The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-08-06

elections amounts TO nothing now. bu'
~ the incoming Legislature pays no at
teniion to the demand for amendment
OF the election laws 1t VIII amount 70
something hereafter. Party Jes VIII "o'
hold mon In loyalty to their party "heh
they see It's managers persistcntly reiuse
all heed to their demands for amenhmeht
in a matter which they think so Vi'ai 10
a pure and free suffrage
The demand OF the Petersburg CONFER
cnce that the county judges should nave
the appointment OF the electoral oo''"
would be great Improvement upon the
present state OF things. but IT Ia no' what
the case calls for. The electoral poa''S
nhculd be abolished entirely. the cou"-
Is Judges should have the appointment vi
the Judges and clerks Of elections, ana All
OF them should be removable ny inc
county Judges at will. That was 'he
state and condition of our law before 'he
odious Andcrson-M Mccormick bill was
passed. and under that state OF the Ia"
we had fair elections. The best possiDie
proof OF this Is the fact we nave se'e-
raj times cited. that Malone caIIied INC
State in 1879 by the negro vote All 'he
machinery Of elections was then In the
hands OF the Democratic party ana
Mahonce would not have had ghost OF
a chance TO carry the state II our ciec-
tions then Rad been what they are now
Ard his Is an inevitable incident OF the
elections being under the control OF the
courts 1t is in the nature OF the judicial
office that its incumbent will administer
tho office fairly. We do not mean to say
that every judge is a fair man or an nom
est an There have been Jeffeys uh-
ctnhtedly. and there will be to the emu
of time But we mean to say that such
a Judge is the exception and not the rule
The Judge accepts his office TO hear the
cause and do Justice between the con-
tending rarties. When he takes action
that is in opposition to what MS con-
science tells him to be demanded by falr-
ness and justice be consciously perJur,s
himself. he consciously degradcs himsen,
he loses every atom Of self respect nc
knows ne is a marked and branded man
for all time. Some men will so desia"e
themselves undoubtedly, but few men
WHO have lived respectable lives long
enough TO have their ncighbcrs recon-
mend them for the judicial Office are will
ing thus TO blot out their whole past ana
make an utter wreck of all their future.
II IS in the judicial Office, therefore, mat
its incumbent shall act fairly. and nine
Judges out Of ten will act So Put the APP
pointme mt Of our election officers back,
therefore, under our county courts, ana
We shall AGAIN lave fair elections.
We ere not prepared to say that we
would make precisely the amendments
proposed by the conference in respect 10
the way in which the voter shall prepare
his ballot But its suggestions are in ;he
right direction. We should certainly
either have two constables, one of escn
political party. or an official ballot post
ed outside of the voting precinct that an
illiterate voter may study and learn from
II how TO mark his official ballot in the
Tooth. Perhaps II would be best 70 have
both the cor stables and the official bal
lot posted. But we look on these dii1e:-
enccs as matters Of detail that can be
easily arranged by a Legislature deter
mined to give us a fair election law.
We ask our Democratic friends. there
fore. to take into most serious considera-
ton the suggestions that this confer
encc has made. The people of Virginia are
not going 10 remain branded as a people
who practice fraud IN their elections.
The thing IS going 10 be rooted out soon
or or later. and the Democratic party
should take hold OF the matter ana give
the people the redress which they de-
mand before II breeds a discomfort in the
Marty that cannot be CONTROLLED.