The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-10-29
MIR. BULLITr'> DEFENCE OF FRAUD
uLENT ELECTIONS.

.
ILENT ELECTIONS.
The debate which took place between
General James A. Walker and Mr.. Bul-
lit at Jonesvile Lee county, on Mon
day. the 21st october, is too important.
as 1t has been reported. TO be ignored.
Mr.. Bullitt stated the excuses 1--WE will
not say argument for cheating in
the Virginia elections as forcibly as we
have ever seen them stated anywhere,
and we will therefore give those who sup
port that policy the fun benefit of what
ne said by quoting 1t in fnll as it has
been reported
AS 10 General Walkers charges Of
fraud in Eastern Virginia. he said he had
but little personal knowledge on the sub
tect. but" said he. IF frauds do exist
who Is TO blame for them? Before the
war the name Of Virginia was syno-
nym for all that was pure. for all that
was honest, for all that was brave and
noble. A synonym for those in both
public and private life; In politics. as we'll
as business. If II has ceased 10 be in
matters concerning elections there must
be some terrific cause for so great a
change. The character Of "A people Is
the growth OF ages. IL could not be
changed in thirty days. nor thirty years,
without a terrific cause. If change there
has been. your party is responsible for IL.
When you enfranchised the negro you be-
came responsible for all the evils that
followed. The census shows that over 40
per cent of Virginia's citizens are ne
groes. Thirty-nine counties out Of ninety
have more negroes than whites, some Of
them twice IA many: a few nearly three
times as many. If you lived in one of
these counties. General what would you
do? Would You be willing TO have a
negro clerk a negro Commonwealth
Attorney. negro sheriff, negro supervis-
ors. commissioners. and a treasurer. ne
gro juries. and mixed schools Answer
me this: Would you put up with these
things, or would YOU move out? Would
you be driven from the home of your
fathers? Would you leave and wander
in a far-off land? No. never. not If you
have the courage and pugnacity which
l know you have. Rather than this, you
would stand at the polls with a double
barrelled shotgun: you would put on
kuklux mask and ride the roads at the
dead of night. And If you could not in
timidate. YOU would cajole and bride, and
do anything under the sun Ia overcome
the black majority If you lived in one
OF these counties you would still be q
Democrat. and you would be a leader
too. And II you taught your Young fol-
lowers In the white county Of Wythe the
tricks which they have learned what
would you not teach them if YOU lived i'm
the black county of Charlotte? An IL is
pity that you live not there. for If you
did / doubt not that this Petersburg mon
ster would never have seen the light Of
day. and you would have fewer sins 10
answer for than you now have"
1t was entirely proper for Mr. Bullitt to
the Republican parry. is responsible for
creating the condition OF affairs that
causes cheating In elections to ind any
defenders at all In Virginia II was the
crime Of comforting the suffrage upon
the whole mass of ignorant negroes that
produced that horrible state of affairs
which made white men yield 10 the temp
tation OF supprcssing the negro vote by
fraud.
But. at last Mr.. Bullitrs defence OF the
case is in substance an admission that
under the terrible pressure Of negro suf-
Srage the white people Of the State have
yielded 10 that temptation and have ac-
cepted frauds In elections as "a necessary
evil IT only remains. therefore. TO I'm
uuire whether the reasons he advances
Sor llt IidNliNt tit SuililtNl 10 INab4.
u.
our own opinion is that nothing that
fas been said can Justify election frauds
But let us look at the actual facts OF the
case.
The census of 1880 gives Nirgmia's white
population as loo. l22 and her negro popu-
lation as eS5.isS. How can that number OF
negroes rule that number OF white people?
How can they come near enough TO rul-
Ing them TO cause any alarm about It?
But MIR. Bullitt makes The point that
by reason OF their majority in some par
ticular counties they may secure control
In those counties. and that IT is not to be
tolerated that even this should be al
lowed. Mr. Bullitt does not give the
hgures correctly. According 10 the census
Of 1880. there are only thirty-fve counties
IN the State In which the negroes are In
the majority. Those counties and the
white and black population o; each are