Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1893-11-10

unpretendlng citizen who minded his own
business and left politics 20 themselves.
he would find evidence enough Of IL. But
the actual election has ended all posi-
bility OF doubt He has run everywhere
behind the ticket In an election OF the
last Importance 10 the people. In which.
nevertheless, It was impossible 20 get
them 10 turn out to vote. No part OF
the atate was as deeply Interested In the
election as Richmond city. The whole
State judiciary above the county Judges
f. 20 be elected by the incoming Legisa-
ture. and Richmond IL vitality interested
IN a high and pure judiciary. But the
Democratic vote OF 1920. cast. last fan
for Mr.. CLEVELAND was cut down 10
paitry 7427 for OEerrall. SO many Dem
ocrats lost interest In the election that II
the fun negro vote had turned out and
been cast for the Popullsts. the Democrats
must have inevitably been beaten.
we repeat then. that Mr.. OFerralfs
nomination was imposed upon the Demo
Cratic party by the vicious convention
method. Conventions are formed by pack
81 ward meeting In the cities. and by the
court house ring OF petty ofice-seeking
politicians IN the country. and the body
Of the people have no voice In them AT
all The needed reform OF the day IS
party primary elections established ana
governed by law. and nothing could en-
phasize this fact more clearly than Nir-
ginls's experience within the past few
months.
Another lesson Of the last importance
is the fact that Mr.. Cleveland. whether
knowingly or not. IS directly responsible
for Mr.. OFPrrafs nomination. OFer-
rails friends represented from one end OF
the state to the other that OFerrall
controlled the Federal appointments for
Virginia, and that no man had any show
for appointment II Mr.. O'Ferrall was OPP
posed 10 him The consequence was that
every man in the State who vas seeking a
Federal appointment at Nj Cleveland =
hands was a partisan OF Mr.. OFerraO.
An the politicians constituting the court
house cliqucs were seeking Federal offices;
they formed the convention. and there IS
the explanation OF the whole business.
We cannot OF course. say that Mr.
Cleveland knew what was going on. but
he ought 20 have known IL II he did not
The Times repeatedly stated the use thar
was being made % his name by OFer-
rails friends and Il was "A matter Of
common notoriety If II was not true
that CTerrall had the call' that his
friends claimed for him, Mr.. Cleveland
should have had that fact made distinctly
Known in the State. that the improper use
which was made OF the claim could not
have taken place. We hope and pray that
this SIS the cnd Of this sort Of politics In
Virginia. and that our recent experience
Will never. never be repeated here.
The third lesson. which Is ono Of vast
moment IS the fact that this election
demonstrates that the day Of a solid
negro vote has pretty nearly ended The
Republicans may be able 10 rally them
again for "a Presidential election. bat We
greatly doubt H. II * certain. however,
that nothing else will ever fuse them into
another solid mass. The negro has come
% understand that his true interests arc
with the respectable propcrty-oWning eie-
Wents ~ the white people and not with
the Tag-tag and bob-tail leavings Of the
population. The negro must live upon the
employment which he receives from the
white people who own the property and
conduct the business enterprises Of the
community. and he has learned that as
bee iriurce them he diminlshcs their ability
TO employ him and give him a support
Jackson ward ln Tins city. which contains
o 00J negro voters and only coo white voters.
gave The Populist nominee for Governor
only bD votes while 10 gave OFcrrail
t0' These figures demonstrate two facts.
First. that the negroes would not Vot"
money in Wilton wages are paid. and
votes for tho Democrats their true and
ra1l friends Much az there was i'm the
election to call ont the strrncst condom-
nation. this Fact at least il one Of far
reaching comfort"