Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-11-20
Judge Haghes on the Election.


HE BLAMEs GENERAL MALONE ALTOGETHER
FOR THE REPUBLICAN DEFEAT.
A special from Norfolk to the New York
Tines says:-
Judge Robert W Hughes, of the United
States court for the eastern district of Vir-
ginia, and who ranks as the leading repub-
lican of this State, did not vote for General
Malone for governor at the election on
Tuesday, and some time before the election
had declared bis intention not to support
'sthe pet of the administration. The
Tamss's correspondent to day said to him
that it was understood that he had express
ed the opinion during the canvass that the
democratic majority would be very large,
and asked him if this was fact.
Il never expressed such an opinion for
publication. was the answer, ''but always
thought, and sometimes said in private con-
versation, that the majority could not be
less than twenty thousand, ana was likely
to reach thirty, forty or fifty thousand"
"What we're the grounds of that Opin-
ion ?"
81 thought the canvass between my friend
John S. Wise and Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, in
1885, brought out the full strength of the
two parties in state election, and that
Gen. Lees majority of 16. 900 might be safe
" taken as basis to start with was GER
tain that Gen. Malone could not gain &C.
cessions from the o her party, and, there
fore, that on the party lines as drawn in the
state election of 1885, the democratic party,
assuming that full vote would be cast,
was sure of 10000 majority. There was
left for C Hnsideration therefore only two
other questions, viz: How many republicans
would refuse to vote for Gen. Malone and
how much could the democratic party, by
energetic clnvassing, enlarge its own votef
My cnnvio ion was that at least 10, 600 re
publcans you'd refuse to vote for General
Malone, most of whom would decline to
vote any part of the republican ticket. I
was sure that a good many of this 0,000,
probably one fourth of them, would vote
against e.: general. Private intima.ion
came to r from many sources that de
cided perez ntage of the negro vote would be
cast for the democrats, and much appre-
tension WIS expressed lest, when colored
people once voted the democratic ticket in
a state election, they would continue to do
SO in all elections, as had been the case in
Halifax aud Charlotte counties.
However this might be, l was sure that
at least 10, 900 republican voters, white and
black, would decline to vote for Gen. Ma
hone, ard that two or three Thousand of
these would vote the democratic ticket
This defeci ION would swell the democratic
majority from 16 GOO to between %, 900 and
29, 900. AS to the probable increase of the
democratic vote. I thought the obnoxious
candidacy Of Gen. Malone would produce
an increase, very considerable; so large, in
deed, tina it would be difficult to limit the
| 81, T
early in September, l wrote friend in
Baltimore, in answer to a direct inquiry,
that Gen Malone would probably be beat
gu by so, 900 majority, not much Less
Then you think that the dsaffected re-
publican ia increased the democratic ma
jnrty SOM where between Is, 900 and 10
OO0s''
THAT has been made perfectly obvious
by the returns "
"You think, moreover, that the d'seffect-
ed republicans did not do much scratching
with their ;icke,?''
mo; Mahone's name on it was a spider
in the dumping The voters had no dis
position To Dibbe at the edges of such q
dish. Most of them rejected the whole
things
Is it your opinion thot the negroes who
voted the democratic ticket last week will
continue to do 81 in fu'ure?'
81 can't speak with confidence. l hope
they will. As long as the negro vote of
the south is solidly republican the so called
solid south will continue. We can't over
rule nature by appeals to reason or even to
patriotism AS long as the negro vote is
solid, the great mass of the white Vote will
Be solid. II was an ILL advised step of the
colored preachers to call upon their congre
-. g A. IL.
people. wish the colored voters of
the south could be divided on great ques-
tio"s Of putiic pol cy and that we could be
divided on great questions of public policy,
ard that We could all feel free to vote with
out referei.ce TO race. 1 do certainly hope
that 90 questions of state policy, at least,
large qnota of the negro vote will continue
to be cast With entire disregard of race af
ffiations.''
'Do you hipk Gen. Harrson's admins
tration gave aid and comfort to Gen. Ma
hone ?''
SOB, yes. Nearly all the appointments
it has made in Virginia have been dictated
or controlled by Gen. Malone. This was
we'll understood. This gave the nomina-
tion to the general at Norfolk. and by so
doing this c,used the republican defeat in
the election. This action of the admins
tration produced our defeat"
500 you suppose the white republicans
who declined TO vote for and those who
voted against the general O mean the kick
ers) could be counted on ones fingers9''
"Hardiy. There were seven or eight
thousand of them"
"Do you think the administration will
continue to place the federal patronage in
Virginia at the disposal of Gan. Mahone?"
SIN the language of old Mr.. Ritchie who
was my editorial prototype and predecessor
in Richmond, can only answer, Nous Der
rons. l feel no personal interest in the sub
ject."
"What do you suppose will be the effect
of the republican defeat?"
81 fear my party will not recover from it
in five or ten years. This is long period
to wait for one at my time of life, and am
much discouraged"
A