The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-11-26

instructed by competent friends In max
ing his choice inside tho booths with as
little assistance from the constable as
possible. as to this one constable iea-
ture, 1t Is perhaps tho most OBJ iecsiona-
BILE one in connection with the entire
voting system Of tho State. and should
be promptly repealed by tho legislas
ture.
The claim that 1t does away with the
purchasing Of votes is 400 preposterous
admitted practices at many vo,iDg
places in the State show that the con-
stable with piece of paper or by some
simple device has given the doubtful
suffragan certificate, as it were, of the
fact that he has voted IS promised and
is entitled to 1.-THE reward" Then that
said constable, IS representative Of tho
party in power, under certain circum-
stances and IL disposed to do so, might
use his privileges TO promote the inter
ests Of his friends, Is also very evident,
while II dishonest and corrups there ia
hardly any limit to their extension and
abuse.
It Is not meant by this to say that all
oonstables would 80 act, but the ex-
igencies of the occasion and the pur-
poses of local leaders might lead to the
selection of an unworthy man, and then
OF course the candidates Of the domi-
nant party would be the sole benef-
Charles of sill the irregularities he might
resort to. These possibilities will urge
many honest, but illitera.e, voters to
rely upon themselves in making out
their ballots, when the rigidness # the
law as to details and the complicated
arrangement OF candidates would almost
certainly invalidste their votes and thus
sdd to the strength OF the opposition.
On the whole, there are go many objec-
tions to this one constable feature that
failure to repeal 1t will certainly re-
act disastrously on the Democratic ma
Walton law as an aid for perpetuating
its power.
The people OF the State are thoroughly
in earnest in the matter OF repeating
the cleo tion laws, and some of the most
substantial Democratic journals, notably
among them heing the Richmond Times
and Petersburg Index-Appeal. are urg-
ing modification Of those laws in very
strong terms, as the following from the
last named newspaper will show:
~, 10 IL,
they first make mad! A correspondent
OF the Baltimore Sun, writing from
Richmond, and doubtless we'll informed
as to whereof he writes, says: The
Democratic leaders are pretty we'll de-
termiued to use their influence to pre-.
vent the legislature from making any
important change in the Walton law"
If that malign influence shall prevail in
the Legislature there will be nothing
left for the Democratic voters to 10 but
to emulate the example of their Mary
land brethren and hurl from power and
place the leaders who are prostituting
the name and principles of Democracy
to the service of fraud. They grievously
err who construe the peoples silence as
consent in the last election. It was an
ominous silence, and should have been
accepted by the Dem ocratic party az
warning. That silence may burst into
storm OF such fury at the next cleo
ton that even tho secret canvass can
not avail TO save the party.
In the interest OF honesty and reform,
Democrats in Maryland adjourned for
the nonce all other issues in the last
election and united with the Repub-
lican party. The same thing WAS done
by tho Democrats Of Virginia on the
debt question, and we may see 1t again
in 1896 in the interest of honest cleo
tions. Patient as the people pro-
verbally are. there ia limit beyond
which that patience will not endure.
Let us hope that the Democratic legis.
lAture will be wise in time, and not
drive Democrats into an attitude of
opposition and hostility to the Demo-
cratic party because their consciences