Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-10-23

From some counties OF this State comes
the news that there is no sign of Il can
yass going on. The Democrats. conhdent
OF victory, and despising the weakness oi
The opposition, are neither organizing nor
holding public meetings and on election
day they will not. we fear. poll iheir i"ii
vote.
Whenever the Democratic party Of VIZ
Einia has met with defeat ii has been
from such apathy and oveT-cOniidence a.
this. Never have the Republicans wrest-
ed victory from US when We were alert
and active. Never have We been out
fought when We knew that the enemy
was in our front In force.
We must throw OF this dangerous over
confidence and organize and attack The OPP
position whether We find il IN ambuscade
or omen field We venture the prediction
that If the inactivity that now prevails
in some counties continues there viii he
some very disagreeable surprises for us
on the morning after election.
There ought 10 be no great trouble IN
arousing our people. IL is over-coniidence.
rather than discomfort, that possesses
them. True. the sO-called 'honest-elec-
tons people have made many gross mis-
representations as TO the character of the
bill that they propose as substitute Tor
the Walton law, but We believe that not
many Democrats have been deceived
thereby. Our people know that General
Malone was a partisan; know that the
General worked incessantiy for the adj
yancement OF his party. and Know thdt
the bill which he caused 10 he adopted
at the Petersburg conference was intend
ed to down the Democrats. Aud. so,
the public cannot be very much surprised
at finding that so-cdiied honest
elections bill proposes TO put the Demo
Gratis in a minority upon every elections
board in Virginia. Yes; that is the Kind
Of mon partisan" bill II is. General
Malone did not aim Tor an equal division
Of election Officers. no. he aimed 10 give
the coalitionists. OF which lie was the
leader. three 10 our one. The Democrats
were to nominate one electiOns-oihcer, the
Republicans one, the Populists one, the
PrOhibitionists one. As shown by the
proceedings Of the Petersburg conference.
and the developments of this campaign.
the three Isst-named parties have formed
a combine" offensive and defensive.
against the Democrats. 'lionest-elec-
tons is their slogan. and they start
out by demanding that the control of the
elcctions-maChinery Of Virginia shall be
put into their hands. That is honest
isn't it? Oh. very.
our enemies, ,enomous az they are.
are unable TO make any headway 10y
cTiticisng the administration Of our State
Government They have TO admit that
our taxes are honestly collected and ex-
pended. They cannot deny that our public
schools are better cared for than ever
before in the history of the Common
weaths They see that our public institu-
tons are successfully managed, and AT
as small cost as possible. Their sole cry
is "honest-elections." They do not wish
the Democrats To have majority or
members upon our clection-boards: they
wish to have the majority themselves.
Modest suggestion. They cannot trust us.
but they wish ms TO trust them and tbey
give US an example OF their trustworthi-
ness by attempting 10 palm OFF upon
the people as non partisan one OF the
most perniciously partisan hills that ever
were drawn.
Friends. bestir yourselves. and make
victory certain. Take nothing for grant
ed-exospt that on the 9th of November
the full vote OF the Republicans and their
allies will be polled against us. You may
be sure of this. They expect IL catch us
mapping. and. indeed 50 far az some of
our counties are concerned. We fear that
they will. There is not enough work oi
organizing going on amongst Democrats
There II not enough public speaking. All
OF our orators. old and young. ought TO
be ON the stump. Our party has nothing
IN its record TO be ashamed of. and the
Virginia people can be influenced BY good
sensible public speaking. Us in no other
way. What Is more. according TO our plan
~ campaign the county and city COM
miltces are at liberty TO select the speak
vrs that they wish and the chairman
Il our State Committee as far as possi-
bic. viii help them TO set them. Our duty
Is plain: the time for work il short. Let
" be up and doing.