Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-06-08
UPTOWN OFFICE. $50 EAST BROAD
SATURDAY. JUNE 8, 1895
The view. Of cenernI Mahone.

Like Mr.. Ben Harrison, General Ma
hone Is nowadays very accessible TO re-
porters and correspondents. II Is game
that each OF them plays 10 keep the pun
lie from forgetting him. Harrisons am
billion Is 10 be nominated by the Repuo-
leans for the next presidential term.
Mahone's ambition is to be influential IN
the next Republican National CoEven-
ton. and. II possible. earn the gratitude
Of some candidate who. II elected, will
be for Malone because Malone was FOR
him. Dor Cameron-a froe silver man
IS. we believe, Mahone's first choice. And
SO. for this and other reasons, we have
Malone telling reporter OF the WASH
ington Star: Il am for more money;
don't care whether II is silver money or
shlnplasters. 1t does not seem TO me TO
make any difference. OF course,
we should keep within proper bounds In
issuing money. but We want to have that
article sufficiently plentiful to allow the
people TO get hold of IT,"
But, says the brilliant General to the
twinkling Star, what is the use OF talk
fng about money or anything else In
Virginia. so long as we have not an
election law TO permit the counting OF
ballots?" From this testy utterance OF
his. one would think that the ballots cast
by Republicans in Virginia are not
counted, yet the General tells the
star that "there are some instances which
show that the Democratic machine in
Virginia Is breaking up, and that the Re
publican party viii have less prejudice
10 encounter when the election for the
Legislature comes off next fall"
Now, who that reads this statement
Of the Generals would imagine that he
had ever run a political machine" in
Virginia, or that he had ever been instru-
mental in exciting prejudice against Re
publicans! or, who would have thought
twenty years ago that Malone would
EVER appear as the champion Of ballot
reform!
What he tells the Star Is that
1.-THE one issue OF the next campaign Will
be fair ballot. l believe that the Repub-
Means of Virginia will bring forward an
election law, and, distributing 1t among
the people, will tell them that that is
what they propose to enact into law. OF
course, the Democrats will say that they
are In favor OF that law. too. but the
Republicans Will point TO their failure
20 give the State an honest election law
.n the past
II do not see why 1t Is worth while 10
talk about the tariff or silver or any
other public issue in Virginia in our next
campaign What is the use of talking
about issues when everybody recognizes
that, regardless OF the way the people
may think and vote on these subjects,
the election returns will show great
majorities for the Democratic candidate,
regardless OF what they have advocated
during the campaign? The first thing
for us to do Is to get an election law in
Virginia that VIII guarantee TO the peo-
pie that every voter of the State may
cast his ballot and that every ballot
shall be counted. and that the return
shall show the action OF the people When
that Is once done we may talk about
other issues In Virginia. but not until
then"
No doubt the Republicans Will bring for.
ward the election law Of which General
Malone speaks and will try TO trap the
Democrats in every way that their inge-
nuity can devise. but the Democrats have
some plans OF their own which may foil
our opponents strategy. The Walton Law
IS becoming more and more popular. and
with few amendments will. we believe.
give general satisfaction. We think that
II can be so revised as 10 make II COM
pletely acceptable to all those who are
reasonable in their demands for changes.
and In it's improved form 1t ought TO
serve us until our State Constitution is
revised II, indeed, II does not render al
together unnecessary any modification OF
the suffrage article OF our Constitution.
Al any rate, We ought to be grateful
TO the little General for warning US in
hdvanee Of the purpose OF his party in
the coming legislative campaign. he Is
always an Interesting figure at the head
Of the Republican phalanx OF Virginia.
albeit he can no longer command the men
or money that helped him so much In the
two campaigns that he won in this State.