Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-03-15
VIRGINIA ELECTION REFORMS
Surprise at Richmond Over Statements
Attributed to Governor O'Ferrall.
Provision of the Walton Act for As
lit Was the Bone of Contention.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star

considerab BILE surprise among the Virginians
who are acquainted with the new election
law recently enacted by the general assem-
bly,. In that interview either the governor
has been misrepresented, or he is totally
| ignorant of the provisions of the bill. In
it he says:
THE opponents Of the measure claimed
that it will put the vote of the illiterate into
the power of one man. Let me explain
The bill provides that there shall be a spe-
cial constable appointed at each polling
place, whose duty it shall be to accompany
any illiterate voter into the booth and fix
the ballot for him according to the latter's
directions. The opponents claim that such
a constable can mark an ignorant voters
ballot as he sees fit; but the officer is under
oath, and the bill provides that he can be
instantly arrested by the judges if charged
with fraud. and fined and sent to the peni-
| Tertiary If found guilty. 1t can be easy for
the opposing side at election to find out
If a constable is practicing fraud by send
ing in a man who can read and write to
pretend he is ignorant, and catch the officer
| if he tries any tricks. Besides, the ballots
of illiterate voters are fixed for them under
the present system by persons on the out
side. who under no oath or obligations
wha tever. In the black counties particu-
larly where the negroes are voted by their
leaders like so many cattle, and where a
negro is afraid to vote the democratic tick
ct if he wants to, the effects of the Austria
| liam ballot will be excellent"
What the Law is.
The provisions of the new law are
acty opposite to what is claimed by Col.
O'Ferrall in this interview. The law says.
at shall be unlawful for any elector to
carry the official ballot furnished him by
the judges of election further than the
voting BOOTH and should he, after inspect
ing said ballot, conclude not to vote, he
must Immediately return said ballot 20 the
judges of election. Except as hereinafter
provided, no person shall advise, counsel or
assist any eector by writing. word or ges-
ture, as to how he shall vote, or mark his
ballot after the same has been delivered to
him by the judges of election. Any person
violating the provisions of the section shall
be deemed guilty of misdemeanor, and up
on conviction thereof shall be fined not less
than 800 nor more than $1,000, and con-
fined in Jail six months. To carry any Of
fetal ballot beyond the voting booth or
away from said booth. except to the judges
of election, to vote any ballot except
such as shall be received by the elector from
the judge of election, shall be a misde-
meanor. punishable BY fine of 500; and it
shall be the duty of judges of election to
cause, by verbal order or a warrant, the
instant arrest of any person making such
attempt and he shall be required to vote
or surrender said ballot. and he may be
confined i'm Jail by order of said Judges of
not exceeding ten days"
The exception referred to above is in ref
erence to the special constable preparing
| the ballot exclusively for the voter, and is
as follows:
AT the request of any elector in the vot-
ing booth who may be physically or edu-
cationally unable to vote. the said special
constable, who shall be an honest and dis
Greet man, who can read and write, may
render him assistance by reading the names
and offices in the ballot and point out TO
him names that he wishes to strike out or
otherwise aid him in preparing his bal
lot. In said elector be blind said
special constable shalt prepare said ballot
for said elector in accordance with the in
structions of said elector.'
The Bone of Contention
Upon this one question hangs the whole
bone of contention of the new law and it
was known to the men who advocated the
| measure before the general assembly and
discussed by them. This one point IN the
law was the main subject of controversy
many claiming that the right of preparing
the ballot by the special constable and only
by him in case of physical or educa tional
disablement of the voter was too great a
privilege to rest in the hands of one man.
especially such one would be likely
to be selected for such duties in the rural
districts. How Gov. O'Ferrall. who 1t was
thought had thoroughly examined the bill
mistake in his explanation of the bill Is a
subject of much surprise here.
Several of the political leaders in the
city who were seen by The Star cnrra
spondent. declared that they believed that
the governor had been misQuoted being m
willing to believe that he could either he
so ignorant of the provisions of the law or
would willfully make such a glaring mis-
statement of facts.
The public press of the state is red hot
win discussion and speculation as to the
efhctency of the new law. While ma
Jorlty or them advocate it others give ex-
pressions of fears and misgiyings as TO tho
practical application of it in the state
this fall.
A Compromise Measure
1t Is we'll known that the political leaders
In the state decided very hastily TO adzo
cate the bill only a few DAYS before the
legislature adjourned. 1t is also well known
that these men finally decided to pass this
law as compromise, and, to use one of
their expressions, ito throw SOD to the
several newspapers who were charging and
exposing frauds in the state and demanding
election reform" AS a compromise meas
ure 1t has been successful, for all of the
eiectlon reform papers have accepted il
ana nave ceased their warfare against the
old system. 1t has been intimatai that
United States Senator-eect Martin rhe
recognizes leader of the democrats in the
state, Democratic Chairman E,llyson and
olner leaders whose names have been con-
nected with the measure are responsible
for its preparation. While the gentlemen
mentioned no doubt gave their approval 10
1t and aided materially in its passage they
cannot, however, justly claim the credit Gf
there is any credit due of arranging the
feature the potentiality of which is relied
upon to make the law effective in the black
districts, referring, of course to the special
constable whose duty it is supposed to be
to read and prepare ballots for the illiterate
voter A bill containing this very provision.
and substantially similar to the Walton
scheme in many particulars, was prepared
and brought to the legislature two years
ago. This bill was drafted, 1t is said, by the
late United States Senator John 5. Barbour
well known to have been one of the shrewd-
est democratic leaders the state ever had
IhiS proposition was pretty generally dis
cuSsed among the members of the legisla-
ture at the session of 1892 but ii was never
pressed for passage and finally abandoned
The Great Cost of Cable Laying.
From Scribner's Magazine.
The chief reason why New York aside
from the difficulties of obtaining the neces-
sary permits from the city authorities.
| for hah