The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-10-19
PEANUT t1ifA ING.

When Senator Ben. Hi, IN tnat Ia
nous special session Of the Senate, drove
Malone into admitting that he was go
ing to vote the Republican ticket he,
with reason congratulated himself
that he had done what all the news
papers In the United States had been I'M
able TO do. make the Virginia Senator
declare himself. The Times recent ser
vice may result In nothing more practi-
cal than Senator Ben. Hilis performance
did. but The Times has a right, as the
Senator did. TO claim that IT has at least
turned on the light so that the people
Of Virginia will know exactly how it
Is proposed TO work the Walton cleo
ton law. We have felt perfectly as
sured all she time that job lay con-
cealed i'm IL and that it would be worked
TO secure az many Smithers' precinct
cases as possible. What the job is to be
Is perfectly plain now.
II the proposition is maintained that
the special constable is not 10 erase
names from ballot for voter who
cannot read. but is TO -confne himself
TO telling the voter which names he is
himself TO erase, then we may expect
that this will be understood by the spe-
cial constables In all the negro counties
10 be the limit OF their duty and the
elections I'm those counties will be what
that understanding makes them, what
ever that may be. Honest special con-
stables WILL OF course. instruct the
negroes who cannot read how To make
erasures from their ballots correctly, but
dishonest special COnstables will. OF
course. mislcad them and the course
which elections have followed IN the
negro counties for the last few years
has not been such. we must admit as
TO inspire confidence that the best ciu-
zens will be sought for the office of
special constable.
We must say very frankly. therefore,
that we look for a widespread scheme,
covering the whole of the negro belt,
which is TO make the elections there
what dishonest special constables can
cause them to be by telling ignorant
negroes TO erase one name when they
really wish to erase another Whether
the results expected from this scheme
are going to materialize or not we are
unable TO conjecture; but II Is perfectly
obvious To us now that this is to be
Democratic politics for the coming cleo
ton.
This Is positively a kind OF peanut
cheating in politics that is TOO Contempt
ble to bear discussion. But petty and
contemplate as 1t is. il must be met as
positively and efficiently as the case will
allow. Ii Will not be- of course. possi-
BILE TO prevent a rascal OF constable
from misleading the ignorant voters
when he has them to himself in the
booth. But his work can be exposed
We urge all who desire to see hon
esty In our elections to exert themselves
TO ascertain approximately how many
the constable has misled. Semi ro-
port or the result then TO this manor
and 1t Will print 1t and thus expose tho
dishonest constable.
This Is an evil which can be dealt
with only by formation of n beaItb,,
public opinion and that is best promoted
by exposure Of fraud whenever II 90
committed. We have got to extirnate
fraud absolutely from our elections ana
all good citizens must give all the ala
In their power TO securing this result
The Times is in the cause for a o,ht
70 the hnish and 1t will never suspend
It's EFFORTS until II feels sure that orr
elections are absolutely honest.
This is not question of negro voting.
II is a question OF the integrity OF tho
Democratic party and the permanenca
OF popular government