Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-10-16
WEDNESDAY. OCTOBER 16, 1889.
Truthful William.

General MALONE is reported in the news
papers as having said NJ stanton last
Monday that he expected TO get the votes
of majority Of the white mon in Virginia.
There are say 10000 negro voters and
$50. 900 white voters in this State. II Ma
HoSy receives 10000 of the white votes
(l25 900 being half) and nearly all of the
negro votes. he will be elected Governor of
Virginia by a majority of not less than one
hundred thousand vOtesl Did MAHoSE be-
licve that statement when he made it
No. He knew il was not true. He made il
because he was addressing voters residing
in county and section where there are
comparatively few negro voters; because
he had "a few northern hearers; and be-
cause he wanted the papers to publish to
the northern people, who would know no
better. his prcposterous claim. But that
statement will open no mOney-bags and
secure no sympathy. 1t lacks probability
even when addressed 10 nOrtherners.
SO far as Richmond is concerned we
have the means of disproving MAHoNE's
claim, though il needs no argument to
convince any Virglnian that the claim Is
totally unfounded. This city is divided
into six wards. Into one Of them the ne
Eroes have crowded. and there constitute
nine tenths Of the voting population. In
that one ward jackson MALONE can at any
time command q majority Of two thou
sand On the other hand. in Clay Ward.
where the whites constitute the mass of
the voting population, there were cast at
the last election Z, 1OOvotes for CLEVELAND
more than one fourth Of the Democratic
vote Of Richmond. Few or no negroes
(not one, We SUPPOSE voted for CLEvE-
LAND. and few white men for HARRISON.
Again Look at the organization Of Com
mercial Travellers. They are all white
men, and yet there is not one Of
them whom we know to be a Mshoneite.
So far as tho public can judge from the
published proceedings of that organiza-
ton IT has upon its roll of membership
none but Democrats. Certainly the num-
her Of Mahoneites among them is so small
that the organization may be set down as
an efficient Democratic club. Are not
these commercial travellers fair re-
representatives. of the white men in Viz
einia so far as Mahoneism and anti-Ma-
honeism are concerned? DO they not know
that when they declared their adherence
TO the Democratic party they spoke for
the merchants OF Richmond and every
town and city in the Commonwealth DO
we not all know personally that nearly all
the white men we meet with in town or
country-even in the MALONE OF negro
counties-are Democrats? Walk the streets
OF this city, 60 into its business-houses,
visit the workshops, talk TO the lawyers,
doctors, and preachers, ask all the white
men you meet with as to their politics, and
you will learn that they are almost solidly
working for Democratic success.
MALONE ought TO have rounded out
his reckless statement by declaring that a
majority of the negroes are Democrats.
The MALONE party Is well known as the
negro party, and the Democratic party as
the white mans party. And these party
designations indicate the truth Of the mat
ter.
If MALONE believes what he says. let him
submit his claims to the Office of Gov
ernor TO the votes of the white men. He
has complete control over the negro voters
and could either persuade or frighten or
"cOniure" them into remaining at home
on election-day. Thus the white men of
Virginia might be polled and thus it would
be demonstrated that not one white man
in three in some places, not one in four in
other places, and not one in five in the rest
of the State, would allow himself to be
caught in the act of voting for MALONE.