Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-22
Honest Elections.
(Staunton Vindicator.)


There will be a good deal heard in vir-
ginia for the next two months about
honest elections. Many men who are
tricky Themselves will be calling for
honest elections. Heelers who have been
buying votes for twenty years will be
calling for honest elections. The same
men who spent In Augusta county two
years ago more money than had been
spent in the county elections for ten
years will be bawling for honest cleo
lions.
What is an honest election law?
When a man has spent his life in ac-
cumulating a little property. and a law
is passed giving an illiterate negro, who
has no interest In the community. and
no more idea OF what he Is voting on
than a 4-year-old child, the right 10
vote on how that property shall be
taxed. and what laws shall govern Its
owner. that is a dishonest election law.
What is an honest election law?
The rule OF the majority In elections Is
honest and right When a community Is
divided into 800 intelligent, white men in
one party, and 100 intelligent white men
and 600 absolutely ignorant negroes In
the other party. the 600 negroes being con-
trolled and ruled by the 100 whites,
then the minority OF 100 whites rules,
and arg election law that makes that pos
sible is dishonest election law.
What is an honest election law?
The Republicars-and the whole COM
bine against the Democracy may be put
down In that category-have denounced
without stint he Infamous" Anderson
Mccormick law. They were perfectly
satisfied with the election law under
which Malone carried Virginia in 1881.
There was nothing Infamous about that.
And yet, the only difference between that
and the Anderson-McCormick law which
followed it was that the latter took
the power Of appointing election-offcers
out OF the hands OF the judiciary
where II should never have been-and put
II In the hands OF an electoral board.
That was all there was in 1t.
What Is an honest election law?
An honest election law is one that pre-.
vents vote-buying, as our present law
does II is no secret that for years In
Virginia both parties have had to buy
the negro when they wanted him. The
Republican party used 10 get him dead
head, on the plea that 1t gave him his
freedom: but the negro has gotten too
smart for that now. The memory OF
Abraham Lincoln Is still cherished by
the negro, but to affect his vote his like
ness must be on dollar bill. The Wal
ton law has put an end to that, for
neither party is willing to put its dol
lar bill behind the uncertain curtain OF
the Walton ballot-booth. 1t has done
moro for honesty in that respect than
all other election laws IN Virginia to-
gether.
The honest election law" that General
Malone and his colaborers want Is one
that will count every negro vote as
against the Democratic party. A bill
that does not do this will never be hon
est" TO them. But, in the matter OF
honesty. they are beginning at the wrong
end. An honest election law that pro-
yides for the casting and counting OF
purchasable and corrupt vote Is beginning
at the wrong place. The substitution
for the Walton law Of the Petersburg
bill, by which the old times. with long
lines of bought negro voters-bought by
both opposing parties-waiting to be
polled by their purchaser. Will be restored,
is very wide of giving the people OF Vir-
glnia an honest election law.