Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-11-09
THE ELECTION IN VIRGIyT4

THE ELECTION IN VIRGINIA.
All through the State Of Virginia
last Tuesday the people voted under Il new
system. The system was a puzzle to al
the political parties in making up theil
caic ulations-esDec tally to the Democratic
and Republican parties, the Two that ex-
pected to win. We question il there has
been an election in Virginla-eXcept TIC
first i'll which the secret ballot was adopted
! so much surrounded by doubt. First
| there was among the Democratic voters al
apathy that seemed impervious to all at
tacks. Stirring oratory could make it wake
up, bat could not keep it awake. 1t was
confined to no one district OF any half dozel
districts. but was common to all. All th'
! loss by this sort OF thing WAS to come tt
the Democrats, for Of the ten Virgini.
districts eight are Democratic, and may bt
| safely counted that way whenever the Dem.
ocrats choose to turn out. Besides the
! apathy in every district, we might say i'll
every county, there was q small but loud
mouthed element of disappointed spoils
| hunters who had gotten no recognition
the larger part of whom were old hands anf
who knew how and where to make tie.
selves heard. Their prophesies of Demo
cratic defeat were fine adjnncts to Repib
lican work-in fact they did under Demo
cratic colors the work that the Republicans
would have found it impossible to get mel
| in their own ranks TO do. Added to lii S
| there was considerable dissatisfaction with
the new ballot law. They were not dissat-
isGed with there being one constable and he
Democrat. it mattered little to them
whether there was one constable OF three
constables or 10 cOnStableS-What aggra-
waited them was that there was a new sys-
TEN to learn, and it wasn't pleasant when
they went to the precinct to have to he
inquirers after information instead OF
walking up ticket in hand after the Old
manner.
The Republicans had their troubles also
The new ballot law had been their bug d.
hoo from the outstart. 1t WAS Il trouble
some law for Il party tElee-iifths of whose
voters were Negroes who could not read
their tickets. So with q fife lndignatio.
at tie FRAUDS" contemplated By the Dean
ocrats they undertook to educate til,
Negroes into spelling the names of the Re
publican candidateS-a training which
could not be much relied on. Added lo
this they had all apathy which was depress-
Jig, but which seemed to be more manage
lie hy their leaders than the Democratic
apathy was by the Democratic leaders. III
fact by the time the campaign closed there
had been considerable enthusiasm aroused
10y the Republicans, something that WAS
not the case with the Democrats A d.
cided advantage that the Republican ora,
tors had over the Democratic orators with
the average audience, Was that they had
their hard times right to hand with no
need OF illustrations Or proof. The Demo
cratic orators had theif lower taxation,
but it had not Leen in effect long enough,
OF become generally felt enough, to act ;is ii
moving argument. Another advantage the
all over the country WAS moving snIiily
together, while the Democratic party h;ld
some decided and important divisions
which reacted strongly on Virginia and
every Other Stale.
Neither party. at the South, had much
money, and we cannot be far wrong i'll say
ing that there has not been a congress iollal
election in the Southern States at which ST,
title money was used.
IN tine field Of nominations through tie
State, the Democrats as a rule present. ed
the best men Take out boriand OF the
ID district and Yost of the 10Th. nearly ali
the Republican nominees were not their
best, some being, political speaking, mere
choppers" Who had Topped from the
Democratic party because OF disappointed
aspirations. Men like Hampton Hoge of
the 9Th, Jas A Walker of the 9th and Others
IF that stripe The new men nominated 10y
lie Democrats We're of a good class and if the
Democratic delegation had been elected
solid. it would have been one of the best
from any of the States.
The above is about a fair statement Of
the field. and with it the Democratic plu
rality in the State is reduced from 10000
in tie O'FerraIl election to about 25,C00
Ihe vote was light w tn all parties and if
the Democrats could have been gotten out
t .e probabilities are that they wonld have
carried tel Instead OF nine districts.