Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-10-22
Observation-Disclosures %, 1885.
Who Raised the Sectional IssueY

In view of the language Of the Vir-
einia Republican platform, it requires
good deal of brass to enable anybody to
charge tho Democrats with having
raised the sectional issue in this cam
paign in this State, or elsewhere. 1t is
our opinion that but for the declarations
of that platform no such issue would
have been pressed upon the attention OF
the people either in the North or in the
South. We dislike sectional issues to
the EXTREMIST point. We accept them
because we cannot do otherwise. We
would do almost anything in reason to
be rid of such issues once for all. We
supposed when CLEVELAND was
elected that the bloody shirt would be
furled forever, and that never more
would any southern State be called
upon TO defend herself from such
charges as those which continue to
furnish forth the speeches of SHEER
MAN, FORAKER & Co.
But it is not only in his platform that
MALONE sides with the enemies Of the
South. lie is still sending out docu-
ments which show that he is in full
sympathy with the men who wave the
bloody shirt in Ohio, and who charge
that every southern Democrats vote
counts for twice as much as every north
ern mans vote. lie says never a word
about the fact that every voter in Rhode
Island has ten times as much weight
and influence in the United States Senate
as every voter in Virginia. This Unequal
ity is not to be condemned. The same
sort of inequality exists in the cases
of New Hampshire, Vermont, Nevada,
and other small Republican States but
MALONE has no censure to waste upon
northern States. He reserves his wrath
full utterances for the prosecuted South,
and joins with her enemies in charging
her with having an influence in the
councils of the nation to which she is
not entitled. Day before yesterday
we received one Of MAHoNE's circu-
lars or lodges in which we find the
following
"As citizens-as yoters-we are
given, we accept, and we enjoy four
seats in the Congress Of the United
States, and four votes in the Electoral
College for President and Vice-Presi-
dent, on the basis Of the colored man as
q citizen and voter, that we would not
otherwise enjoy. Should we accept,
should we enjoy, this additional power
in the Administration of the Federal
Government, and yet deny the cOlored
man an honest count Of his ballot?"
Would we think it fair treatment
that the white man at the North should
have two votes to our one! And yet
the Bourbon policy of refusing to count
the ballot Of the colored man here as 1t
is cast is to give the white man here
two votes to the one Of the white man
North. Can we expect the white man
North and West will longer submit to
this injustice? Does it not forebode
sectional strife TO our great injury?
Who can desire another contention be-
tween the sections? Virginia wants
peace"
Here is aggression invited. "Can
we expect the white man North and
West will longer submit TO this injus-
iice?" What injustice? Refusing
70 count the ballot Of the colored
man." And Virginia is threatened
with "a sectional strife" to her
great injury and "another conten-
ton between the sections" MALONE
charges upon the people Of Virginia
crimes which they have never committed,
and then threatens them with =" sec
tional strife " which his own charges
invite. If the charges be true which
be brings against the election officers Of
Virginia, the northern people will Of
course not be willing to submit to such
injustice. But are they true? If so,
in what county or city? Let the guilty
be pointed out, and let them be punish
ed. But this is not General MAHoNE's
proposition. He arraigns the whole
State, and in effect tells the m sguided
voters Of Ohio that the Democrats Of
Virginia are law-breakers, ballot-box
suffers, and worse.
And We; in the face Of all these facts,
the Democrats Of Virginia are charged
with raising sectional issues. Tho
weaker section is charged with inviting
sectional strife" and another con-
tention." The lamb is charged with
having muddied the water that the wolf
would drink.
And on the Sd Of November the
voters Of Virginia will either, with
SHERMAN, MALONE, FORAKER, and
WISE, declare the charges in question
to be true, or else they viii Indignantly
deny their truth. Suppose you en-
dorse these charges will you not in
.evitably call down upon your State the
strife and contention which General
MALONE threatens will come upon us
u his charges are true? VIII you by
your votes invite strife, contention, and
Acknowledgement?
Eleven days hence, send US your an.
swtr TO these important questions.