The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-12-12
A DISPATCH CORRESPONDENTS RE-
VIEWS THE TIMES.

The human mind is so liable to perver-
| sions that an infinite majority OF men and
women think it a good answer to sound
argument TO say that it is inconsistent
in the person advancing it TO do so. We
were once present in the Supreme Court
Of the United States, when an attorney
read to the court from brief which had
formerly been filed In that court by his
opponent in another case TO show that
that opponent had argued in that other
case for proposition entirely inconsist-
ent with the one he was then and there
arguing for. one of the justices inter
rupted him with the question, do you
deny TO your opponent a right to change
his opinlon% WhereupOn the stckler
for consistency subsidized and had no
answer to make. Augmentation of this
sort is good as ad captandum argument
for "the general" but it is wholly value
less for arriving at just conclusions, and
is thoroughly despised in reasoning by
logical minds.
A Mr.. Marion l.. Dawson has written
a long letter 10 the Dispatch examining
the Times discussions of our election
laws in which he follows in the track Of
the Dispatch and urges against the Times
the "tu quoque" argument with all his
might. Mr. Dawson says:
III the Times really desired TO purge
our politics Of such deflement, why did II
wait until the goods were stolen" before
st cried thief" There is a principle Of
law which makes one party 10 a crime
who knows it is TO be committed and
does not take steps 10 prevent it, The
elections when have already been held
under the present law have been sUf-
hcienuy numerous for the Times, or any
one else interested in the subject, TO dis
cover their effectiveness if such had ex-
listed.
Suppose that the doctrine Of "particeps
criminis' did applr and that The Times
could be convicted as an accomplice IN
fraudulent elections, would that constitute
any SOFT OF reason why the Legislature Of
Virginia SHOULD permit fraudulent cleo
tlons TO be continued in Virginia? II It
would not, how has the Times alleged
part as an accompliee got any thing 10 do
with the question under discussion? The
question TO be discussed is whether frauds
in elections exist. and shall they be pre-
vented in the future When the question
whether CT rot The Times is a guilty
accompuce comes up 1t will be time
enough for the Times to present its
answer 70 the charge.
There is nothing new in Mr.. Dawson's
letter. and not much. II anything, that
is worth answering, but one point pressed
by him deserves a passing remark MIR.
Dawson seems to concede that fraud is
practiced IN our elections, but he claims
that :, is fraud of that individual sort
which grows out Of accidents and The
natures OF men, and not out Of our
system OF election laws. This is. OF course.
matter OF opinion, but we must be
permitted 10 express an opinion on the
point in direct antagonism to that OF Mr.
Dawson. We insist that the frauds in our
elections proceed directly from the laws by
which they are regulated. and that fraud
in localities where there is a large negro
vote is the inevitable consequence OF the
laws az now framed. We irslst further
that II our laws tolerate frauds in the
negro counties that fraud VIII inevitably
spread to the white counties, and in the
end we shall have fair elections nowhere.
The election law provides that the |
whole machinery Of the election shall be |
under the undisputed control OF three
persons who may all three be OF the same |
political party, who may hold all their |