Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-10-21
THE AFFIDAVIT DODGE.

The Dispatch yesterday gave some OF
the details Of the coaltionsts' affidavit
dodge. as innocently exposed in the Chi
cago Record by W. f. Curtis Mr.. Cur
lis is a northern newspaper man OF some
note. He is the special correspondent OF
several papers which are working in the
interest of Wall street. and when in Ricn-
mond recently he spent a good deal OF
his time in the company Of Boilers ana
Republicans. Evidently. his credentials
were all right, and we cannot but believe
that our enemies poured their hopes and
troubles into his willing ear. AT any
rate. Mr. Curtis wrote from here long
letter descriptive Of political affairs in
this State. Parts Of his letter bear in
ternal evidence of having been composed
from information furnished by boss Bolt
ers. We may, therefore. conclude that Mr..
Curtis had access to the secrets Of our
enemies. and we may suppose that he
has used his information accurately.
one OF the things that Mr.. Curtis says
IS that II the boss Boilers and their al
lies are dissatisfied with the results Of
the Virginia elections. and believe that
fraud has been committed they will APP
ply to United States judge TO have an
injunction issued prohibiting the Board
of State Canvassers from certifying the
returns. This is an intimation that in
certain contingency the state of Nir-
einia is to be harried with Federal pro-
cesses. as she was in the days of the pub
lic-debt agitation. Then our Attorney
rev-f
attorneys were thrown into jail, attempts
were made 10 seize and sell at public
auction our State Library. and there were
threats of indicting a State grand jury.
1t was also said that II the proceedings
against the State Library held good, the
Washington monument here would be
sold by public auction to satisfy the
claims Of some of the bondholders. But
those were days Of Judge Bond--whom
the Times once eulogized as an honest
and Just Judge But there is no Judge
Bond now. Whether any other Federal
Judge is willing 10 follow in Bonds foot
steps we know motive hope not But.
of this We are sure. that there are men
on our Board OF State Canvassers as pa
triotic and as plucky as Rufe Ayers and
John Scott, whom Bond unlawfully Jailed.
and who would prefer TO rot In Jail rather
than certify a falsehood: rather than
yield TO usurpation.
So we cannot allow ourselves to he
scared by Mr.. Curtis's suggestion thai.
after we have done the voting. govern
ment by injunction" is TO step in and our
election returns are TO be passed unon
by Federal Judges. Virginia had n vic
tory over Judge Hugh L. Bond. and
we may well doubt If any man will Use
in Bonds place who will show himself
an ADLER or more implacable enemy of ours
SO much for the Federal injunction bust
ness. 1t will not scare our people In the
least.
Correspondent Curtis Is also authority
for the statement that the Boilers and
Republicans viii Try 10 work the affidavit
dodge upon us at the polls According TO
his account. our enemies are 10 have a
committee Of three al each precinct.
E&ch committee viii ask each voter who
comes UP show he intends to vote" AM
when the voter has voted. the committee
VIII ask him "how he has voted" and.
Il no Is willing 20 make affidavit 10 the
fact-sad affGavit TO be used las they
VII EXPLAIN in case Of contest. And
there's where the boss Boilers think |
they have got the employees OF cor |
porailons. 1t IS the theory Of the boss |
boiiers that these employees VIII be |
afrald not 20 answer the questions asked /
them, and that tho employees will then |
nave TO choose between voting for Nc
hiniey, or admitting that they voted for
Bryan-or perjuriag themselves
In other words, this AFFIDAVIT business
IS device TO corner every corporation
employee and compel him 10 disclose now
he voted. The untrammelled citizen may
curse the committee 20 It's face and re-
fuse to answer is questions; but rot so
The corporation employee. lie would take
some risk In declining 10 answer; and,