The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1895-12-29
VIRGINIA ELEorIoN Laws.
Strong Defense of MIR. Keesee by His
Homo Paper.

| BOOKS 30 as 10 90 all In inc power or man TO In
suro honesty in the matter or elections, the Dem.
| ccrst party in Virginia will be driven from
| power by an Indignant people. and wo do not
Geek by jow With the peopIsPpanyio Register
(Dcm).
From present indications the Register may well
longed and spirited action. With but very few
exceptions, the party in Virginia, from the gov
ernor to tho most Insignificant product OF tho
Walton secret canvass, oppose ballot reform. The
pressure OF public opinion may force the legis.
laturc to a pretcnce at reform, but we have aban.
doned all hope OF Its being anything more. The
les slature Itself s:a product OF this vicious sys
| tenn, and the members are thoroughly imbucd
tives, not OF all the people of virginia, but OF
the faction Of the Democ.atlc party VII oh holds
9 scpTo 81 snt ST tho w ton law
that the Democratic party would not rule, but 1t
would rule through the agency OF men c;tcd
oiilcescekers and office holders intent only on
perpetuating themselves in power and place.
NOT RdGI is s
perfect good faith 1t will become the duty OF all
honest citizens, irrespective of past party rola
effort to drive this selfish and stir -necked fac
tion from power. 1t 10 the only means by which
and the art Of Governing be- mse to
the art OF being honest.-Indcx-Appeal (Dem).
The South Boston, Va, News says
1--WE fully endorse she above, and in
doing 80 we feel sure we but voice the
sentiments of q very lsrge majority of
tho Democratic voters of Halifax
county. What our people want. as far
as we can ascertain, Is an absolutely
honest election law administered
honestly.
while. no doubt, the Walton election
law has operated against the success of
the Democratic party of the county, yet
it's defeat in the last two elections we
think w a q the Paan1t nf q ~
fdence aud an unwillingness on the
part OF the masses to endorse the policy
OF the courthouse ring and its rural
satellites. II the courthouse ring, with
its South Boston and Mt. Carmel at
tachments, could not overcome the OPP
position to ring rule by the Walton ma
chine, creased and manipulated, accord
Ing 20 their own volition. it Is very clear
that these bosses have lost their grip
upon the people. No, the rebuke 80
justly administered in the last two cleo
lions was as much to tbs managers OF
the party in Halifax as to tho machine
employed
"a great howl has baen raised by the
ring rule Democrats, because Messrs,
Stovall, Republican, and Keesoe, a
Populist-especially the latter, were
chosen at tho last election to represent
~AeAAANo SSehsJ Ala NAO BOhoEbl du-
sembly OF Virginia. Why were
these gentlemen elected? Was 1t be-
cause Halifax is not Democratic? We
think not. Carpenter and Hudson were
recognized as the candidates of the
ring-nominated by q convention COM
posed of less than fifteen delegates-rhe
former courthouse man and the latter
nominated and eulogzed by a red hot
Cleveland Democrat-Rnd then turned
over to the management OF the same
old bossee-whose methods the people
have utterly repudiated.
"As one Of our correspondents said 6
Jew weeks ago, 1t would be hard to con-
vince the people Of Halifax that the fail
ure to hold an election at Clover and
Whttlocks precincts, was not an inten-
ttonal orission On the part of the ma
nipulators. Such methods. II true, are
enough to disgust every honest and fair
minded man in the county who has one
spark OF true manhood and patriotism in
his bosom. We do not say that the
charge Ia true, but as far "a we know
the psople have never been furnished
with q satisfactory explanation from
headquarters-why some eight hundred
voters were deprived of the privilege OF
casting their votes at an i'm portans eiec
ton.
"What next? Why when everything
else had failed and 1t was found thas
Keesee (Populist) had been elected,
(they didn't seem to care for the election
OF Mr. Stovall, Repu blioan) the return
ing board sat as judicial body and
threw out the vote at News Ferry-juss
enough to elect Mr.. Hudson-and de-
priye Mr.. Keesee, the choice of tho
people, OF his seat in the legislature
These proceedings were closely watched
and We notice, that with the exception
of the ring, tho Democrats OF the county
men who supported the nominees
declare that Mr. Keesee, having been
duly elected, should not be deprived Of
his seat upon mere techuicssity.
There never WAS an action of q re-
turning board moro thoroughly dis
approved than that which threw ont the
vote at News Ferry and gave the GER
ti6cate ~ Mr.. Eudson-a minority can
didate. Fortunately, however,, in spite
OF the Aipse dixit' Of q courthouse law.
yer, upon which the board acted, the
supreme court OF Virginia issued O
mandarzus compelling the board to re-.
verse it's decision, and to give to Mr..
keesee what tho people dasired-his
certificate OF election.
such proceedings have done more to
Piouuoo sihteNfRtlOn Oy Iar, imam even
the Walton law, which makes IL possi-
BILE to perpetrate all manaer OF fraud
and deception upon the honest voter.
We deem IL proper to state that neither
the editor nor anyone connected with
The News supported Messrs. Ssovall
and Keesee in the late election; but as
the citizsns OF the county have honored
these gentlemen with sheir votes ana
chosen them as their representatives In
spite OF the machine msnipulations, wa
think 1t would be unjust, not to say i'm :