Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-03-09
Observations on the Walton Law.


The Richmond correspondent OF the ic-
tcrsbure Indcx-Appeal writes to tho'
paper as follows:
Then, is no doubt Of the fact that the
Walton bill was passed with Il NV ~
ei,npreesing the negro vote, ana that II
,,.iiI 10 if very effectively 10 one doubts.
II & vycU known here that the hill was
under consideration for a month before
Il was formally brought TO the at'ehtlo"
az tine niIblic. Party leaders here ana III
Washington were consulted. There IS 10
doubt Of the fact that men Ike Chal-
man ETlyson. Senator Daniel ana 'hh
tor-.lect Martin were consulted II II
to be presumed that they gave their APP
rro,,aI IN the measure. Certainly 1t would
not have been passed If these three eeil'".
men opposcd it, 1t is IL fact worthy OF
motto that while what may be termed the
"machjnc" Democrats We're from the
start outspoken In support of The biil'
many Of those who are seeking TO reform
elections In Virginia finally endorsed the
bill.
we take IT that the word "suppressing'
Is here used 10y the correspondent in the
sense that the new law will operate To
divide the negro vote. inasmuch as 1t VIII
not hereafter be In the power OF the
negro's political or church bosses TO stani
at the polls and see that the negroes vote
tho Republican ticket.
1t IS a fact that the bill was carefully
considered before ii was pressed In eau
Gus or in either house. The most ex-
perlenced and Thoughtful leaders in our
party gave 1t their approval. Our con-
gressmen. we believe. were among those
consulted. SO was Senator-elect Martin.
The Richmond correspondent of the
Norfolk Ledger also writes about the
law as follows:
The safeguard for the black belt. in the
Walton bill, is the Especial torstab.s"
provided for each voting precinct. ibls
official is made the balot-reader for the
illiterate. one little word IN the law.
however. leaves II entirely optional with
this functonary whether he shall or shall
not practically disfranchise those who cam
not read. That word Is ''may'-the bill says
the constable may read and prepare the bal
lot for the illiterate. When the voter Is
physically unable TO fix up his ballot, the
Walton bill says this special constable
''shalP' do IL for him. A source Of trou-
BILE probably. will result from the section
which provides that the voter must cross
out at least three fourths of the names
of the candidates for whom he does not
desire TO vote This Is likely 70 occasion
considerable confusion.
No doubt IL would have been better had
the craftsman of the bill used the word
"shalr' in both places. nut we suppose
that the courts. If the matter is brought
to their attention, will hold It to be the
imperative duty of the constable TO as
sist any illiterate person. That is the
theory Of the law; that is the custom
everywhere that the Australian ballot
prevails, and a reading Of the Walton bill
in its entirety will show that this was the
purpose of our lawmakers.
As to the trouble about scratching out
three fourths of each name intended 20 be
erased, that is a thing which the voters
Will soon "catch on TO-" and as election
follows election there will be fewer and
fewer ballots thrown out on account OF
this infoImality. Some requirement of
this character is absolutely necessary,
because we find from experience at our
Richmond primaries that voters use the
pencil so oareiessly that II is often quite
impossible to decide whether they in
tended or not TO erase a name. In the
Walton law in such instances the Judges
Will not be put 10 work guessing: all
that they will have to do will be 10 mea.
sure the scratch"