Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-09-30
MAHoNE'S PLANS.
ONE OF HIS SECRET PAPERS.
H,s Instructions 10 Rssssrnss-How II. Pro.
pss,s 10 Count Noses. &c.

IA. distractions 20 Rss,s,rsss-Iio He Pro.
posss 10 Count Noses. &c.
Malone is flooding the State with
campaign documents. Among these
documents are several secret papers,
duly numbered. giving instructions for
"ciub organization" classification OF
voters, registration Of voters, tic. The
State of yesterday prints Paper
No. 5, which should be re-
produced by every Democratic paper
and placed in the hands Of every Demo-
cratic committeeman in Virginia. 1t is
pregnant with both suggestion and
warning. Let the Democrats profit by
IL TO the end that there be not flaw in
their organization nor moments ces-
sation in the work Of getting their forces
we'll in hand. Here is the paper:
mo. 81
PETERSBURG, VA, July 81, 1885.
Dear Sir: IL we are to win in this
election-and we must or all is lost
there must be systematic organization
by precincts and thorough canvass Of
a certain class Of voters--the doubtfuls
and the stay-at-homes.
Out Of every one hundred voters sixty
are pronounced, and go to the polls
anyhow and vote the ticket. This class
need only passing attention. They at
tend the court-greens.
The second class, composed Of twenty
out of every hundred, are never decided
in their political faith and purpose.
They do not attend public speaking
generally, and are waiting for informa-
ton. This is the class that should be
closely and attentively canvassed, es-
pecially by the candidate for the Legis-
lature; this is the class to whom suit
able political documents should be
carefully distributed. The remainder
of the one hundred-twenty voters
are the stay-at-homes. They know but
little Of what is going on, politically,
other than that which is told them, and
they do not go to the polls unless car
ried.
These latter classes, making fully 40
per cent. Of the vote at every precinct,
decide the election.
The party that delivers that vote
wins. 1t is the vote that demands most
attention and involves largely the cost
Of elections-where expenditures are
made for results. We must net only
know where that vote is, but we must
know precisely the persons who COM
pose it at each precinct and the post
Office of each such voter.
A little labor and system will procure
that information.
You need, and must have, as a men,
Der Of the County Committee one man
at each precint who will take hold and
lead at the precinct, to be known as
the precinct chairman. This man
should at once procure roll Of the
voters at his precinct. which he may do
by going to see the registrar and copy
ing the names in his book, which may
be done Of the average precinct in three
hours. Now he has the basis Of the
information Just described. lie can
canvass the roll at night, and most
likely. by his personal knowledge Of
the voters. be able to classify all but
few. OF such as he cannot classify he
will make an abstract of their names,
and as be meets political friends on the
roads, at court, or at church, he will
inquire of them as to the political
status Of such persons, until he is able
to locate, politically, the last man Of
the number, and then the classification
OF his roll is complete. Opposite each
name he will be able to enter
For Pronounced Democrat-P. ID.
For Doubtful Democrat--D. ID.
For Pronounced White Republican
p. w. r.
For Doubtful White Republcan-D.
W. r.
For Pronounced Colored Republic
camp. G. X.
For Doubtful Colored Republican,
d. c. L.
Here, then, he will have the aggre-
gate vote of the precinct, and the num-
her Of certain Democratic and the
number of certain Republican votes
that are most likely to be cast; and
he will have the number of doubtful
votes on either side.
OF this latter class, in the order
named, he will want to make list Civ
ing the post-ofiice Of each person /:
that is to say, a list of the doubtful
Democrats and list Of the stay-at-
homes; list Of the doubtful Republic
cans and list of the stay-at-homes-
ailixing the letter c where the doubtful
or stay-at-home Republican is colored
man.
This information is absolutely essen
tial to success, and especially in close
counties or senatorial districts.
1t enables you to project the result
with reasonable degree Of certainty.
1t tells you what votes you have and
what additional votes you must get,
over and above your pronounced vote,
to succeed; and tells you precisely
where you must 60 to get it; and it
enables you to calculate the cost, and
where and how to incur the cost.
1t enables you to present your case
here on an intelligent basis for help,
which cannot be given on any other pre-
sentation.
1t will enable us to determine what
results can be reached. and the outlay
necessary to insure them.
1t will enable you to put in the hands
of the legislative candidates precisely
the names Of the voters in each precinct
whom he should personally see and
canvass. 1t enables the precinct chair
man to know precisely the stay-at-home
voters, whom he must arrange to have
gone for and brought to the polls on
election-day early in the day. 1t en-
ables him to assign this work and i'm
portant duty to A, b, @, and ID, who
live near such stay-at-homes, allotting
to A the duty Of calling for Tom, Dick,
and Harry early in the morning of cleo
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