Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1895-10-11

Messrs. j.. E. Rollins, Charles P.
Jones and John w. Stephenson,
Gentlemen: l beg leave to &C
knowledge the receipt of your let
ter of the 25th inst. notifying me
that the district convention at
Warm Springs selected me as the
Democratic candidate for Il seat in
the next House of Delegates from
the counties of Allegheny, Bath
and Highland. -.
While the honor was unsought
bysme, | would be insinceresssand
ungrateful were [ not to assure
you, and through you the party,
that it is an honor | highly appre-
ciate, especially in view of the fact
that there are many others better
fitted for the position Of trust and
honor than |. | have always been
content to advance the cause of
Democracy, the cause of the people
in the ranks of the party. My SER
vices, however, whenever and wher-
ever demanded, are at the command
of the party. | therefore beg to
say that | accept the nomination,
and ] assure you that | will leave
nothing dndone that can in honor
be done to carry the standard you
have placed in my hands to victory
i'll the approaching contest.
| observe that our opponents,
adopting the suggestion of the
apostle of fairness and honesty
General Malone, are endeavoring
70 make as the issue Of this cam
paign the question of honest cleo
tiOns; and under this speCious and
hypocritical pretext, are endeavor-
ing to induce Democrats to desert
their party. They attack the Wal
ton law, saying that the Democrat
ic party passed it with a view Of
it's power by means of
fraudulent practices. While | I'M
hesitatingly repel and deny this ac-
cuSation, | at the same time say
that no election law has eyer been
framed in this or any other State
that has entirely precluded fraud
in elections, and that where the OPP
portunity for fraud in elections
presents itself, unprincipled Demo-
Gratis as well as unprincipled Re-
publicans and unprincipled men,
bers Of other parties will unfortu-
nately b. found who are willing to
take advantage of it to insure par
tisan success.
Virginia, always conservative,
was one Of the last Of the States to
adopt the Australian ballot system.
The Walton law was the first
step in that direction. Like all first
steps 1t was experimental. With
the experience of the last two years
10 guide us, we can improve the
present law so as to correct what
ever defects may exist therein and
'educe the opportunities of perpe-
rating frauds i'll elections to a
minimum. To the making Of such
improvements in our election laws,
pledge myself to give my earnest
md hearty support 10 the end that
very voter i'll the State may cast
lis ballot without hindrance, with
'ut coercion and free from all de-
noralizing influences, and that the
BALLOTS 50 cast may be counted and
eturned as cast. With the fullest
that the people of this
district will not be deluded into
orsaking their allegiance to the
,rand old Democratic Party, thro'
he medium Of which they have al
Ways obtained all needed and last
ng reforms in legislation, and that
Alleghany, Bath and Highland will
0ntlnue TO be represented in the
louise of Delegates by a Demo-
ratio representative, | am, ,
Your Obedient servant, !
W. A, RINEHART.