Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1892-09-23
Peoples Party in VIRGINIA.
It's Organization Reviewed. by a
Follower Of the Movement.
CANDIDATES FoR CONGRESS.

SEVEN NOMINATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN
MADE, AND TIE THIRD PARTYITEs EX-
PECT SUCCESS IN SOME OF THE DISTICTs
DEMOCRATS ARE KEPT IN LINE BY THE
FORCE BILL ARGUMENT.
Robert w. Harris. writing from Rich
mond to the Washington Post says;
EDITOR Posi-: | am in a position to
know something of the progress of the
Peoples party movement in Virginia. 1t
is growing rapidly in nearly every portion
of the State. In the eastern and tide
water counties and in the southwest lies
its greatest strength Some of the valley
counties and the central Piedmont conn
ties are full of Peoples party men. The
party has nominated already seven can
didates for Congress. They ara Capt.
Onis A. Brown, of Cape Charles City,
manager of the largest truck farm in tie
South. This IS in the First district, repre-
sented by Hon. w. a. Jones, Democrat.
In the Third (or Richmond) district
Walter Z. Grant, formerly Democrat, is
in opposition to Capt George ID. Wise,
Wise, Democrat Fourth district (Ma-
hone's) Col. J. Thomas GoOde, old Demo
crat; Sixth district (Edmund's) Thomas
+. Cobbs of Bedford Seventh (O'Fer-
rall's), Col. j. X. c. Lewis, of Clarke
county Eighth district North Virginia.,
Beverly B.. Turner, of Fauquier, and Tenth
district (Tucker's); DR.. d. Mott Robert
son, of Appomattox. Nominations will
soon be made in the other districts.
Yon see, the party is doing things some
what like other people. Organizations
by district, county. and precincts have
been effected and put in working order in
over eighty counties in the State, and re-
ports are received at the modest head
quarters Of the party from its ieutenants
regularly and frequently. Application
has been made for the appointment Of
election supervisors in ninety five conn
ties, and Peoples party speakers are COM
ing forward to meet their confident OPP
ponents at every courthouse and public
gathering. The party has everything re-
quired in political campaign bat money,
which we admit is now a very important
factor. The need of money is only felt
TO defray the expenses of speakers and
to do little printing, Not a single vote
will be bought by them in this State, and
they promise to make it pretty lively for
the other fellows If they attempt to carry
on a system of vote bribiug snch as has
prevailed in some parts of the State.
They are confident that they will carry
four or five Congressional districts it
given a clear field and fair show, pro-
vlded their votss shall be counted. The
Democrats still keep up a mighty howl
over the force bill in spite of the fact that
Mr.. Harrison has practically abandoned 1t
as a measure to be insisted upon. 10 give
MP the force bill as an Issue is to surrender
the situation and the State to the "third
party so-called.
Tbree-iourths of the Democrats now
held by the old mossback faction would
come to the Peoples party in ten days
but for the force bill scare. They will
not Join Issue with the new party speakers
on the tariff, national banks o. free silver.
They answer argument with ridcule. then
hold up the force bill. They are shown
how inNncere they are in their wild
rhetoric to brighten people with the
idea of negro rule ard Suffrage sup
preston by pointing to the election laws
of this State, made to put the complete
power of the ballot into the hands of the
Democrats. The Virginia force bill is
known as the Mccormick
law. The clinching clause Of that law
is in section III, in these words:
whenever it is POSSIBLE to do so. the
persons so appointed judges OF election
shall be chosen for each voting place from
persons known to belong to different
political parties, each one Of whom shall
be able to read and write. The members
of any electoral board who shall wilful- |
" fail to comply with this requirement
shall be deemed guilty of misdemeanor,
and on conviction thereof shall be fined !
not less than 800 nor more than $500 /; |
but no election shall be deemed invalid |
when the Indges shall not belong to diff |
ferent political PARTIES or who shall not |
possess the above qualifications"
What an amount of rascality can be |
practiced under the last three lines Of !
that clause. Another clause gives the |
Judges first present the right to proceed |
with the election without waiting a GER !
tain time for those who are absent, but /
nay themselves appoint others to the |
vacancies, thus giving them the power to |
make the Judges all Of one party faith. |
The Peoples party Is pledged to secure
he repeal Of this particular law and give
The people free ballot and an honest
count nnder the Australian system.
The Democrats are flooding the State
With speakers, but their meetings are not
arge nor enthusiastic outside of Rich
nond except when it Is known that there
will be a JOINT discussion. have written
alrlY IN spirit and letter, and trust you
will print these facts 10 the interest Of
armers