Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1890-07-18
Malone Republicans.
AN ADDRESS TO THE PEoPLE-DECLARA-
TION OF PRINCIPLES.

AN ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE-DECLARA
TON OF PRINCIPLES.
Major Asa Rodgers, secretary of the
Virginia State Republican Committee, has
furnished for publication the following
declaration of principles adopted at the
meeting of the committee in Washington
last week:
''In pursuance of section 9, article 8. 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
delegates and alternates for each county
and city III the State and the mode of elect
ing the sametO such convention, 'the State
committee at a meeting held on Tuesday
the Sth day of July, 1890, after a full con-
sideration of the subject do declare:
First. That inasmuch as there has not
been in this State, as they believe, full
and unhindered exercise of the right of the
elective franchise and an honest return of
the ballots as cast since the election for
Representatives III Congress in the year
1882, when the election machinery was fair
ly recognized and honestly administered
save and excepting the congressional cleo
lions OF 1886, when the Republicans carried
ClAC oIctCC ny LO3OOO3 tb1I 1GCclNcu UuG IGGuIuS
for seven Of the ten members of Congress,
whereas according to Democratic authori-
ty, had MI. 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 nullifed 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 OF federal offices under
| the democratic election law, and as admin.
istered by democratic officials, is mere
| mockery; and that contention of candidates
opposed to the democratic machine only
serve to give cOuntenance to the belief thai
| elections in Virginia ale 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 il
such districts where the district commit
tees may elect to hold conventions where
and 80 long as the same shall be conducted
under the foul election law of the democra
tic party, as now fraudulently administered
Hopefully hiding the time when unlawful
Acknowledgement of the electors and fraud
ulent returns shall become SO repugnant tt
popular sentiment as to make the accept
ance Of a 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 cleo
tiOns; when in fact it shall be seen that {
republican form of government as guaran
teed by the constitution of the United
States. the paramount law OF the land, il
allowed or enforced in Virginia.
''But in Difference, and only in Difference
to what may be the wish of some of the dis
tricts, this committee hereby delegate au
thority to every congressional committee
that may so determine to call district
convention to nominate candidate fol
Congress and to fix the time and place Of
the same.''