The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-18
Faii. Elections.

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Editor Zines: To judge from the nut
ter made In certain circles. by the disciOs-
ures by the Times, of the frauds prac-
tised in the last State election. one would
think that 1t is little short OF high treason
for a Democrat or a Democratic organ
to even mention such n thing; but the
truth is, some practices were INDUCED in
at the last election, and at the primaries
that preceded the election, which the
Democratic party Will do wei 10 avoid
in future II it hopes to live.
I am but a private i'm the ranks. but
! have been a Democrat all my life. 1
have been content to let those who want
ed the Offices have them. never having
sought or even "hankered' after u Tor
myself. l nave always been more or
less actively interestd n politics. and have
always been animated by a keen desire TO
beat my adversary when i could DO so;
but l have never been a party to any
effort to beat him unfairly, and l never
VII.
Laying aside for the nonce the moral
of the question. II is very easy 10 see
that no party can afford TO be guilty of
dishonest practices. whatever the tenn
porary gain may be. 1t requires no very
astute ethical sense 70 perceive hat a
wrong is more hurtful TO the perpetrator
than to the victim; for the victim may
recover from its effects, or overcome them
in time. but the perpetrator has compro-
missed his self-respect-if no other but
himself knows Of his crime-and has lost
the confidence and the respect of all who
do know II. There never was a more
delnsive lie than that time-wOTn one
about honor among thieves" There
never was a thief who would not sacrifice
49,. f,f1rI no had aG soon gg IL Hg-
came his advantage to do so; and the
very fact of his being a thief proves
that he is not TO be trusted except when
YOU have him where he cannot but keep
his faith.
Now a thief is a thief, whether it is a
ballot or a million dollars that he steals;
and the party that uses "A thief as a
tool to-day VIII surely sooner or later
become the victim.
The Democratic party Of Virginia is Of
much more Importance than any illivld-
ual IN the party; for any man, however
Useful, however brainy and resOurces'a.
however valuable. can be replaced by "A
dozen just as good In any or all particu-
lars any day; but the party when II goes
down cannot be replaced 50 readily.
Therefore the success Of no mar IS 50 es-
sential 10 the STATE as TO necessit0te
or testify the imperilling Of the party to
secure his advancement. And when our
leaders in the last election resOrted to
very questionable methods mot TO put
l. any more strongly to secure the sue.
cess Of certain individuals. they com
mitteG all egregious biunder. which the
party at large cannot too early or too
en'phatically Gisclaim. They committed
a wrong against many for the temporary
advantage of an individual; and the odor
of the wrong will cling 10 the perpetra-
tors, and WIFI rise I'm the most unexpected
forms 10 plague not only the inventors,
but the beneficiary as well.
Let the Times 80 on in the work OF
reform it has 50 oOurageously begun, and
every good citizen Of the state will bid
it "God-speed." The silly threats to read
it cut Of the party will reflect only on
the apclCgists Of the rings" which have
attempted TO prostitute the party ma
chinery for the base purpose Of advancing
their selfish and dishonest schemes. and
soon or late the dishonest schemers will
stand before IN indignant public in all
the deformitv and basenesS of their vii
lainy. And the sooner the better.
MARLEY.