Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-11-01
FRIDAY MORNING. NOV. /. 1895.
A STRANGE SUMMING UP.


1t has always been the custom in journal
ism just on the eve of an election, to sum
up the issues. We must confess that on
this occasion we are puzzled in the summing
up. Not by the multiplicity Of the issues,
for there is but one; but by the infinite as
surance of the men who make the issue.
We do not suppose that such proposition
as is now made to the Democrats OF Viz
ginia by the Republicans OF Virginia was
ever made in politics before. Here it is !:
sOur Negro voters on which the Repub-
lican party depends for its standing as a
party, cannot handle the ballots under the
Walton law. They couldn't at the con-
gressional election and thousands of them
lost their votes. We want the Democratic
legislature to pass law under which they
can vote and not only that but under which
we can vote them. 1t is true that the
Negroes of Virginia twenty-five years ago
voted to disfranchise the whole white pop
ulation, and it is possible that if they had
the chance they would do it again;
but you Democrats must charge that up to
their ignorance, overlook it, and Tx law
under which they can vote.
ut is true that they are not any more
fit to vote now that they were then, and 1t
is true that everybody North and South
now comedies that it was great mistake
to give them vote, but as the mistake
was made and can't be undone we want
you to fix it so that they can use the vote
the Republican administration of quarter
of century ago gave them. We know you
have law that offers them assistance. but
that assistance is through Democrats and
we want it given through Republicans so
we can get back our old grip we used to
have on them and get them in line again.
We want control of the election machinery
and in order to get it we have prepared
bill which will give each party judge OF
election and that will give us three (be
cause the Populist and Prohibition judges
will vote with ours) 20 the Democrats one.
In that way we can run the election to suit
ourselves, vote all the Negroes our own
way and knov hoav they cote. Gen. Ma
hone our leader prepared the bill at Peters
burg and he did it well.
"We know there are some Democrats
who object to giving us control OF the cleo
ton machinery, but they are 'ringsters, :"
opponents of ''Fair Elections" and tOughs.
Our party is a party Of ''moral ideas, - and
one of our ssideas" is to get hold of the
State offices to he elected by this legislature
and we can do it if we can get a majority
OF the members. We have good many
men that were once in the basement OF the
capitol at Richmond, that would like to get
back there. If you will let us get hold OF
the election machinery we'll get these Off
ces and everything else in the State in good
time. Col. VIM. E. Craig, Col. s. Brown
Allen, Col. Pat McCaull, and all the other
old Federal and State officers in Virginia
could run the election machinery so that
they could get their old jobs back again.
'sGive us our election law and the good
old times will be here again when whiskey
will count at the polls. when the honest
Negro voter can get ''paid for his time and
when we can know through our officers OF
election how he votes. The good old times
when we cOrraled the voters at night and
marched them up to the polls in the morn
ing filled with whiskey-the good old days
of the ''honest, incorruptible ballot" the
good old days Of ''Fair Elections and
'Honest Elections" Of course there are
a good many Democrats that will call oul
proposition to surrender the election ma
chinery, sublime impudence, but don't you
mind them, they are ringsters and trick
sters and they don't know a high moral
ideal when they see it,
Now the above is just about q true des-
cription of the proposition that the Repub
licans of the State ask the people of the
State to vote on next Tuesday. Is there
any Democrat who can be so blind as not to
see through it, and vote it down.
Garry your neighbor to the polls with
you next Tuesday.
If you are Democratic Precinct Com
40 I'D, 4