The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-11-14

his election If the influence of the
National Committee and of Federal pa
tronage had been eliminated from the
canvass. he would have been beaten by
100, 900 easily. All his cry about fraud
is to cover up the humiliation of defeat,
and the deception he practiced upon the
country in pretending that he could be
elected by from 10000 to $4,000. He was
defeated before he nominated himself,
and no one who knew anything about
public sentiment in this State, ever had
any apprehension of any other result.
His pretended confidence in a favorable
result and his extravaganza promises to
break the solid South, were nothing more
or less than a deliberate swindle OF the
adminstr ltion. the National Committee
and Northern Republicans who may
have contributed to him. 1t was getting
money under false pretenses and in law
and ia morals was fragrant fraud.
He ought to be dropped by all self-re-
speeding Republicans. SO far as Viz
sinia is concerned, the Republicans GER
tainly have dropped him and dropped
him for all time to come.
s e-
Senator Blair, who took part i'll the Virginia
campais IN in the interest Q! Malone says tina
he is satisfied that there were enough Republ
can votes east to give Malone good majority
but that when it came TO counting up Demo
cratic ma jority it was just as easy to make Ii
forty thousand as five thousand. He says hi
thinks the result win make Congress think very
seriously of the necessity for federal election
law Washington Star, Nor. 9TH
We have no disposition to keep up the
controversy over the election in Nir
ginia but it may not be out of place IL
correct errors as they may be prolnul-
gated as to the result of the vote on the
18th. Senator Blair. when in Virginia.
received his information generally from
a very preiudiced source. While we
know nothing OF the practices in the
recent election in Eastern Virginia, We
are very sure that all through the
Valley, there never was a fairer cleo
ton, and no one who desires to be fair,
will intimate that there was fraud in the
returns, or that any one who had right
70 vote was not permitted to do so. Ii
the Senator will call to mind the fact
that every county in the Valley was
carried against Mahone-that counties
where the Republicans heretofore have
had maiorities, they lost them in the re-
cent election and that in each Congress
sional district the Republican vote was
greatly reduced he will comprehend at
once that he was mistaken. Not less
than $4,000 Republicans either refused
to vote for Governor, or voted for Nc
Kinney. A change in the result, as
compared with the Presidential election
Of 1888, in Shenandoah, of 409 in Page
of several hundred in Frederick of 400
or 500: in Augusta of over 1000: in
Rockbrdge OF 500; in Allegheny of 300 !;
in Bath of 100 in Highland of nearly
200 in Botetourt, of 4G0; in Roanoke of
500; in Montgomery of over 500; in
Craig. of several hundred in Wythe of
over 800, and so on through nearly every
county where the white vote largely
predominates, goes to show that it was
general revolt against the Norfolk
ticket.
We think when the aggregate of the
vote is given, it will be found that it has
not been SO much an increase in the gen
eral vote, as it has been a falling off of
the Republican vote The cause for this
was fully stated during the canvass, and
no amount of contortion or conjecture
will change it. While there may have
L.,
ties, such a charge will not hold good in
the Valley and Southwest, where pretty
much the same relative losses were eX-
perienced as in the eastern counties.
The result of the election was forecast
long before the 9th of November. This
was based upon known conditions and
positive evidence of unappeasable dis
satisfaction and opposition to the Nor
folk ticket. So the cry of fraud as
affecting the general vote, or as to the
majority recorded, will not hold good.
The people of the Valley and Southwest
are certainly not amenable to it. They
knew what they were doing. and did
precisely what they wanted to do.
AllOtlcI Has DttH StIll oul
from Petersburg, to the effect that co.
900 Republican tickets placed in the
ballot boxes were not counted. and 90
900 Republican votes were not permitted
to be deposited in the ballot-boX The
facts of the case refute this and it is not
necessary to analyze it.
The better way to regard the election
is to accept the result as the logical and
natural effect of existing and known
causes-to recognize them and shape the
future policy of the Republican party in
the State to conform to them. 1t is fatu-
ity itself for assumed leaders to antago-
nize the people. The people can be lead
the way they want to go. but cannot be
driven the way they do not want to go.
The leaders have to 1olloar the people
if they want to accomplish results
There was never a greater mistake than
for prominent politicians to assume that
they can lead the people at will. When
the voters are fully aroused and fully
comprehend the interests at stake, it is
better for the "leaderS" to get out of the
way and leave the people alone. All thc
imported speakers who championed the
Norfolk ticket. did not convert voter.
They had respectful hearings and cour
teous treatment, but they mistook large
audiences for large followings, and mis-
construed attentive listening into earn
est approval of the sentiment advanced
and the ticket advocated. In the can
yass just closed, the people were mas
tiers of themselves. and with both white
and colOred voters, the ballot they de-
posted was to emphasize their wishes
and opinions.
We do not question Senator Blair's
honesty or sincerity. but he was greatly
deceived as TO the temper of the people
and the result of the election. His in
formation was gathered from sources
that were not impartial, and his conclu
sions were reac he'd from conditions
which did not exist.
Florence, Ala, Uerald: Mr. Ed. Harms
Il 20