Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1895-09-26
Our state Committee.

Our State Democratic Committee VIII
meet here to-day.
The present duty of the committee e
so TO organize our party as to make
sure that the efforts of General Mahone
10 ride into power on the "honest-eiec'
tions" hobby shall prove a disastrous
failure.
Our people, in the many coun-
~ conventions already held. have
shown by the resolutions they
have passed that they recog-
nize the desirability of revising our cleo
tion-Iaws. But this work they mean 10
do themselves. They do not propose TO
entrust IL to the hands of General Ma
hone who in the bill presented by him
mt the Petersburg conference, has dis
played little acquaintance with the wants
OF our voters. His bill is ponderous and
pompous. Very few people have ever
read il. but those who have see that 1t is
a COPY Of the law of some Northern
State vanished over for use in Virginia.
In our opinion, it will never be adopted
by Virginia Legislature.
But that our election-laws will claim
n large share of the attention Of the
Legislature at its next session, we have
no doubt on all hands it is conceded
that the Walton law can and ought 10
be improved in the light Of the eXpe-
rience that we have had with it. When
the Legislature comes together and our
senators and delegates confer, we cannot
but believe they will be able to agree upon
such amendments as will make the law
entirely acceptable to the great majority
Of the voters of Virginia.
We undertake TO say that when reports
on the state of our party are made to
the committee by members 1t Will be
found that our party in Virginia Is in
good condition. In no other State that
we know Of is the Democracy in a better
condition than 1t is in Virginia. Here
and there In our ranks we have exciting
local or personal issues, but the masses
are true TO Democracy. and haven't the
slightest idea of dividing for the benefit
of the Mahoneites and Populists. Herein
we see the effect of the lessons OF Read
juster days.
True, however, there are questions OF
great importance as to which we Vir-
einia Democrats are not agreed; but they
are not questions that need TO be decided
now. and happily our voters exhibit no
purpose to make them issues in this cam
paign.
Judging by the nominations so far made
by the Democrats, and the well-grounded
hopes we have of electing our usual ma
jorities in the Senate and House. the
membership OF the next Legislature will
include many men OF prominence anc
ability While the faces of some veteran
legislators will be missed, we shall have
here some new men who seem destined
10 rise to distinction. and a considerable
the Legislature In past years will be re-
turned.
Altogether. the prospect is pleasing. In
very few localities will Mahone's honest
1njuns" be able TO break the Democratic
lines. II may be that the General viii
succeed in keeping himself before the pub
lie TO a degree that will enable him 10
control his party convention In this State
next year; but II he triumphs TO that ex'
tent. we guess he will be satisfied He
has some fresh bait on his hook for this
campaign, but Democrats can see thu
same old hook sticking out.
And yet we think 1t unwise to under
estimate the capacity for mischief o.
our enemy While We believe that II Il
utterly impossible for our opponents t
elect many senators or delegates. we can
not be too careful TO prevent them from
making discord In any single county o.
district. In short. We trust that GU
State Committee will organize a campaign
OF vigilance and activity, to the end tina
no breaks shall be made in our ranks
through which the enemy may enter, ant
that We shall be able TO poll our full vota
for our nominees on the day of the cleo
ton.
The Vanderbilt and the Duke.