The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-01-29
THE English OF Il ALL.


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THE ENGLISH OF II all
For some time after The Times raised
the cry. a year or moro ago that oui
elections I'm the black belt were polluted
with fraud those who believe in standing
by the action OF party authorities, how
ever Infamous Il may be- denied the
charge outright. Then came the Smith
ers' precinct exposure. which drove them
from this ground, and. little by ntue'
further contributions to the fraud sta
tistics have been made, until the pubic
mind has finally settled down to an ac-
Acknowledgement that in much Of the black
belt the elections are not elections at all
but what dishonest election officers choose
10 make them. Dcnials OF the fact have,
therefore. ceased. and excuses for it have
come TO be the order OF the day. Inc
fad now Is TO say We must wink at these
frauds TO save our brethren of the black
districts from negro rule In their county
affairs The apologists for this shameful
are not so brazci as 70 invoke
liberation of st that the State may be
saved from negro rule. The white ma
tor.ty of more than one hundred thou
sand voters In the state makes the pre-
tence ridiculous. They limit their APP
peals for liberation OF 1t ia those coun-
lies which have negro major:ties, Ia order.
as they say. that they may be saved
from negro county officers. 1t is very I'M
portant that this distinction shall be
thoroughly understood. As lar as we
know there are no longer apolosists Tor
cheating in State and national elections
because there is no sort OF possibility
of the nesroes carrying the State In these.
The whole appeal is now FOR those coun-
ties that have negro majorities, and to
save them in the county elections.
We believe in looking at facts as they
exist, and We are compelled, therefore
IN candor TO admit that there is a strong
disposition amongst our people TO WINK
at cheating In elections in behalf of those
people in their county elections. /; Is
with great modification that we admit
1T. but 1t cannot be denied that many of
our citizens from whom we have "A right
10 expect better things either approve
of these frauds or STE unwilling to con-
denim them. We must confess that even
the clergy. though many of them know
the fact that frauds exist, have said very
LILLE in conde mnation OF them. There
are some honorable exceptions. TO gen
tlemen who allow their sympathles 10
pervert Their minds into combining frauds
IN county elections We earnestly recon-
mend that they investigate the facts.
They. VIII find that IN the county cleo
tions. which take place in the spring,
there Is comparatively lic;le cheating in
them. while in the STATE or national cleo
tions. which take place In the fau there
IS cheating. They will thus Learn that
county In which there is "A negro majority
will 20 for the Democratic candidate by
a great majority In the fall. and that IN
the following spring it will 40 The other
way when they look into this they
Will ind. as We explained a day or so
back, that the cheating grows out of the
money that IS sent 10 the county from
headquarters in the State and national
elections. none being sent there in the
spring or county elections. They VIII
then learn that the talk about negro
rule is mainly a scarecroW--si preteXt re
sorted 10 by politicians of the machine
order as cloak 10 conceal She real bust
ness which is 20 carry the State and ma
t!onal elections BY debauching the ballot
box through the use OF money.
Practical politics In Virginia. then. have
come 70 be little else than plan Of pro-
cedure for raising large sums of money.
which IS sent TO counties and used there
10 corrupt the ballot. when this fact Is
borne In mind wha, has always been un-
inteihgibie 10 the people of Virginia IN
The conduct Of sbe committee OF the Leg
stature that investigated the senatorial
election year ago becomes perfectly
plain. Whepeyer 81 question was asked
a witness In that investigation the an
swer to which would have tended TO
throw any light upon the expenditure OF
money in any county. almost the whole
committee, General Lees friends as well
as Mr.. Martins. would unite TO shut il
out. As that was the very thing which
the people wanted investigated, they were
utterly unable TO understand this conduct
upon the part OF those on the commit
tee who were presumed to want the In
vestsatien. II 10 all perfectly plain now.