Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-31

with requirements over which he has
control-such "a ,ceing that the ballot
when delivered TO the election ohicer, ~
not 80 marked that II may be identified
the ballot should be rejected
Mr. Saunders appended to the commit
tees report the following: II concur In
recommending that Ross Hamilton be
unseatcd. +. ". Saunders. chairman
and Hamilton was unseated, and Mr.
Hutchinson was seated in his stead.
The present proceedings Of the coali-
tionlsts in this State 80 TO show that they
contemplate at the coming election the
enforcement OF a scheme quite as vio-
lative OF the secrecy Of the ballot as
that practiced In behalf OF Ross Hamil-
ton. then, as now, a blatant opponent
OF the Democracy. Now we hear OF the
tally-shcct again; but in addition thereto
various devices are 10 be employed to
cause the voters who are under the m
fiuence Of the coalition 10 disclose how
they intend to vote and how they have
voted. II this scheme were allowed 10
be practiced as designed. not single
voter within range Of the influence men
toned could escape disclosing how his
ballot was to be or had been cast The
claim is that all this is TO be in the in
terest Of IAN honest bailot'-but really
IL is a project TO keep corporation en-
ployees and negroes from voting Tor
Bryan. And i'm the case Of the illiterate
black. under the plea that he is to sign
e t.,aN t.ff A.nf
is to deliver TO the judge, telling the
Judge how he wishes his ballot prepared
he IS to make disclosure to the party
managers of how he purposes voting;
and afterwards he is TO swear that ne
delivered said instructions TO the judge
designated TO prepare his ballot. Thus
the party managers would have entirely
in their keeping the knowledge Of how
each such voter voted. Could any scheme
more thoroughly destructive of the Sc
crecy Of the ballot be devised? Could
there be a palmer conspiracy against
that secrecy. which is the foundation
stone of the ballot system and which
the voting booth was established TO COM
pletely safeguard? What is the use Of
having a voting booth If the voter is 70
be subjected to an examination as to
how he purposes voting before he reaches
the shelter of the booth? The process
of cornering and examining a corporation
employee will not be a very difficult thing
for the Affidavit Committee to do and
we all know that in the case Of the ne
Il. q ,stV unfc 10 rgrKr
potent.
In short, the scheme Of the anti-Bryan
organization in this State is such that
II executed as designed tens Of thousands
Of voters black and white would.
through fear of one sort or another, be
virtually compelled to disclose how they
wished 10 vote. Where would be the bal
lots secrecy for them? OF what benefit
would the seclusion Of the voting booth
be to them?
But the scheme must not be allowed TO
succeed. The law is ample and power
full. If properly and promptly invoked.
The conspiracy should be broken. and the
conspirators against the secret ballot
and the Australian ballot system pun
ished We should not permit those who
are loudly vociferating for an honest bal
lot to enforce a scheme which means
widespread coercion and intimidation,
and which proposes to deal with our judges
Of election as If they were unworthy Of
trust. To this conspiracy let us oppose
all Of the might Of the law. backed by
the public opinion Of a people who must
see the danger threatened by the mar
shallng OF our old enemies under the
new leaders