The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-01-18
CREAM OF THE PRESS.
COMMENTS on LIVE MATTERS BY
LEADING WRITER'S.


The Electoral Reform Moyemcnt-Ger
many. samoa and the United states
Northern Issues IN tn. senate-1hc
whIsfiing Woman Revolution. &c.
ELECTORAL REFORM The newly
elected Governors. with general unan
unity, have called special attention in
their inaugural messages to the subject
of electoral reform, pointing out its ne
cessitv and suggesting various processes
and devices for bringing II about. Ii
now remains for the several Legislatures
TO tackle the question and formulate
some law that is capable OF enforcement
for the suppression of the abuses and
evils complained Of.
ID should be steadily borne i'm mind.
however, that thousands of citizens in
all our large cities and throughout the
country are untitled 10y ignorance or
moral responsibility TO exercise the
elective franchise II is upon these cle-
menis that corruption in politics feeds,
and Just so long as men 90 10 the polls with
ballots i'm their hands, knowing nothing
or caring nothing as 10 their political
significance, and having no intelligent
idea Of what or whom they are voting
for lust so long will these ballots be sub
iect to manipulation by politicians who
DO know their value Washington Post.
GERMANY AND SAMOA-ln Samoa, ac-
cording TO the story of our Consul, Ger
many has gone altogether too far, and
Secretary Whitney did well to send Adj
miral Kimberly TO the spot TO cooperate
with the Germans in restoring peace 10
the fighting factions AT the same time
he instructed him TO make formal pro-
test if their ironclads are, as is reported,
favoring one faction TO the detrimeni OF
the other, and imperilling the autonomy
of the government
Germany and the United States, how
ever, have too much sense and too many
interests al stake 10 seek needless quar-
rel
SENATOR HARRIS, OF TENNEssEE.-
The denomination of the Hon. lsham G..
/ Harris for the United States Senate by
| the Democratic caucus of the Tennessee
! Legislature. was an honor conspicuOusly
deserved and handsomely bestowed.
Senator Harris is one of the foremost
/ figures i'm National affairs to-day as he
/ has been for many years, and among
Democratic leaders who have survived
the era of the partys most critical his
Tory, there is none with a clearer percep-
ton of its principles or stauncher cour-
age in unfolding them.
NORTHERN ISSUES IS THE S0UTH-
Since the war the "isns OF the North
have been steadily marching southwark,
and there is little doubt that socialism is
one of them just how far this new fac
tor will enter into our politics remains
TO be seen. One thing is certain-an-
archv, or any form of socialism of q
dangerous tendency, will Doe promptly
suppressed by the conservative MASSES Of
our people Lawful combinations for
lawful objects are all right, but the
Chicago red flag business viii not be toll
Grated in this region.-ConstdutioH.
OUR WnsrLERs.-We take pleasure
i'm copying the following from the Tri-
june, because Lige Halford. the Presi-
dent-elects Secretary, is said to be a very
fine artist on his whistle
" 4 year OF TWO ago there was not a
woman in America who would acknow-
ledge that she could whistle A few
there might have been who would have
owned to being able to pucker their lips
other than for that pleasing purpose
intended by nature-and produce a
single. long-drawn whistle. which might
have been useful in attracting the atten-
ton of pet dog or amusing The baby
for few moments; but the noise more
resembled the hollow sound of the
moaning wind among the November
boughs than the musical notes OF "a good
male whistler OF female whistlers as
we now understand ii there were none
But things have changed since Mrs.
Shaw whistled'
THwARTING THE PEOPLES WILL
Under our system of government, ii is
always possible that the will of the peo-
pie NAV be defeated at presidential
election. theoretically. majority rules,
but the methods adopted for ascertain
ing the popular will leave ii possible
that minority may govern the country.
This possibility is about to become "a re-
alitv. and after March 4th every depart
ment of the government will be under
the control of men who represent mi
nOrity of the voting population OF the
United States-and "a minority not re-
sulting from votes cast for candidates
outside the two great parties, but a mi
nority as compared with the Democratic
party. the only real contestant for the
. la nj INN Jtsf-
Journal
! IMMUNITY To bribery The Federal
Bench has become a bulwark for bribery.
The law has been made shield for cor
ruption.
Shortly after the late election Judge
Woods charged the grand jury at Indian
apOlis With plain reference to the Dud-
lev letter, that if \ advises b 10 attempt
10 bribe c, then \ is an offender under
the law; and | will say that there is
some wisdom in this provision
After weeks of delay, during which
disclosures of wholesale, organized, and
unblushing bribery of voters in Indiana
have been made, Judge Woods reyerses
his previous instructions, and charges
the grand Jury, in effect, that Indictment
10 bribery and the organization and di-
rectiOn of corruption are not indictable
unless it can be proved that somebody
actually yielded to the Indictment and
acted upon the instructions.-No'o York
World.
INTENTION OR CRME.-Judge Woods
holds that unless it can proved that Col
onel Dudley's advice to the Republican
workers in Indiana TO buy votes in blocks
of five was acted upon the Colonel can
not be indicted. In other words, the
Judge decides that an attempt to bride
voters is not a crime unless it succeeds
therefore, that an attempt to inciie rob
berry, arson, or murder, or any other
( crime, is not crime in itself, and only
becomes one in case it succeeds OF a
verify, Judge Woods is a second Daniel