The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-11-25
4 GRAVE MISTAKE.

The announcement that the State board
of canvassers had given the certificate of
| election to Flood instead OF lost in the
| Tenth Congressional district, because the
returns from buckingham county were
| for Jacob Iost instead of j. Yost. will he
| received with surprise all over the State
without regard to party. Owing to this
difference. the votes for Yost in'Bucking-
ham county were thrown out, which gave
Flood plurality, and, according TO the
decision of the board of canvassers, en-
titled him to the certificate OF election us
Congressman from the Tenth Virginia
district. Why the board so decided is
| difficult to conceive, in view Of. the fact
that no political advantage can be gained,
ms Mr.. Flood will most assuredly be I'M
seated by the Republican majority in the
! next House of Representatives. Techni-
cally, Mr.. Flood might have received Il
plurality: but rs it was plainly the inten-
ton Of those who voted for Jacob Nost in
buckingham to support the J. Vest of
the rest OF the district, it was poor policy
for the board of canvassers to render the
decision it did; for aplrt from the moral
question involved and the certainty of
adverse action by the next Congress when
the case is considered, the course of the
board is plainly in opposition to the
wishes of the majority of intelligent vot.
crs III this State, who have shown in the
late election that they are strongly in
favor of honesty and fairness in such con
tests All that can be gained, by Mr..
Flood from the action of the board will
be the contest money and so much of the
salary of the position as Congress will
allow, and in awarding him the certiii-
cate the State canvassers will lay them
selves liable 10 the charge that this was
their chief object, while ut the same time
their action will bring much adverse crit
icism against the State. This may he
politics, according to the way things have
been managed son. etimes in this State:
but in view of the charge of sentiment
among the people in favor of honest cleo
tions this decision of the board was, to
say the least very unwise, and will be
sure to react with disastrous results, I'm.
less speedily repudiated. 1t is plain to
all who have watched the course of poll
tics in this State for the past five or six
Yeas that the public conscience has at
last been aroused against the irrcgulari.
ties in elections which have been too long
prevalent. The vote in the white coun..
ties OF the State at the last election show
ed that the intelligent people had awak-
encd to the necessity of change in the
methods of voting and counting the bal
lots, and if the leaders of the dominant
party are wise they will take waning,
and at the earliest opportunity give to
Virginia an election law without flaw or
blemish. so far rs honesty and fairness
are concerned. If this is not done there
will most assuredly be an uprising of the
people that will place another party in
power While this is the feeling of the
, honest voters Of the State, it must he
confessed that the action of the board of
| canvassers in the case above mentioned
does not ioreshadow an carly realization
OF any such hopes. 1.-THE leaders of noli-
tics Will, however, make Il grave mistake
if they continue the line of policy thus
laid down. They may discover too late
that they have turned the State over to
Republican rule, and that they alone will
be to blame for any unpleasant results
that may follow such change. Hence.
IL j.. a.