The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-10-24
THEVIRGINIA CAMPAIGN
arR0NG PLEAOF VIRGINIA PAPERS
FORAN HONEST ELECTfoN.
rh.Yves Of Intimidation Are False, FOOL
ish and Extremely ktdic"io"s-i"e
soupa-Money Movement I'm virginia

The charge that the measures which
will be adopted on the third day OF No
vember next. TO protect in this STATE '"e
right of suffrage and the integrity oil the
ballo; box, are intended TO intimida'e any
body from doing what IS riShI Is not
only false and foolish. but is supremacy
,,dtculous No one knows this fact better
than the men and newspapers VINO make
This charge, and every Intelligent 'o'er
ought TO understand that the charge Is
made to promote political campaign chus'
No honest man VIII be intcriered Win III
the exercise OF his rights. or In the faith-
ful performance OF his duty, whethe4 ne
be corporation cmployc or election Judge
but every lawful means VIII De taken 10
enforce an honest count OF the vote Whlch
VIII be cast IN the Presidential election
in this State next month. That vote VIII
be q full one. and in all probability VIII
be the largest that has been cast IN this
state within twenty years. We 90 not
charge that any election Official cOntem-
plates tampering with that vote. indeed
we credit them with having TOO much
sense to attempt such thing under the
circumstances. Such a piece OF folly
seems almost inconceivable, because in
doing so they have everything TO lose and
absolutely nothing TO gain. They must
know, for instance. that every sensible
man in this community knows that with
the forces arrayed against him here Mr.
Bryan cannot carry the city Of Petersburg.
except by the most outrageous fraud.
This is mathematical and moral GER
tajnty. The negroes and other Republic
cans viii not vote for him, and several
hundred white men. who have heretofore
been Democrats OF the strictest partisan
regularity, will be sure TO vote against
him. We do not believe that the majority
VIII be returned for him here, but in such
an event IL will not be difficult TO fix. by
perfectly legal ana pcaceable means. <he
responsibility where IL belongs. The
rlsht OF the citizen to know that his vote
u honestly counted is as sacred as is the
rlght 70 cast that vote. If this il intimi-
dation. then make the most of i'll
But this espionage of election officials Is
held up as great outrage, Who made
II necessary? Certainly not the Rennh-
hcans and the sound-money Democrats
OF the state. II would be IA great relief
10 them II the onerous and odious duty
couid be avoided. But they have il as
a matter of sworn record that election
frauds have been Migrant and nagitious
In this State. and within a week they
registrar deliberately DISTINGUISHING
voters by refusing TO register them, and
the electoral board of his country sus-
tains him in this dereliction of duty and
disregard of official oath. IL is this
condition Of things that has made il
necessary for voters OF the State to take
extraordinary precautions 10 protect the
safety and sanctity Of their ballots. and
10 say 10 election officers. If you dare to
trample upon this most sacred attribute
If our citizenship all the power of the
law will be invoked for your punishment.
il would be well for the faction which
controls the ballot-box to remember that
I'm this contest they are confronted by a
foe who. IN every material and moral
sense, stands for as much in the COM
munity as any supporter Of Mr.. Bryan
and whose success next month would not
in the slightest degree imperil the civil
zation of the region or impair its bust
ness interests. It is foe in whose veins
the aspiring blood of the Anglo-Saxon
flows strong. and mounts hot and high
at the suggestion of wrong treatment.
II would also be well for any election Of
fetal who may feel inclined 10 tamper
with the ballot-box 10 remember that all
the moral and material forces in this
campaign arc in open declaration against
fraud This declaration lies at the very
base Of the Populi1. organization and the
National Democratic party, II is the bat
tle-cry of the Republicans and more en-
phatically than all IS the Rryan Democ-
racy pledged 10 II by Chairman Jones.
who engages all the strength of his party
10 put the scoundrels in the penitenhary
IL possible" In this State Of the case.
and In the further view of the fact that
nothing is to be gained. and everything
may be lost. we say 10 all whom ii NAV
concern. in this matter Of fraud. DON'T.
A GLORIOUS THING.
The Danville Register says:
What a glorious thing K will be Il
II can be said after election that Virginia
had a full vote and a fair count. that
every vote cast was counted and
counted for the man for whom the voter
intended II.
Such an election and such a count viii
be worth more TO Virginia than could
possibly he any other result Of this cam
paign.
Let's have It so. Let the manhood Of
Virginia In all parties and all the class
es demand It and enforce It. DO not
stop TO ask who will profit by an unfair
election or who will be benefited by a
fair count. The questions involved in
them be settled with that integrity that
should characterize every business trans
action.
The better people of Pittsylvania county
of all parties. we are sure. will heartily
endorse this suggestion and we look for
and expect 10 see in this county a full
vote, q fairly conducted election and
honest count.
TRIBUTE TO O'FERRALL.
The Cape Charles Headlight says:
'The course OF Governor O'Ferrall In
political matters IN relation to the pres
ent campaign has had the effect Of
bringing upon him the condemnation OF
those who claim To be his superior in de-
votion to the Democratic party, but
who have, in our opinion, stayed much
further from the mark than he has.
being so jealous in their efforts TO pro-
mote party supremacy, they make no
allowance for his views as expressed so
we'll in his letter Of "A recent date. This
IS In keeping with the course pursued IN
the Democratic Convention at Chicago
toward the administration az Washing
ton. and few who differ with them viii
escape their condemnatory comments.
Governor OFerrall we think. has done
no more TO be blamed for than thousands
OF other good Democrats all over tho
country, and who VIII remain true TO all
eternity, when the ti"ie principles OF the
party are expressed and maintained In
the platform framed by the convention"
A GREAT MOVEMENT.
The Page Courier says:
1.-The alignment against Bryan OF
.ound.rOnev Democrats continues To in