The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-12-22
BRIBERY AT THE POLLS
IN ASSERTION THAT THE WALTON
Law DOES NOTPRETEyTIT
At the Last Election Larger Sums Of money
Sentiment Against Buying Votes.
To the Editor of The Times:

| Sir-Our people are amused at the Va
rious comments on the Walton Law. Is
| pecially when II Is stated that II in any
| way prevents bribery. We've had prac-
| teal illustration. There never was in
! this country a hotter or more determined
/ contest or a contest In which more mon
! oy was used than last springs election
| held under the Walton law.
| on the day Of election larger sum or
money changed from the hands OF the
| contestants and their friends 10 the pock-
cts Of the voters than AT any election
1 ia the history Of the county. II IL hard
| 10 find a human being absolutely and
totally depravej.
The last TAT the l0-foot line. and high
est bidder got the vote and not once in
a hundred times was the purchaser FOOT
| ed. And this is also the fact as 10 some
adjoining counties. 1t may be asked why
the parties are not punished.
First, because the parties who buy
are among our best citizens, and II IS
not considered wrong TO buy but a dis
grace to sell, and TO attempt to convict,
when, perhaps a majority OF the jury
have violated the law. would be worse
! than fooiishness
| The law on our statute books against
swearing almost a dead letter., Is often
|
IN regard to the election law.
| What We need IL not more legislation,
| but the creation Of healthy public SEN
| timent to carry out the laws already en-
| acted (the Walton law excepted).
When the public is made to look upon
| the man who buys a vote IN the same
| light as upon the man who sells his vote,
then convictions can be had, ana bribery
stopped, for IL by conviction both are
disfranchised, in d short time, such VIII
/ be loOkers-on at an election, ana thus 'hV
/ deserved result accomplished.
Then, why all this fuss about addi-
tional legislation when that already en-
acted is not carried out? Why enact
| more laws to be broken and violated! MT.
1 Wickham's suggestion TO abolish the
| especial constable" and allow the Hitter
| ate voter to call on any qualified voter 10
show him how TO mark his ticket IN the
booth. but that no such voter shan as
! sist more than one illiterate voter az
any one election, will not cure the de-
feet.
There are very many election pre-
cincts in this State where a majority OF
the voters are illiterato and cannot pre-
pare their ballots. Suppose there are
| t'ree hundred voters. two hundred or
whom are iIiterate. one hundred Of them
at least fifty per cent. Of those iiliterate
! voters voting would be compelled 10 trust
to men in whom they may have no con-
| fdence because men i'm whom they have
| confidence and who stood well as men
| OF character would have been selected by
/ earlier iliterate voters. The less Tor
tunate could be easily fooled by the man
| they were compelled 10 select, because
| he would be concealed and protected by
| the booth. put up at the expense oil the
county.
This. indeed. would be case Of first
| come. first serve Again. would an ed
ucated voter be compelled TO act for an
Diterate voter? Shall intelligence be
! forced and compelled TO manually assist
| ignorance when that ignorance Is In d.
| rect opposition to intelligence Shall, for
instance. an intelligent Democrat be
| forced 10 Kill his own vote at the bidding
| of an ignorant Republican. when voter
| OF his own persuasion may need his as
| sistance later. and that assistance he
| could not give because he had been com
| pelled. under penalty of fine and impris-
| onment TO give IL 10 one an opponent
| political enemy. Under these circum-
| stances the intelligent voter had better
! or as well stay away from the polls, be
| cause to lin II is lost time. Again IN
| the same localities, the negroes are SUM-
" Republican. and the whites solidly
| Democratic Suppose Of the so voters
mentioned above, 200 are negroes and IL
hterate. the 100 whites stay from the
polls. the result would be that the 100
minority would substantially. by not 60
ing TO the polls in a general election; az
10 that precinct be 100 majority. Aeain
| parties would prior to the day OF cleo
| ton Organize; each illiterate voter
| would select or have assigned TO him by
| his party leader his man to marx MS
| ticket OF course, the Republicans or
| ganizing on Democrats, and the Demo
Gratis an Republicans. would cause such
| confusion. rushing, lodging, misunder-
standing. quarrelling. and lighting that
no one could foretell the end. The pest
| citizens ould fear to attend an election
| If anything, abolish the special cohsta-
| hle Il is a misfortune that the ignoranl
must bear. end for which the educated
are not responsible and should not nave
! n penaltv attached TO them therefor. II
A does not know how to mark his TICK
| Of in the booth. then his vote would not
be fostered, and TO that extent the ques-
tion of bribery in elections as to the is-
norant. will be solved.
H. G. MOFFETT.
Washington. Va, Rappahannock coun-
| ty, Dec. II, 1888.