Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1890-07-16
Malone Republicans.
AN ADDRESS TO THE PEopLK-prcIARAr1oN
OF Principles

AN ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLK-DECLARATIoN
OF PRINCIPLES.
Major Asa Rodgers, secretary of the vir-
ginia State republican committee, has fur
nished for publication the following declara-
ton of principles adopted at the meeting of
the committee in Washington Wednesday
last:
SIN pursuance of section 2, article 3, of
the party code, which provides that the State
committee shall fix the time and place of
all State and congressional conventions of
the party and prescribe the number of dele
gates and alternates for each county and
city in the State and the mode Of electing
the same to such convention" the State
committee at meeting held on Tuesday,
the 9Th day of July, 1890, after a full con-
sideration of the subject do declare:
"First. That inasmuch as there has noe
been in this State, as they believe, a full and
unhindered exercise of the right of the cleo.
tive franchise and an honest return of the
ballots as cast since the election for Repre-
sentatives in Congress in the year 1882,
when the election machinery was fairly rec.
ognizsd and honestly administered save and
excepting the congressional elections of
1885, when the republicans carried the State
by 90, 600, and received the return for seven
of the ten members Of Congress, whereas
according to democratic authority, had Mr..
Barbour been at home, the count would
have been different.
"That inasmuch as in the late State cleo
ton it is known that fully $1,000 legally
qualified voters were fraudulently stricken
| from the registration books, and by such
means the popular will nullified and State
government imposed upon the people with
out remedy, and that inasmuch as it has
come to pass that an election in the State
for municipal, State or federal offices under
| the democratic election law, and as admins
tered by democratic officials, is mere
mockery, and that contention of candidates
opposed to the democratic machine only
serve to give countenance to the belief that
elections in Virginia are free and fair:
"That we, for ourselves, declare that we
will not participate, and we advise all self.
respecting republicans to forbear participa-
ton in any election in this State Except in
such districts where the district committees
may elect to hold conventional where and
so long as the same shall be conducted I'm.
der the foul election law of the democratic
party, as now fraudulently administered.
Hopefully biding the time when unlawful
Acknowledgement of the electors and fraudu-
lent returns shall become 30 repugnant to
popular sentiment as to make the accept.
ance of public trust by such means
badge of dishonor, when the better thought
of the masses shall realize that an efficient,
frugal and pure administration of public
affairs is only to be reached by fair elee-
tions; when in fact it shall be seen that re.
publican form of government as guaranteed
by the constitution of the United States, the
paramount law of the land. is allowed OF
enforced in Virginia.
"But in Difference, and only in Difference,
to what nay be the wish il some Of the dis
tr;cts, this com mittee hereby delegate au'
| thority to every congressional committee
that may SO determine to call district con.
vention to nominate a candidate fof Con.
gress and to fix the time and place of the
same"