The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-04-09
THE HENRfCO BRIBERY.

The exposure made by The Times In
its Sunday issue OF bribery in the recent
urinary election In Henrico county is
ore Of the saddest and most siekening
spectaclcs that has ever oeen presented
10 the people of Virginia. There Is 10
case here where dishonorable practices
--snd preparation Of crime can be defend-
ed Upon he spesious pretsxts that are
mt forward TO excuse such infamlcs In
elections participated In by negroes. Here
vas an election amongst white voters
Nv. and white voters sold their votes
as snamelessly as If they had been sell
ing their pigs. We are not commenting
upon the case In the hope that we shall
work sny reformation In the degraded
men who accepted money as considcra-
ton for their votes. Men who will do
this are utterly lost to all sense OF moral
obligation and duty. and words are
wasted that are directed 10 them. We
take the case up for comment 10 invite
the most solemn and earnest considera-
ton OF 1t. upon The part of the people of
Virginia that they may determine whe-
Their the thing is 10 be left In II
TO grow still more Infamous and offen-
sive In its disgusting rottenness, or
whether we shall rouse ourselves and
make an effort TO arrest the spread OF
the pest and stamp it out from among
the miserable creatures already infected.
II our publications shall have the ef-
feet OF rousing the people of Virginia TO
a serse OF the tremendous caldron of
infamy that is boiling under their feet.
We shall have done valuable service
to the State Meanwhile it is not difhcult
10 determine whence comes this awful
and degrading change in the nature Of
white Virginians. and. when the source Of
II is discovered 1t ought not to be
difficult matter to arrest a spread of
the disease.
The beginning Of Virginia's troubles in
pc litics date from the methods OF tissue
ballots and such like frauds introduced
by William Malone: but in the election of
1883. when the principle was introduced
that money was the most certain and
powerful engine for accomplishing a de-
sired result and when men began to
be taught that reliance upon principle
was old fogy and out of date. and that
the new method of buying ones way 10 q
desired goal was the simplest and easiest
one. and. therefore. the one to be pre-
fefred the decline OF sound principle
was rapid and unrestrained. That day
was the date OF widening Generalization
ga our politics. Before then, we had won
sometimes and been defeated sometimes;
but whether victorious or the reverse
we were always proud and self-respect-
ing because we had made an earnest
contest for principle and were ready
TO rer.ew the fight for 1t as soon as next
election day should arrive and Malone
had been shown up In his true and de-
testable character The best possible
proof that bur elections were honest
and pure before that time was Mahone's
victory in the State In the fall of 1879.
That victory was secured for him by the
negro vote.
II our present political methods had
been IN force then, the negroes. instead
of being counted for him. would have
btCi CouuNtQ AVE U.s. anu 14ditO&At WONld
have been defeated.
But, as We have said. when the con-
test OF 1885 came on. a new inspiration
took possession OF our politics. and they
came 10 be founded on the idea that
money would DO whatever want OF
y,tes left urdone. and. when the COM
munity, some years afterwards. saw
cheating and bribery the sanctioned law
Of the case. and beheld influential men
and newspapers In the state either en-
dorsing the practice or openly defending
Il. those OF weak virtue concluded that
n (, was not wrong to bride II could
not be wrong to receive a bride. And so
we have gone on from bad TO worse from
she day the edict went out that money