The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-12
TUESDAY FEBRUARY II. 1895.
THE DISPATCH CHANGES FRONT.

THE DISPATCH CHANGES FRONT.
The Dispatch has changed front. Last
Wednesday and Friday 1t took the boldest
and most advanced ground In defence
of the morality OF the Walton law 1t
told us that the Legislature. out OF tender
regard for the rights of illterate negroes,
mad provided by the law that they should
not have their ballots prepared by the
aid Of their friends and political alies,
because these would coerce the negroes
into voting as the friend and allies want
cd them to vote II had therefore, re-
auircd them to have their ballots pre-
pared by n special constable. In order
that they might escape the social coercion
of their own race and political friends.
Sunday. however. the Dispatch gave
nearly d column TO "A discussion Of the
subject. and nc'er a word is to be found
in that column about our good Legisla-
ture that was so anxious to save the
negro from his friends Perhaps the Dis
patch has begun to realize that the public
was laughing at it for the ''taffy'' it was
giving out However this may be. the
Dispatch has totally changed front. 1t
has abandoned the part Of the roaring
lion, and disporis itself now in that
Of the sucking dove. There is now no
more defence OF the pious Walton law;
it's all a whine over the damage The
Times is going to do our friends. Tucker.
McKenney and Otey. by telling the Demo-
cratic party of Virginia that 1t has al
lowed itelf to be dragged down into the
slough of rotten. corrupt cheating poll
ties, and that it will emasculate Vir-
ginians and degrade every noble and man
ly element in their character unless it sets
It's faee .Grmly-ssid sternlY against every
semblance of trickery and fraud in cleo
tions.
Hear the Dispatch:
Thus well-knowing that the next United
States House of Representatives will be
kepuDncan. and having good reason to
believe mat our implacable enemy Tom
Reed will have the appointment of the
committee on Elections, TO which all
of the contested-eiection cases will 90
The Times thinks 1t necessary to damn the
cause of Tucker, Mckinney and Otey bv
conccding the most vicious of all the
accusations that have been made against
their supporters. Imagine the difficulty
that Tucker. Mckinney and Otev will
have In the Elections Committee and on
inc moor OF the House when they are met
by the Tom Reed crowd of rebel-b3ters
WIN THESE quotations from The Times
IA leading Democratic paper of Rich
mond' edited by member of the Demo-
cratic state Committee" as those ono
mes OF ours Will take exquisite pleasure
In saying.
Now The Times wants to say that If
Tucker. Mckonney and Otey were fairly
elected to Congress. nothing could arouse
its indignation more strongly than for
the Republican House 10 attenpt 70 m
scat them. But If they were not elected
If the ballots found for them i'm the boxes
were put there fraudule ltly-then they
ought TO be unseated. The Times is not
making a fight against it's old friends.
Mesers. Tucker. Mckinney and Otey. But
The Times is trying to persuade its party
10 discontinue the practice of frauds IN
elections. The Times had rather see Viz
gnia without a representative In Con-
SreSs than 10 see her represented there
by members that had been put there hy
polluting the suffrage ana stuning the |
ballot box with fraudulent votes. But we |
are unable TO see how The Times CON |
ceding' or introducing the matter IN |
hand can affect the case of Messrs. |
Tucker. Mckinney and Otey or any OF !
the others. The subject under discussion |
is whether the alternating OF names on |
the ballots
not. The fact that it was done is con |
ceded-there is no dispute as to that. The |
entire question is whether il was a dis |
crcditable trick. Now that is matter |
OF opinion, and every man will form hls
own opinion on IL for himself The Times |
one. but that might not at all AFFECT the
opinion OF another man. The Times
might think 1t d most discroditable trick,
but other men would still hold TO their
opinion that 1t was fair politics. But,
however the ease may be. The Times
must be permitted to form and TO ex-
press its opinion upon conceded fact
OF this Importance.
The Dispatch is critical over The
Times use OF the word advised" in
speaking of what it says the Secretary
OF the Commonwealth did. in sending out
his circular TO the electoral boards. Now
II is only fair that the Dispatch should
be little indulgent to us here. Although,
as 1t suggests The Times relations TO
the party ought TO keep IT not only deep
Ia the counsels OF the party" but abso-
iutely abreast with whatever happens In
the administration OF the party's affairs.
The Times actually knows so little OF
what takes place in the party's manage
Inent that 1t never heard OF the circular
Or the opinion OF the Attorney General
which II contained until the Dispatch told
as Of II last week. Close. therefore, as
fhe Times 10 TO the "counsels OF the
party" II 10 compelled to rely upon the
Dispatch for Information Of what goes
IN In those ''counsels" Now, In telling US
81 Friday that the Secretary OF the