Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-04-25
THURSDAY. APRIL 70, 1880
Tn. Time, and the Dispatch.

The Times reproacheS the Dispatch nf-
cause the Dispatch has not Withdrawn
it's charge that 1.-The Virginia puoiic h
laughing at the Times's sham morality
and hooking at its pretended virtue
and IL vet looks for proper treatment
by the Dispatch OF this breach OF pro-
priety by IT.
The Tfmcs and every other person as
cusssd In the columns Of the Dispatch
my look for proper treatment at our
hands. We willingly do no man injustice
but let us consider the facts In this case
on April 18th the Times started out
on new crusade against the Dispatch
by charging us with defending tine ques-
tionable methods of our party managers
and with endeavoring TO harness up inc
Court Of Appeals to drag the party cha-
riot out OF the slough Of trickery ana
deceit into which It has fallen.
Amiable and forbearing as the Dispatch
T. known 10 be. II was hardly to be ex-
pscted by the Times that We were going
TO allow IL 10 enter upon new discus
zion OF old Issues by the use OF such
phrases as these. without giving EXPIRES
sion to our conviction az 10 the course
NJ the Times During long period OF
controversy between us the Times mas
never forborne 10 Charg, our party WITH
fraud or 20 rail at the Dispatch as the
defender of fraud. So much for our provo
cation 10 speak severely of the Times.
Now let us see II the Dispatch was JUS
tined by tn. facts In saying what 1t did
,av as 10 the Illness shammng In poll
ties.
We have shown that the Times start
"a ont 10 discuss the Supreme Court de-
,'son by characterizing the Dispatch as
The defender OF fraud thus inviting any
rsjoind r within the bounds of truth that
we might make. Now. is 1t true,
what we have said about the
Illness sham morality in connec-
ton with its treatment of Virginia
elections? Let Us see. The Times vaunts
itself as III champion Of pure and honest
elections, and as the defender Of the right
II every man TO cast his vote. and have
his vote counted. and with great iteration
and vehemencA II has denounced the
Walton law as conceived in fraud.
Yet the Times has several times enun
ciated the doctrine that at any crisis
in our affairs. when II was Il question
between the whites and blacks ruling,
that the whites might resort to force
and arms to avert such a calamity. So
the Times is on record as an advocate
Of "the shotgun policy under certain
circumstances. The Times's teachings have
baen that we would be justified in bring
ing on Danville riots to avert negro rule.
When the Dispatch puts side by side
the Times utterances on this point with
its numerous pous homiles on honest
elections we cannot but see the inconsist-
ency OF the Times; we cannot but believe
the Times is shamming in the one case
or the other.
BY laborious search through our files
and old exchanges we might produc. the
evidence of a number of witnesses TO
show that our conclusion as TO the
Times's course Is fair and natural one.
but for the present we satisfy our,
s-lves by quoting the following editorial
of the Lynchburg Advance Of date March
THE DIFFERENCE.
The Richmond Times includes the Ad-
vance with the Dispatch in the category
Of newspapers that favor cheating at
elections. OF course the insinuation is
malicious and without the shadow Of
truth. But If it were true. how much bet
ter is the position Of the Richmond Times
on the question OF elections in Virginia?
Is IL any worse 10 cheat than to kill?
Is ballot theft any worse than political
murder? We think not. And yet the Rich
mond Times is on record. in cold type,
as an open advocate of slaughtering
every negro In the black belt who shall
assert his constitutional right to vote the
Republican ticket. and to have hie vote
honestly counted. The Times advised this
course In response to southampton
Democrat, who got IL into corner by
asking If the Times believed In permitting
the ignorant negroes OF the black counties
to dominate the local government or the
counties.
The Advance believes In neither killing
nor cheating at elections. 1t believes IN
a restricted suffrage. 1t believes that no
man who Is incompetent to read his bal
lot IL competent to vote. And. therefore,
we believe In a law that will. in its prac-
tical operation, exclude all such from
the polls. This Is better than cheating.
which Is only less atrocious than the
Richmond Times's policy Of the shotgun
and bludgeon.
With the aid OF this extract from the
Advance. the Times will see what We
meant when We referred to It's mock
morality and pretended virtue. Our refer
ence was to the course Of the Times In re-
commencing fragrant. outrageous. and
sanguinary violations OF the law and Of
the rights Of voters. while 1t sets itself
UP al q champion OF honest elections,
and We fail to see where we have done
the Times any injustice.