALONE is fighting for his
political life. lie is battling for re-
election to the United States Senate.
No one who knows the man doubts that
he would rather that WISE, WOOD,
and BLAIR should all be defeated next
November than that he should lose his
seat in the United States Senate.
Therefore, he will bend all his
energies, use all his money, direct
all his efforts, to the object Of
making his own reelection sure. 1t
may be said that whatever he does to
elect his candidates for State Offices will
help TO re-elect him to the Senate. That
statement may be true--is true to
certain extent. But he also knows that
it might very well happen that WISE,
WooD, and BLAIR might be defeated,
and yet MALONE secure majority on
joint ballot in the Legislature. A few
hundred votes in the doubtful counties
may easily elect more senator's and
delegates than will be elected by the
Gfteen or twenty thousand voters in this
senatorial and delegate-district. Last
year Bath gave CLEVELAND 1873 ma
jority; Bland gave him &c majority;
Buchanan gave him A T.; Dickensong gave
him ga; Kingand Queen gave him only
7 majority in vote Of over 1900;
Montgomery gave him only los ma
iority in vote Of over 200;
Northumberland only 81 in vote Of
over LOO; Portsmouth only 80 in
vote of over 1900; Princess Anne only
Is in a vote of over 1900; Roa-
noke county only l2l in vote Of over
2,l00; Roanoke City only Al in vote
Of over 100; Rockbridge only l02in
vote of over 1000 Rockingham only
! majority in vote Of over 5,5OO!!
Shenandoah only l04 in vote of over
$500; Smyth only "a in vote of over
1900; Spotsylyania only "a in vote
of over LOCO. But that's enough. IL
we lose those counties, we lose the
State; and the loss Of little over half
the totals of the majorities stated above
will cause the loss of those counties
Think of that. Don't you know that
here is the weak place in our lines,
and that it is there that MALONE will
centre his electioneering forces?
The Norfolk Landmark says on this
point
The REAL FIGHT.-The fight in
Virginia will be for the Legislature. If
General Malone can secure the House
Of Delegates he will be able to throw
out enough men to give himself control
on joint ballot, and that is what he is
really driving at. The ticket, except
in so far as it can help him to be sent
back to the Senate, is not much more
than an amusing and expensive side
show. He will concentrate on close
and doubtful districts, and we should
bear this in mind throughout the
canvass. We are thoroughly sanguine,
but we believe in our victory because
we believe, also, the people understand
the magnitude Of the interests they
have at stake, and that our leaders pen
citrate the game Of their energetic an
tagonist. We should, therefore, bring
out our best men for the General As
sembly; and when these are approached
they should stand ready, in town and
to make some sacrifices for the
supreme end of saving the Common
wealth from the shame aud misery Of
again having its legislative branch in
the hands of our enemies.
Is there any Democrat foolish enough
to imagine that MALONE is not ac-
quainted with the figures we have given
above? If so, that Democrat does not
know how shrcwd, active, and vigilant
MALONE is. You can tell him nothing
he does not know as to the weak points
in our lines.
We could of course name q number
Of counties that gave BLAINE small
majorities. A few of those counties
are AppOmattox, 81; Caroline, Al;
Isle of Wight, 76, in a vote of over
$500. But let us be fully forewarned,
and, being forewarned, let us be ready
for the assault just where we know it
will be made.