The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-11-26

address Itself TO the Democrats OF the
State alone. Il would much prefer to do
80. But. as we have said. The Times
ia a public Journal. addressed six morn
ings out OF each week TO Democrats
Republicans. Populsts, Hindoos CHRIST
| sans. and Jews. and all others who
will pay us for our paper and compn-
ment us. besides informing themselves
better than they can anywhere eise'
by reading H. Publishing a public news
paper as we do, therefore. II Is not pos
sible for us to confne our discussion Of
party abuses to Democrats, unless under
one condition. II The Dispatch will coll
|. lar all the Democrats of the State ana
separate from them the followers Of all
other political creeds, we will publish
special edition for them. and we will
confne our discussion OF party abuses
to that edition. IL The Dispatch will
not do this, we are presented the alterha-
tives only Of discussing our party abuses
before the whole world. or not discuss
ing them at all. When these are the
only ones offered us we shall invaria-
bly, choose the first. though 1t should
continue to bring on us our neighbors
censure. which we regret, but will have
TO try and live under.
The Dispatch continues: IL The Times
has not gone as far as any independent
in denouncing what 1t styles abuses
We are greatly mistaken.
That may be true, and yet The Times
course be entirely right. Grant the ex-
istence OF an abuse. and we do not see
how The Times could go wrong in de-
nouncing It, even though it went as Tar
as an independent" But The Times does
not propose to become an independent
in the usual sense Of that word. II is
Democratic journal and it proposes 10
remain one. But it proposes to be 'inde-
pendent" inside its party. That is, it pro-
poses to tell its parsy it is going wrong
whenever it believes this 10 be the case,
as all true friends do by their friends.
IL is not our purpose 20 discuss the
amount of money which the STAG Commit
tee had at its command in the lace cleo
ton, though the Dlspatct is very 1ar
wroag in its estimate Of It. But we repeat
%. nat we have already said, that the grow
ing use Of money I'm our elections is the
prime cause of the universal discomfort
now prevailing all over this state.
Money is as necessary in the conduct
Of a political campaign as il any bust
ness the purpose Of which is TO instruct !
and move the minds of men. The use
of money is not only necessary; it is |
entirely justifable for great many cam
paign purposes. but there is a growing |
tendency to use money too freely, and |
there are so many men who wish to |
make a harvest out of an election that !
the temptation is TO rely on money in
stead of conviction Of the voters for the
result of an election.
We viii not speak of the recent election,
but we undertake 10 say that there was
more money spent in the Virginia cleo
tons of 1883 and 1883 than in all the Vir-
ginia elections from the war up TO 1883
Il is a bold assertion TO make, but we make
it with confidence.
The great bulk Of the money we now
spend is not needed in the interest OF
pure and honest elections. and the sooner
we discontinue the practice the better it
will be for our politics.