Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-10-18
FRIDAY MORNING. OCT. Is. 1895.
a OTEER CAMPAIGN.

A QUEER CAMPAIGN.
The present political campaign Ill Wiz
pinia is, to say the least. rather queer
one. There is no complaint to make ABOUT
the government of the State. The laws
howe heen enforced and the Democratic
Governor has put Virginia on record
against lynch law more consplcuously tnan
che has ever been in her history. Proper
tv has been protected-the Democratic
Governor has put Virginia on record IN
behalf of the protection OF all properly
within her limits, and all foreign invest
ments within her borders. more cohsplcu-
onslv than she has ever been in her history
He has done both at any cost, and to-das
there does not State in the Union stano
higher for her position against all olsCul-
Dances threatening either life Oh properly
The charities of the State have been am
ply provided for, and the old Virginia
soldiers taken care of to the best OF the
Common wealth S ability. Peace has feigb-
ed within our borders and our State mas
had her full share OF the returning prosper
ity of good times. The taxation has moi
been increased and the money OF those VINO
have earned it has been left in their peck
cts. For the first time in her history There
has been general cooperative movement
looking to her improvement by good foaos
that first item of necessity to the farmers.
On this quiet and attractive field there
has appeared new movement to get pos
session of the legislative power OF the
State. for the ostensible purpose OF max
ing change in the election laws. Ahe
movement took form at Petersburg under
the guidance Of the late Gen. Malone, III
gathering of Republicans. Popullsts ana
Prohibitionists. Under similar guidance
it has been encouraged in a large number
of counties in the State. Under the pre-
tense of being willing to take anybody as
a candidate who favored "honest cleo
tions, y it has in Republican counties taken
a Republican. in Prohibition counties a
Prohibitionist and in Populist counties a
Populist-but never Democrat in any
county, thus showing the partizan charac-
ter of the movement. The election law
sought to be supplanted is the Walton law
1t is the first law Virginia ever had at
which vote buying and selling was etfec-
tually stopped. 1t is the first law VIZ
ginia ever had under which the heelers and
FOUNDERS were kept away from the voting
booth where the voter was not bought, the
ticket placed in his hand with heller fol
lowing him up to see that he put it In the
box. 1t is the first law Virginia ever had
under which there was no disorder at the
polls. and it is the first under which
voter could cast an absolutely secret
ballot
1t is proposed to change this law on the
pretense that there is cheating under it.
There are in the State about two thousand
election precincts, and at each an election
constable whose duty it is to assist the
illiterate voter. Since the law went into
force there have been two general elections
under it and we cannot recall an instance
where a single constable out OF the two
thousand OIL more has been arrested OF
prosecuted for a violation Of his duty
This, where the courts were open to al
who felt themselves aggrieved. Many
llliterate voters lost their votes largely be-
cause there was an organized effort by the
Republicans through the State to ipduce
them not to trust the election officer, but
to try and vote by themselves. Ii we take
the character of the constables at large by
those appointed in this section OF the State
it would have been impossible to find I
body of men less likely to fallshort in theil
duty through corrupt intention.
But the Petersburg election law has {
motive far beyond any ''honest election
idea. 1t is simply to restore to the Repub
ican party of Virginia the reins witt
which it can successfully drive the Negro
voter, and which the w alton law snatcheG
from it's hands. 1t is impossible for it t(
follow the Negro up now, It is impossible
under the new law to find out how, any
more than the white man, the Negro votes
and apply to him the church and socia
prescription which has been so literally
dealt out to him in the past to hold him te
the rack. The Negro who is able to vote
at all OF who will apply to the election
officer to assist him, is as free and indepen
dent voter as the white man and he
knows it.
The Petersburg bill with it's two Oh three
or four officers to assist the voter, puts the
whip back in the hands of the Republican
party. The West Virginia law has two
election officers of different parties to assist
the illiterates. How was that worked tC
defeat Hon. w. L. Wilson in his district
Before election day the runners of the Re
publican party went around in the district
and bargained with the voter. He was to
be paid after he voted. A list of those
bargained with in advance was furnished
the Republican officer of election whose
duty was to assist the ''illiterate" and if
the voter came to time and voted right his
name was checked off on the list and be
received his money. We received from a
West Virginian this history of how the
s'honest election" bill of that State which
is very similar to the bill prepared in this
State, is worked by those who buy votes.
The intelligent white men Of this State
ought to be fully informed of what this
''Honest Election" movement is. 1t is
simply this proposition from the Republi-
can party-We have party known as the
Republican party. 1t is not like the Re-
publican party OF Ohio, OF Pennsylvania,
or Illinois-it is composed of Il large body
of illiterate Negroes who don't know how
to vote. 1t is true they are not lit to vote
and that they don know anything about
the public questions at issue and they
won't know anything more about them
after they vote than they did before; it is
true that when they vote they kill an intel