Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-25

| out DOLBY anu fcNSOH F~obS it1 Pe">y
| You'll not Eetuh;itans. PopulistA Demo-
Gratis. INDEPENDENTS and every one else
respect It nore7 or courss this paper
has a rerfcct right to lis opinion. per-
| .ect right to arraign srd abuse as u
| u,eases, but let II conduct the warfare
under colcr OF its true nag; and IL IT Is
10 c,niinle toini erdIng the Democratic
camp, why let 1t go over to the enemy
! and te done Nth II. I.ather deseftcr
| and be done with it.-Franklin Times.
Earnest But Futile.
| The Richmond Times has for some time
| been engaged In very earnest. yet very
futile, efforts to establish the fact that the
| elections m. our State In many places are
, characterized by fraud and cheating
! To reasonable and fair-minded people u
I seems about time for the Times 10 bring
forward some evidence, or present some
proof by which these charges may be
| substantiated; or failing In this. TO give
! the thing UP, and retract the ISLANDERS II
has helped to circulate against the name
and honor OF our people. The Times Is
well-meaning. but mistaken. IL has been
I impooed upon.
| Years ago we remember coming across
| two boys who were angry and excited over
| game OF marbles.
One was urging vociferously that he had
been cheated by the other. We took sides
with the boy who said he had been
cheated. and denounced In vigorous terms
I the cheating. But upon moro careful In
vestigation we found there had been no
cheating. and that we were erring. The
boy whose side we had espoused had been
well and fairly beaten. and to cover the
shame and humiliation OF his defeat he had
cried fraud and charged cheating"
We apologized to the injured boy and
left the scene
The Richmond Times as II grows older
and the light of truth shines more fully
upon it, will be wiser.-Rappahannoc
Times.
Let Good Enough Alone.
Ever since the election last fall the press
of Virginia have been discussing the
Anderson Mccormick election-law. The
Richmond Times assisted by a few Dem
ocratic papers. and nearly all Of the Re-
publican and Populist papers. have been
clamorng for its repeal. and the Rich
mond Dispatch, upheld by nearly all of the
Democratic papers. are claiming that the
law answers our every purpose.
SO far, the Banner has had very little to
say, but during that time we have been
interviewing leading Democrats on the
question, and we have our first man TO
meet who desires this law repealed. 1t
seems to be the opinion OF our people TO
"let well enough alone" We have seen
no argument yet that convinces us that
there is anything wrong with the law,
and the fact that our enemies are anxious
for its repeal satisfies our own mind that
ii should be let alone.
In our county, Messrs John ]. Allen.
Cary Breckenridge. and Mr. Bowyer, COM
pose the Electoral Board, and Virginia
has never had on her soil any better citi
Zens. and the man who charges that they
would stoop to fraud or place incompetent
men in charge of the elections had better
be careful not TO use 1t upon the soil OF
old Botetourt. unless his life is insured.
The Democrats will never. and do not
expect to do anything that will please the
enemy, and vice versa, and any man is
a fool to look for them to do so.
The Virginia Legislature has no Idea OF
repeating the law, and the fellows who are
calling upon them TO do so had just as
well turn their attention to something else.
Come, let us talk about something that
will be more beneicial-a dog-law, for In
stance.-Buchanan Banner.
a Suspicion Well Founded.
The Virginia Sun is very solicitous that
our Democratic Legislature should give
the people all needed relief from. ais II
claims. the iniquitous laws under which
we labor but. with one exception, II falls
to point out the needed reforms.
1t Is complimentary TO the Richmond
Times for its efforts in behalf OF fair cleo
tons, and fully approves the course OF
that paper in its efforts TO fix a stigma
upon the Democratic party
There has doubtless been occasional
fraud perpetrated at a few precincts in
this State under the present law, as there
has been and will ever be under any law,
and we rejoiced when the Times took up
the cudgels in behalf of honest reform,
and had that paper been true to its pro-
LESSONS for honest elections 1t would be
sustained and applauded by every good
Democrat in the State; but all thoughtful
readers of It's columns saw from its I'M
called-for, unjust, and wrongful denun-
citation of the Senatorial Investigating
Committee and its subsequent publ
cation OF sensational charges, charges
written by the sOre-heads and enemies or
the Democratic party. that honest reform
has little TO do with directing its course.
We are for honesty's reignine at every
precinct in every election held in Nir-
ginia. We would not have a voter sell,
be robbed, or fooled out OF his vote.
and the man who buys or fools voter
to the support OF any particular measure
does dirty work. The journal which
daily publishes false and misleading
statements with the view of fooling
voters into supporting particular meas
ures, or candidates, or opposing mea-
sures or candidates, is degrading a mighty
power TO the worst ends.
Reform may be needed. and II 1t Is.
4. L.. h. Of ha n
present law is ample for all purposes.
and 1t can be and ought to be, and We
believe in ninety instances in every hun
dred is honestly administered.
While the Times is engaged In the
reform movement. why doesn't it broaden
out and go for all the rascals? Why
not caution the senators and delegates
against the tobacco trust which came
within an ace a few years ago or getting
n monopoly of the tobacco business In
the State for fifty years to come, there
by enabling 1t TO fix the price upon every
pound of tobacco raised in Virginia?
Sudden conversions are open TO sus-
picion, and when the conversion is one
sided. that suspicion is well founded
buchanan and Appomattox Times.
ats Sorry Bird" &c.
Lexington GaZette)
We have been watching the antics or
the editorial columns OF the Richmond
Times for the past two months or more.
First because, forsooth, the Democratic
Gubernatorial Convention would not NOM
mate the Times's candidate as the stand
ard-bearer of the party, 1t charged that
the friends OF Colonel O'Ferrall had bull
dozed the primaries and captured the dele
gates unfairly. After the nomination the
Times supported the nominee in a half
hearted manner. Nevertheless, Colonel
O'Ferrall was elected by the unprecedent-
ed majority of over 5000 votes.
As soon as the vote was counted the
Times, in a leading editorial, said that
Colonel O'Ferrall was not a fit man to be
the Governor OF this grand old Common
wealth. In this editorial II stuluned
itself, for 1t villifed and traduced q man
whom II had supported.
Next 1t called for an investigating COM
mlttee on the ways and means OF electing
United States senator's. This investigation
was a tempest in a teapot" more fuss
than feathers. and amounted TO nothing
more than to create bad feelings In the
ranks OF the Democratic party.
1t next makes an attack on one of the
purest and most upright OF our noble
band Of Virginia congressman now In
Washington.
Why, forsooth, we cannot tell. unless
tha r,irnaa would rather see a black Re-