Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1895-08-09
FRIDAY MORNING. AUG. 9. 1895
THE PROPOSED Law FOR "HON-
EST'' ELECTIONS.

The conference held at Petersburg on the
call of Gen. VIM. Malone, State Chairman
of the Republican party, and }. Hasklns
Hobson. State Chairman OF the Fopullst
Marty. last week, adopted bill to be sub
mitted to the legislature, and ADJOURNED.
When we state that Gen. Malone seemed
to be the ruling spirit, and that among
those who participated were Gen. James IT,
Field. Capt Edmund r. Cooke, Gen. JAS
A. Walker. Col. s. Brown Allen. Col. j..
Hampton Hoge and Col. II. b. de Clay,
and that there does not appear the name
of any man known to be Democrat III the
list, it may be fairly inferred thai the
dominant party in Virginia. the Democra-
cy. were not in it. Nor indeed does there
seem to have been anybody but Republicans
and Populists who were in it.
The bill for fair elections, which was
adopted, and through eight columns OF
which. published in the Petersburg Index
Appeal, we have struggled, seems to an
nounce it's authorship in its very first sec
ton. 1t provides that County and Hnst-
ings Judges shall recognize the city OF coun-
ty chairmen of political parties by 1.-THE
presentation of the certificates OF cOmmls-
sions held by them from the State chair
men of their respective parties" That is
the unmistakable old Malone ear-mark.
The provisions of the proposed bill are very
much like the West Virginia Australian
law. The supervisors, registrars, judges
and clerks of election are to be appointed
on the recommendation of the chairmen OF
the different political parties. The tickets
are to have embems on them, be printed
by the State, and copies are to be published
in advance so as to familiarize the voters
with them. Election constables are abol-
ished and two supervisors for each booth
appointed, who shall instruct the litter
ate.
The conference appointed Col. J. Il. Mil
Ter PRO. Gen. Jas A. Walker Rep Judge
F. E. Buford (Pop.) and W. l.. Simpson
(Ind.) to be State steering committee
who shall take charge Of the canvass fol
members of the legislature next fall, and
where there is controversy about candi-
dates they are empowered to decide ''who
is the candidate whom the friends of the
law ought to support"
This whole conference may he summed up
in few words-a combination OF Repub
licans, Prohibitionists and Populists I'M
der the leadership of Gen. VIM. Malone,
to defeat the Democratic party Of Virgin
ia and get possession OF the legislature next
fall, under an s'honest election law" issue.
For ourselves we have always been per
fectly frank about this matter of election
laws. We have never favored the one con-
stable feature. nor any other means to make
voter out of man who is not qualified
to be voter. There is neither common
sense nor common equity in it. The fact
that the Walton law last fall greatly re-
duced the success of such voters through
their own efforts to do what they were not
able to do, much enhanced its value with us,
voting population such as inhabits the
Northern, Eastern and Pacific States, we
should welcome an election law such as
they have; but as long as our voting popu-
lation is what it is we shall cling to any
election law which will reduce OF tend to
reduce the votes of those men, white OF
black, who cannot read and write.
Honest elections is a catchword-elec
lions cannot he honest when the voter
who is utterly ignorant of what he is 0ot-
ing about. can nullify the will of the in
telligence. OF the majority of the intelli-
gence of the State.