Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-07-05
The Petersburg Conference.

II Is significant that the conference OF
the Honest Elections" party is to be held
in Petersburg. which is the Virginia
home of General Malone. and that II
is announced as a "non-partisan confer
ence"
General Malone Of late years has spent
more OF his time in Washington than in
the Cockade City In the national capital
his cooked hat long beard and dainty
fgure are we'll known. Indeed he IL
counted as among the most distinguish
ed of the "ex's." and many Of his opin-
ions and stories find their way into the
newspapers. But. important parsonage
as he Ia in Washington, We should think
that he would be able 20 escape from
that city TO spend day or two in Peters
burg while the Honest Elections" con-
ference is in session there. The confer
cnce will very naturally look to him for
leadership. and II will be easier for him
to lead in person than by proxy.
or course the conference is going TO
be "non-partisan." In Virginia "A non-par-
tisan. ninety-nine times out of a hundred,
is a man who is opposed to the Demo
cratic party, and pretty generally he is
In favor of the Republican party. The
non-partisans who will assemble at Pc
tersburg on the LIST of August viii be
found 10 be men of this character Al
most without exception they viii be men
who wish 10 overthrow the Demo
GRATIS party of this state.
Here and there, perhaps. there will be
found a zealot who is thoroughly honest
and sincere and is truly a non Partisan,
but he will be like clay n the hands Il the
potter in a convention controlled by Re
publicans, Populists. klckers. etc.
In other words, most of the people who
are going to attend the Petersburg con-
vention are people who are Of :ihe opinion
that the power Of the Democracy IL Viz
gnia should be broken and that an hon
est elections law is not TO be expected
Of the Democratic party. ct no iEno-
cent soul go there deluding himself with
any other idea than thi1
Our information is that the Walton
election-law is liked better now than
ever. When it first went into effect
there was much prejudice against II. The
people didn't understand X. They were
told that II was dreadfully complicated
affair. They were led 10 fear that il
would not operate well: that the voters
would get tangled up by II, and that or at
opportunities would be afforded by ii for
fraud.
ct hoa !.
lished. The law is now we'll understood.
1t Is found TO be simple in operation. and
has afforded little opportunity for fraud.
And, taken all i'm all, no State ever had
more honest officers of election than our
constables and judges Of election have
been, Hence our people are satisfied
with tn. law And the Republicans
ought to be satisfied with il too, since
they claim Uhough We do not admit
that they gained several counties at the
elections OF last spring. However, ex-
perience has shown us that there are
some defects in the Walton law. Its
framework is good. its purpose is excel
lent, but there are details of IL which
ought to be revised and improved.
Now. the simple question is whether the
people OF Virginia would rather entrust
this work OF revision TO the Democrats or
10 the Honest lnjun" party. We THINK
that their decision will be in favor OF
our party. Democrats are not TO be en-
ticed from their party allegiance by wild
election schemes. and We think thar there
Will be few or no Simon Pure Democrats
In attendance at the Honest fnjun confer
ence in Petersburg on the lst OF August.
But the enemies OF our party and the po-
litical mschief-makers Of Virginia will
be there in great numbers.
The Democrats OF Virginia have thus
far been mercifuliy spared from division
on the currency question, and. having
escaped that danger. we take il for
granted that they are not going 10 run
with eyes open into the trap set fer them
In Petersburg
At the elections to be held IN Soyemb I
next we are 10 choose legislators who
will be entrusted with important work.
Let US Sc. to II. not only iaa. they shall
be Democrats. but the souneest and abiest
Democrats whose services We can COM
mand. Thus We shall not only save our
state Government from rapac.ous schem-
ers but be In superb condition TO enter
~ presidential canvass. when 1875 comes