Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-11-17
,p.rowN OFFICE. .ss EAST BROAD
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER II, 1894.
Virginia the Target.

Virginia the Target.
Washington news is dull There Is no
Congress In session to report; no forth
coming elections to prophesy about no
scandals to circulate; no financial mea-
eures to dssect.
In this extremity the Republican can
uidates who were defeated at the cleo
t,ons recently held In Virginia have come
20 the relief Of the newspaper men,
Night before last these candidates met
Mt the national capital to air their
grievances, and to determine upon pro-
ceedings as TO contests.
We are told that they are disposed
90 make a "charge along the whole line
that is, that every Virginia Democrats
sea: will be contested. Even Mr.. South
ward put in an appearance at Washing
ION. IL seems likely that he Is going
10 contest Colonel Elletts seat. captain
Martin Meredith Lpscomb was not
oresent-it being understood that he VIII
submit to the will of the people. as all
of the other defeated men ought to DO.
These defeated candidates threaten to
make great exposure Of the Virginia
election law, and Of the Democrats VINO
administered It. Let them try It, Before
they get through they will find that they
are the objects of general ridicule. And
we shall find. we doubt not, that much
of the hullabaloo now being made as
20 the late election in Virginia is In the
way of preparation for the legislative
Campaign of next year, when General Ma
hone will attempt to organize an honest
elections party" In this State Malone
hopes TO gather around him all Of the
Disconnected elements. and he Is an or
ganizer not to be despised All he wants
Is to make division in our ranks. and
then his opportunity will come, as II
came In 1879.
Before the late election the Democrats
Of this State as good as challenged the
Republicans to test the constitutionality
of the new election-law in our Supreme
Court of Appeals-a court elected to ONCE
while Malone held power in this State.
This challenge the Republicans DEFINED
We cannot but suppose that they feared
that the court would sustain the law.
And so they went 10 the polls and MADE
their fight under the law, resolving how
ever. not to trust the special constables.
Rather than have the constables pre-
pare the ballots for their illiterate voters
the Republicans taught those voters how
10 identify" the names of their nominees
Now these nominees had taken 1t Tor
granted that the official ballots would
have the candidates names printed
thereon in a particular way; but in this
conjecture they were disappointed. The
r'ballot schools In fact. made many of
the illiterate voters invalidate their bal
lots So the Republicans were caught
in their own trap Hundreds OF their
voters who declined to accept the SER
vices Of the special constables, marked
their ballots so incorrectly that the judges
Of election had to throw those ballots
out Now the Republicans see the mistake
they made. In one or more dis
tricts where they were defeated their
candidates might have been elected had
their voters accepted the services OF the
constables.
Despite the fact that enemies OF the
Walton law had predicted that these con-
stables would be ballot thieves. IT was
found that, as a rule, they were as re-
putable and honest men as any in the
State. There were about thirteen hundred
of them, and we undertake TO say that
no State In this Union ever appointed
better men for duty at elections.
1t is clear. however. that a great cutlery
"a 10 be made at Washington as TO "Vir-
alnia election methods The Republicans
will pour out their wrath and hate
upon old Virginia. They will charge
us with all sorts OF crimes. They
will pursue us with the same
mallgnity that they did when the
Senate undertook 10 investigate the Dan
VILE riot. They VIII make our ears tingle
with the atrocious things they say about
rs They will summon to Washington
every man who has spite against us:
every man who has grievance that he
wishes to air against the Democratic
party OF this State. But II IL not possible
that many. II any. OF the contestants can
hope to be seated. The facts are too
clearly against them. All that they can
hope to do Is TO have an opportunity TO
insult the Democrats OF the Old Dominion,
Ind embroil us in trouble. IL they can
succeed In this course II VIII be glory
enough for them.