The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-07-28

Says Malone Won ia 1879 by Whi'e '"'
Negro Votes.

To the Editor OF The Times
Sir.-I have been heartily glad ana nave
rejolced that we had In Virginia az ie's'
ere public journal CThe Times), win aOi,-
fly. ioldnoss, and independence 'houe +,
TO enable # to succ essfully ettack ana ana
expose the monstrOus system on 49, ~
frauds. commenced IN the ual,n dc,,elor-
reconstruction and subsequently 49, +,
"a into a science Every eiitri IA
The Times uron this subject has met ~,
my hearty approval up 10 us lssee % an
llth Instant. In that Issue ..1rIi i,ecad-
editorial under the caption. "Ihc Dttep-
ence OF Public Morals IN the star w 49,, -
IS not founded on facts, does Nlolrhys ~ 10
history. and reflects severely anu ~
riously upon many Of the worthy peoP'~
CT tho State. - ..,,,.
The following statement IN said article
IS wholly unfounded and l. further ], "a"
the truth than night Is from day, tpt -, -
ter having. at least. twilsht 81 ~. o.. =
1t Cmeaning fraud ana cor ',.,.lii,i-s
all grown out Of the new order OF poil,se.sg,
which we have driffed INTO since -.
We can say with absolute assurance ,li.'1
our politics were pure prior 10 w - 4.
hone regime and the aDs)l NE p.poi 60
is the fact that Malone carried inc ~
IN iS71 the election which brOn5hf nli,,
iTto power. by the negro vote.
present politics had prevailed t"e" d =
would not have had the ghost OF q ~ a..
10 carry that election. lie ciiIlD' ~ .
cause our elections We're then honest "il
we allowed every voter TO cast ms Iote,
and we counted every vote casl JtSe a.
the voter intended 1t to be counted. 49,,
II your assertion be true. that our Dol
tics were pure before the Malone regime,
which begun after the election OF lsis' IL
Is a high compliment TO Malone, because
you admit that mat election was lar,
and that he was brought into power 10y
the viii OF a majority Of tie people, la.i-
. NND a. IN
10 infer that he would have retained ms
power. had not the Democratic party
adopted fraudulent methsds IN lSS.
j am curious 10 know where you ob-
tanned facts to assure YOU aDsolnleiy tnal
Malone came into power by the negro
vote. When you speak or Mahohe IN
derstand YOU TO mean the Eeadluster
party. Now. the truth is the strong noln
~ rcadiustn ent was In the great White
. sections of the State-thc Southwest anu
the Valley Of Virginia. It's principal
supporters were the white taxpayers or
the State, and 10 never relied on the
cities and the negro vote. ana ltcelNe Il
but little support from them, while the
Funders. then posing as the bemocIa''
party. relied almost exclusively upon the
vote Of tie cities and the negro vote tnat
was purchasablc and was purchased py
money contributed by the cities and the
bOndhOldcrs
What are facts OF history The eleva-
GLIDING. Of course. the right TO vote was
toe prime cause Of All OF our trouhie- III
elections ina the South. To defeat negro
supremacy in the eastern part OF inc
State. 4 well-digested system Of fraud
was begun I'm that section. lmmfd tately
after the State was reconstructed, ana
It's practice was confined almost entirely
10 that section Of the state until the
fear Of negro supremacy had subsidized.
BY that time the system had become per
feet and u was adopted in all parts or
the state and used. not only 20 cheat me-
groes, but illiterate white men, out or
their votes The system was first put
IN operation IN the election OF Gilbert
G. Walker for Governor: then n was re-
sorted 20 for the redemption Of Rich
mOnd. Petersburg and Norfolk and other
eastern Virginia cities. then IN the Con-
grs5siOnal races I'm Eastern Virginia, ln
one Of which $3.50 was paid negro 10
make the race IN aid OF Democrat, and
tissue ballots were used 20 cheat the
negroes who would not vote FOR the negro
candidate. Then the system was intro
duced into the legislative and county
elections and latcr into the legislative
and executive departments or our Gov
eminent, and, OF course, the election of
our judges. especially OF the county
judges. became tainted with fraud.
Was IL any wonder the states cred
itors, observing with what facility our
State officers could be handled. ana how
cheiply votes could be bought. that they
the people that greatest of all abOmina-
tons and frauds the funding bill OF 1871
The expenditure Of multiplied thousands
Of dollars IN cOrrupting the polls and
Legislature in the effort 10 sustain that
bill, completed the decentralization OF the
State, II anything was needed 10 complete
it.
Your statement that elections I'm Nir-
ginia at the time Malone came into
power and prior TO that time Wee fair.
Is without the shadow of foundation 20
rest upon; on the contrary, az that time
the politics Of Eastern Virginia were rot
ten TO tho CORE and every department
OF the government was reeking with cor
1t was to defeat the contamination of
fraud that the ReadJuster party was or
gained. The people, eOaded 20 despera-
ton. had risen IN their might They
made an opportunity. and Malone took
stalled into .ower he undertook 10 retain
IL by fraud, as the party before him had
retained - supremacy. The jeOple
again rebelled In 1873. and by the aid of
purchased negro votes, threw of his
tyrannical yoke. But. cui bono?
/ have no apology 10 make for Malone
nor for Massey. but | really believe your
article does them and the ReadJustess
generally. great injustice, and III 1 am
correct In this. your article I'm the issue
Of the llth instant Will fail 10 promote
the cause OF fair elections. which, L be-
lieve. you have at heart.
l hope your efforts Will be completely
successful. but success viii not be reach
ed by unfair means. Unless the Demo-
cratic party secures 10 the people fair
elections Il viii not retain power in the
State. DEMOCRAT
l..