The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-31

I n man TO decline 10 testify against him
| sclf should be construed as denying him
the right 10 testify in his own behalf
",rhe Dispatch" as the mouthpiece OF the
vould-bc incarcerators OF all who care
| TO Give or receive condolences of this ma
| ture. declares that even TO receive
| voluntary statement from a voter would
be ..in violation of the spirit of the law.
ana should be treated as such. Then to
omen a court In which "a man migrt les
ufv In his own behalf would lie a vio-
lation of the statute. providing that ne
shall not be compelled to testify against
himself Furthermore. it is new doctrine
that citizens are to be arrested ana I'M
prisoncd on the order OF irresponsible
officials. under forced and unreasonable
constructions Of statues by reckless par
tisans without due warrant or process
I'm practical suspension Of the great VIII
of habeas corpus. for supposed Nioia"o"
of the spirit of a law. the lDeiF
OF a citizen Is not to be wanton'y as
called on anything less than the exact
,o,,cr Of the law. and We warn, now ana
.o,o,r,t,. all and several Of those con-
cerned. that strict accoun'aoii''S wa
be required OF Those who perform VI 81"
-, =, e,,on invasions as are threaten
al of personal freedom and pIiVi'ese'
nh ,,oet lowlv who are outraged shal
not lack for counsel and assiS'"''0o -
maintenance Of their rights ana p'ope.
efforts TO punish those VINO assam anu
,,,o HIGHEST of those Who commit OF pro-
o,ro s,,ch outrages srall not escape re-
o,oos,hnitv Unlawful persecution Will
be net by legal and rigorous p'0''0
ton. 49,. s,,,,,,-
o,,,o trick which urderlies all TINS sii'"-
- ,ndienation against voluntary
- - ,'o,.rs 70 their political friends
is not so new IS to claim respect Oh NV
score Of originality. Those VINO Ine'i'''''
urone-doinc on large scale are 00'''
,or1,, want TO distract the attention oi
those they plot against by uo''00
.s., rature Horace and Shakespeare
contain pregnant illustrations u NV
,roneness OF conspirators TO alldcn ~
mature suspicion 10 the innocent
~,,.ar,ov Rates was clever enough TO save
himself temporarily from the proper COLI
.oo,e,ces Of his legerdemain, and mace
=. NTH the handkerchiefs by crying
"stop thief" after the inoffensiVe oA'ei
Twist. But here the game ana us intent
arc TOO plain TO be misunderstood OF 10
nislead any one. In vain doth the lower
s,reod his net IN the sight Of any biro.
Here we have q vociferous huliaoaNoo-
that if men choose to tell somebody elSe
how they ahve voted some one VINO uoeS
not want to tell will be injured thefeoy'
and that therefore the statute must be
stretched TO prohibit all disclosures ana
the Jail doors must be opened Tor those
also VINO have tongues TO tell or ears TO
listen: and. covered by this clamor' there
is the plain purpose awoved by some
scarcely yelled by others, TO transfer the
body Of the Virginia voters by chicahery
and manipulation from the candidates
for whom they shall have voted TO those
against whom their ballots have Deeh
cast. Should the tally-sheets be kept
either the nefarious job Of stultifying
the public verdict cannot be worked, or
the detection OF the perpetrators becomes
inevitable. II the record cannot be kept,
fraud may be committed with impunty
as TO the fact and with immunity as TO
the perpetrators.
People of Virginia. These partizan
strategists would alarm you as to the
safety of an immaterial point in your
line. while they are rallying ali the forces
of fanaticism and fraud upon the very
citadel Of your rights as freemen.