The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-05-29
NORFOLK POLITICS.
ryIL HEvIEW OF THE sITUA-
1TON THERE.
wby the People Rsvoltsd Against Mschiue
Methods and q Corrupt Municipal
Administration.

fion by The IrOnlDiuoMStS, di"c" ~
reform Democrats and Republicans. and
,be election Of the fun Prohibition ticket
for saloricd officers. and three-fourths
II the city councils--after careful inves-
,irafion. appears TO have resulted from
train OF events.-a case OF cause ana
fleet. which briefly stated, was as FOL
lows:
since the passage OF the Anderson
Mccormick election law In 1884, the
Electoral board which from the start
Nas been composed of. what may be known
Is practical politicians and workers Oh
me Democratic pariy-has used tne eleV-
zion machinery to perpetuate democratic
control not always by use OF methoos
~ men which commended themselves
d, the confidence OF the people. Inc re-
suit has been that from year 10 yen
control Of the city government ana All
- lis offices has been concentrated INTO
fre hands of a few INSCRIPTIONS poiu-
cal wire pulers and schemers. cioseiy
elIed With the liquor and gambling ele-
rrentS Who with the co-operauon OF
fbe officers of election, frequently them
solves officers OF the city government
have been enabled TO register the oe-
crees OF this coterie, regardless or tne
peoples preferences, or pubic sen'l'h n',a,
until at last. these spoilsmen had fIo" 20
arrogant. and relying on their 49,, NOD
control through the ballot box, lneg ~
>v,A
fhe better element Of the paiS ~
continued 10 perpetuate fraUus On
hallot more and more fragrant III CnaI
acter: meanwhile men ~n VIM such
struction times had appion,'vN -e,oacy
methods to maintain white SUP :. -,
for long time justfyinS tnes" BECOME
consciences had nevertheless -, S'sro
I'M hann Withheld from political Ire
hv an indisposition 10 paruclii.e *
what they could not approve anu "ouau
not endorse or late years ihany mn
1--we become Indifferent and nave re-
trained from voting, thereby playing
inTo lie hands Of the corrupt ana Nehai
element. $1,000, l., NJ, 1000
we're composed in large part OF III"
~, tho baser sort" and their admlmstra-
lion has been wasteful. some OF tncis
transactions have been severely cehsuIe a
b,- their constituents and in some cases
- "a the charge of corruption. IN
%osember 1852. the vote Of the city was
as follows;
For Cleveland Democrat. .........".i'ff w.
Iror Harrison Rcpubncah). ..-..''''' 'A''iV
FOR Bidweil and Cranhll .-......''.....' ,,n
Probibitionists) ..'.''''''''''''''''..' -
Total ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ..o'V'9
IN November. 1885, in the election for
Governor: 90,
For OFerran Democrat. .........''.'455 e5
For Miller ProhibiuonlsO''''' '''''''
...-....5,225
-. .,,a elections of November, 1893
~ .Srhe Times" with other papers
an the State. took up the ulst SsIStY'' ma
~ cutragcs on the ballot Wh'Cus Nc t6e
crown up under the opettaI'0tt - the
sdorsor- Mccormick Election law ~
Allu ' ~, f,oncrs Of Norfolk. Inc IT.
rinian. Landmark, and PuoHc , ~ fheir
tel with no uncertain so,l'u' nj on
5{sapproval Of existing anus Nfvar-
TI,s,"ca1,her 18Th. Ex-MayOr Barton 49,
a. a letter 10 the Noriolh VIZ 80,
which was copied in Inc llnT conied
18th and was pretty Eel ~ state ar
bv the papers THROUGHOUT tIgs ~ ~ ana
.ssie.yl1 Inc Andcrson-McCormck NV an
the outrages. on the ballot WI,In no. az the
suited from it's operation, as ifIHe a., no
,oot Of the political corruption III ~
IDDt " tbe arf-ressiveness Of the Spots
-, an one side and the lukewarmnesss
~ the people on the other' ~ ~ ~. 70,
a. me Prohibition vote from IIV II 800
~ ~ $50 10 7S3 in November 1915
,,-as explained 10 have resulted from tnS
effor, Of disgusted Democrats 10 Iecoru
INN INN ,dstelv after publication Of that
letter steps were taken, looking 10 the
nomination OF an electoral board Oh ~,
repr0achable character, 10 be appoihled
by the General Assembly.
Efforts were vainly made to bring about
an agreement between the machine
and the reform" elements OF the party,
until at last the reform element nOinl-
mated Niessrs benjamin j. Loyal, Ed
ward church. and X. Henry Jones and
sent a petition to the Legislature signed
by large number of business men, ask
ing their appointment as "a guarantee ol
the honest conduct Of general elections.
This petition was presented 10 the JOINT
Committee on Elections OF the senate
and House OF Delegates on February .
1872. by a large delegation Of Norfolk bus
iness men. headed by Colonel l.. j.
Starke Barton Myers. NJ Glennan, Is.
C. MURRAY. Joseph q. flVeaSh ana others
who pressed the appointment Of the gen
tlemen named above. They fully explain
ed the frauds that had been perDetrated,
and the distrust and DETECTION resulting
and warned the Legislative Committee
that unless the purity Of the ballot w9s
assured, there would be a Democratic
revolt
This delegation was obs,.nately opposed
by the delegates and senator from Nor
folk. who advocated appointment of An
drew j. Dalton, George w. Taylor and
" b. JOynes who were nominated by
the machine politicians. Mr.. Dai-
ton having been member Of the
electoral board from 1854 to 1888, and Mr..
Jovnes. from 1893 10 1893. The Norfolk
senators and delegates, demanded that
legislative courtesy should entitle them 10
name the electoral board, which the com
mittee agreed TO, Notwithstanding that 1t
was explained that tIese representatives
were themselves the product OF the ma
chine.
IN view of the approaching Clay election
II was inexpedient ITO swap horses eros
sing the stream in other words presu-
maby ineXpedient to change their meth
DDS.
The committee decided to recommend
appointment Of the machine board
4 few days later THE Times" publish
I'd its exhaustive expose Of frauds AT
Smithers precinct. Henrico county The
Norfolk people then secured q second
hearing before the House Committee, and
sent up delegation headed BY Mr.. Bar
ton Myers. who again advocated appoint
ment Of the gentlemen named. or of any
others whom the committee might select,
provided they should be free from ma
chine influence and Of high character.
Mr. Myers asserted that there were
precincts IN Norfolk where greater frauds
NAG existed than az Smithers' precinct.
an" uIscb the appointment Of a commit |
zee OF investigation. MAYOR Baker p |
Lee ana Nol j. Catlett Gibson. on the |
rouse commute. certified 10 the high |
character or The gentlemen nominated |
by the Norfolk husincss NJ, s
they urged and voted for their annotnt /
ment. but the committee under tba IA |
vice and pressure OF the Norfolk senatar. |
and delegates. recommended apnointrnott |
OF The machine board.
This action caused great indlgnatio, O.,
persistent refusal Of the Le,isiat9;yro me ne
enact amendments 10 prevent frauds n,ae~
the Anderson Mccormick law, and g.
pecially its rejection OF the Buford
amendment requiring Judges of eiection
Immediately after the polls close to admit
two representatives OF each parry ~
Witness the cOunf Eorlv IN LsoL,..,.o'