Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1890-08-21
The Campaign.


The nomination bv the Democracy OF
Hon. GroRGr d. WISE for Congress is the
first step toward the fall campaign in this
district. 4 good beginning IL SAID 70 be
half the battle. That the convention OF
Tuesday did its work well and put its best
foot foremost no honest member Of the
party can now gainsay. But the great
work is yet 60 be done. The leader has
been chosen. but the forces are 90 be tho
roughly organized. and that without delay.
The canvass should be thorough and spir-
ited. The people must be aroused to the
terrible dangers that threaten their Eber-
sies-their very homes and tiresides.
The enemy is quiet but ever watchful-
and though be has not yet put
forth leader. We take 1t that the
man who now misrepresents this
district in Congress and has tasted Of the
sweets of place and power NAV be induced
a. yield 10 the demands Of his black CO.
horts and put himself again at their head
80 DO battle against honest and intelligent
white Virginians. And If he does we may
r,,t assured his fight will be a spirited one.
With tireless energy born OF an ambition
that dreads'the loss Of power. he Will leave
no stone unturned, no methods urtried'
that NAV and HIM IN regaining the seat,
which ne DOW holds through the machina-
tons Of unscrupulous radicalism. He can
not be elected by the votes of this district.
That we know. Then where the danger
Why should the intelligent suffragans of
this and other communities be aroused?
The danger is imminent! The very fOun-
dalton upon which the life of our republic
rests is threatened, and the honest pa
triotc citizens throughout this broad land
should be awakened to the realization of
ct. What we say of this district is appll-
cable 10 every congressional district IN
this great Union. The Congress of the ma
ton has been seized upon by desperate
partisans and they are trying TO wrest 1t to
their own selfish ends and the country's
downfall. The unscrupulOus and ambl-
tious REED, who dIsgraces the Chair of the
House, with bis partisan following whom
DO has frightened into submission TO the
bosses lash to perpetuate radical power,
would SOW discord between the sections
nov so happily at peace, paralyze the bust
ness interests of the country, aud make
state of affairs at the South more diaboli-
cal than the worst days of reconstruction.
All this their force bill would do, and
more. In recent speech upon this out
rageous measure Mr.. McADOo, of New Jer-
Tey, said:
lit takes substantially from the States
the power TO control their elections. IL
hands that power over 10 few chief SUI
pervisors OF elections appointed for life,
and over whom the people have no CON
troll. No one contemplated such power Tor
these men. however fair and honorable or
otherwise they may be, when they were
appointed.
lit puts in the background of those SUI
perylsOrs 10 give them q seeming respecta-
Sihty and impartiality. the Federal judges
of the circuit courts. The Federal Judge
is hecsoned by this magnate, called the
chief supervisor, to open his court which
Ia reality under this bill becomes pOlitl-
cal Headquarters, in order that he may go
IN and have his acts certified and endorsed
lv the Federal Judge: but in reality, when
YOU come down 20 IL, this bill makes
the chief supervisor of elections abso-
Lutte, autOcratic, and sovereign III his con-
troll of the election. Then II says 10 him
You shall gather an army OF supervisors,
YOU shall recruit them and the bill be-
tween the lines says. You shall recruit
them from one political party The num-
Der Of supervisors and marshals to be APP
pointed far exceeds the number of electors
required TO petition 10 put this law IN
force. Therefore. every man who wants
IS day has only to sign the call for
Federal InterventiOn-abOut SO OF bribe
for every signer."
The danger is around Us and our duty
before US. The usurpers must be rebuked
Mt the polls next November; nav, they
must be driven from the national halls of
legislation by the righteous Indignation OF
an outraged people. This appeal should
be made not only to the voters of every
congressional district in Virginia and
throughout the South but to the oonser-
yatiye citizens of the whole country. Let
us resolve with an earnestness of purpose
that no personal ends can shake TO make
the doubtful districts certain, to allow the
enemy no place in the Democratic strong
holds, and 10 do courageous battle in the
very heart Of bis citadels.
Let the keynote of the campaign be,
Down with RrED's force-bill Radicalism!