Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-08-22
RIGHTS OF VOTERS.


notable charge 10 the grand jury Of
Frederick county. Nd. Monday, which
has caused a sensation, because what he
said affects every voter in the state
Judge McSherry referred 70 the new
election law passed by the recent Mary
land Legislature. which provides for
many reforms in the conduct OF elections,
and which also provides for a reorgan.-
zadon Of the election machinery, and
severe penalties for vote-buyers snd in
t!ml1ators.
We learn from a Frederick special IN
the Washington Post that Judge Nc
Sherry. in calling attention TO that part
Of the law which says that guilty per-
sons convicted OF intimidating voters
shall be punished by Jail or penitntsry
imprisonment. said:
"The terms Of this statute are broad
ana sweeping. They cover and were IN
tended % cover, every case that can pos
s.b.y arise and they were meant 70 reach
all species of intimidation which cunning
ingenuity could invent. II makes no df-
ference in what disguise the intimida-
rsslrtcd 70 b clothed. and It matters
not how indirectly the attempt TO hinder
the voter from freely exercising the right
Of suffrage be exeTted, every device IL
within the range Of the statute, and
resort % any scheme will incur the Sc
verest penalty prescribed.
IT a creditor threatens 10 call IN his
mortgage debt. or TO demand payment o;
a promissory note or other claim, unless
the debtor shall vote as the creditor
wishes. the creditor thereby makes HIM
self smenabe 20 the law. II an employer
threatens 20 discharge his employee, or 20
cut down his wages. unless the employee
shall vote as the employer requires. tie
employer by that threat. ~ matter how
covertly or indirectly made or communi-
Gated, renders himself liable. upon con-
yictiOn. 70 serve q term Of five years ia
the pcnitcntiary, and IT makes no differ
ence who the employer may &c. He may
be a private individual, or an officer
agent, superintendent. boss Of q corpora
ton, or Of firm"
II is thought the reference made by
Judge McSherry to the foreclosure OF
mortgages was evoked by the threat Of
the gold men TO call in their securities in
anticipation Of the free and unlimited
coinage Of silver.
Unhappily for US the Virginia statute
on this subject is not as stringent as
Maryland's ours was passed before the
present system Of controlling elections
was introduced into Virginia from the
North. Still our laws are not to be
despised. And where corporations have
offended, we may look with confidence
10 the Legislature for relief for the fu-
ture.
The "unreconciled Shareholders" will
not be called upon to display any extraor-
binary degree Of patience and forbear-
ance with those corporations that are en-
gagged directly or indirectly In controlling
their employees, or In taking up Mekin-
ley's fight in this State.
Hitherto. no State Of the Union has
dealt more CONSIDERABLY with corporate
bodies than the Old Dominion. The cor
porations themselves are bound 10 say
that our LEGISLATION has been conserva-
tive, yet they--not all. but many Of them
are pursuing a course which will arouse
the passions Of our people and lead 10
strong feeling in this State that corpora
tons ought 10, be deprived Of the power
10 enter into tho political contests OF this
State.
II Virginia should he carried for NC
Kinley. through the agencies now at
work here. 1t IS not TO be questioned
that that fact will be remembered by the
voters when they 90 TO the polls next
year
And mind you. there are two impor-
tant elections TO be held next year. The
first Will be TO take the sense Of the
qualified voters OF the State as TO calling
n convention 10 revise and amend the
State Constitution, and the other Will be
20 elect a Governor and members Of the
General Assembly.
--------