The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-17
WALTON ELECTION LAW.
MR.. THOMAS p. GRASTY PAYS HIS
COMPLIMENTS TO THE MEASURE.
He ALSO Ressrs TO the Attorney Generals
Opinion and Pays . Clio eng Tribute
to Tho 1imes.

<facturers Record. was In Richmond FRI
day, and took occasion TO express his
opinion of The Times and its work IN
very emphatic language. Mr. Grasty ~
perhaps as well qualified 10 judge OF
what a newspaper Is doing as any Jour
naIist In the country having avery woe
acquaintance with newspaper men ana
an intimate knowledge of newspaper
methods.
II do not know" said he, "of daiiy
In the South which deserves public APP
probation just at this time so thoi-
oughly as the Richmond Times. In fact'
for some years The Times has been Iay-
ing massive and memorable foundaloh
stones for a very widely EXTENDED ihhu-
cnce IL is making for itself more IMAM
the people of Richmond yet reaiise
position among the great dailies of the
South.
Ibid YOU ever notice." he asked, NOW
II sometimes happens that newspaper
actually outgrows the town where ~ Is
domiciled? Look at the Springfield Re-
publican, which has for years dealt with
public questions on such broad-gauged
policy of sound patriotism that 1t ranks
In influence with the metropolitan
dailies Look at the Louisville Courier
Journal which is edited by man who,
though sometimes called erratic, is so
saturated with fearless honesty that his
paper has got TO be bigger thing than
It's home town. Likewise the Atlanta
Constitution, through having had the
brilliant Grady, and now the earnest,
courageous Clark Howell at the tripod,
has got to be a power In the land, ana
not mere chronicler Of events and pam
derer to local prejudices. And now we |
have the Richmond Times looming up |
as a star of high magnitude in the Jour-
nalistic armament
POLITICAL ORGANS.
Moreover" continued this well-known
observer of the rise and fall or news
papers, 1.-THE Times by fearlessly ad-
yocating what II believes to be honest
and right is doing a world OF good ior
Virginia and the whole South. Inc DAY
of political organs Is past and gone.
The paper that Is but an echo Of the
machine is moribund. Commanding in
fuence is nowadays attained only
through the course The Times Is so
steadfastly pursuing-the advocacy OF |
what is right and what is best for all the
people, ire spectve Of popular prejudice
heresy, or clamor.
THAT is likewise the kind OF journal
ism which in the long run always pays
for as with individuals so with newspa-
pers-the gaining of confidence Is the
stepping-stone to usefulness, and useful
men alone achieve enduring success. 1t
is better for the stockholders OF news
paper than a gracious gift of costly
modern plant for tkeir rGrer to have caus-
ed the intelligent public to feel that It's
editorial utterances are unpurchaseable
at any price, and better still to be con-
sidered absolutely fearless and unswerv-
able from the line CT conviction.
II have been reading The Times" Mr..
Grasty went on to say, lever stree about
seven years ago, when the paper was
very young. j had just come back from
'newspapering out in the wild and
woody West. and the editor of the Manu-
facturers' Record had just put me to
work down in Virginia with letter OF
advice as TO how best to acquaint my
self with Virginia's resources and how
best to keep in touch with the progress
of the hour. One of the underscored in
functions in that letter was to read the
Richmond Times every day.
THE WALTON LAW.
''But, however much this admirable
y, - hos done fo~-A5-r State in it's per-
We ling oil Virginia's advan-
me grea is doing far more In its cour-
pehevs condemnatlon of one of the great
"a a'outrages ever perpetrated upon
s air-minded, true-hearted people. OF |
course / mean the iniquitous (Walton)
election law. What the South now needs
more than anything else is the establish
ment Of outside confidence in the justice
and wisdom of its laws and the i'm
partial administration thereof. Get 1t
recognized generally that State has
fair laws. and that those laws are en-
forced; that the rights of every citizen,
be he rich or poor learned or ignorant,
are religiously hedged about. and that :
State will prosper while It's neighbors
are languishing. To such a State there
will be no lack either of outside capital
Or desirable immigration. But how, In
the name of Heaven, can the people
of any State or section hope to gain I
the worlds confidence or to be consid-
cred Trustworthy when the very founda-
ton of society itself-the ballot box-is
allowed to reek with malodorous rotten
ness? ,
THE idea Of its being declared lawful (
here in this home of honor, this cradle
of chvalry, TO mislead and confuse any
class of voters Alas! for Virginia that
her Attorney-General should pronounce
it lawful TO print the names oil candl-
dates for Office in one order on one set
of ballots ami in another order on
another set OF ballots, so that the Hitter
ate voter may be misled and deceived.
God help a people whose lawmakers
have legalized a scheme to cheat the
humblest voters or 10 thwart his inten-
lions.
CAUSE OF hard TIMES
''This miserable. tricky election law Is
doing more than the hard times 10 y,
deter investors from putting their money ,
into our State. 1t is an admission that :
the reople--the plain people-of Virginia
are incapable of self-government and ,
must needs be ruled by the machine min
ions of the party which may happen to !
be in power.
Common honesty demands that we
either disfranchise the ignorant out and
out, as the Mississippians have done,
openly and above board, or else make
laws TO insure the carrying out of their
make the way so plain
that the wayfaring man. though fool, ,
need not err therein. TO pretend TO /,
give the ignorant man the ballot and q
then legislate so as TO defeat his inten- :
tlons, or permit his intentions TO be de- {
feated. Is worse than 'bulldozing,' as bad g
as 'ku kluxing.' The highway robber, !
" no face TO face with his victim cries. /
stand and deliverr is infinitely less
desI icable than the 'thimble-rigger, the
film hammer or the sneak-thief
"As a citizen of Nirginia-you see
live at stanton now"-Mr. Grasty con- !
cluded by saying II hope and pray that !
The Times will keep up the fight against
tho WaIton law until 40 will become a y