The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-01
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER /, 1891
THE ELECTION LAW is NOT UNDER
STOOD.

We printed yesterday interviews WIN
several members Of the incoming Legs
,,,,ro touching an amendment OF tho
.,oo,,o, laws I'm the interest of honesty
and we must admit that they were i'll
The main far from satisfactory for IN
s,opco Captain Mintcr, of Bedford coun-
=, said he was in favor Of fair elections
INT that he did not see how better eicc-
lion law could well be enacted than inc
,,~oso,t one we have no doubt Captain
Niinter is perfectly sincere, and we are
oomneIled. therefore, 20 believe that ne
does not really understand our election
law in ifs entirety. He could not have
said this IL he did, and we shall there
fore state. in as brief space as possible
the leading features Of that law.
The whole machinery Of the elections IN
q county or town is under the control oil
an electoral board for that county or
town. This board consists Of three mem
hers who are elected to their places by
the LEGISLATURE. II its existence Is con-
,,nued AT all. 1t ought TO consist Of mem
hers OF all the political parties, hut it
docs not. II consists Of three Democrats.
Uhis has. OF course. laid the foundation
NJ the whole business in partizanry ana
encouraged injustice and wrong, and it
ought to surprise no one II the corrupt
tree bore corrupt fruit
We all know that when an officer Tor
county "a" IS 10 be elected by the Legis-
Iature the member from county "a is
allowed TO name the person who IS elect
ed. When, therefore, we say the elector-
al board for a county IS elected by the
Legislature. we really mean that 1t Is
chosen bv the member from that county,
and. IL he has been chosen by ffaudu-
lent election It is absolutely certain that
he will chose an electoral board that Will
connive at fraudulent elections there
after. This principle has caused many
counties in Virginia to have partizan
electoral boards. composed Of Democrats
only who are not very particular in see
ing that the elections are fairly conducted,
so that their party wins in thcm. SO
much for the electoral board which is the
source out OF which all the product flows.
The elections are actually conducted by
three judges OF election and two clerks
THE judges are appointed by and are re-
movable by the electoral boards and the
sudges appoint the clerks. The law re-
ouires that the Judges shall represent two
political parties. But If the electoral
board IS q dishonest body, this point in
the law can be easily met, and, in fact, in
many counties 1t is actually met in every
day practice. II the electoral board de-
sires 20 secure dishonest election all It
has 20 do IS TO appoint two dishonest
Democratic judges and one nominal Re
publican Judge the Republican judge
being a worthless negro. who for fifty
cents viii shut his eyes and let the two
dishonest Democratic judges do what
they will. In this way the ballot-box Is
placed under the absolute and entire con-
troll OF two dishonest Democratic judges.
The law requires that the Judges OF
election at each precinct shall be furnish
ed with double as many ballots as there
are registered voters at that precinct. and
when the election is over THEY ARE no
DESTROY ALL BALLOTS THAT HAVE
NOT BEEN USED IN VOTING.
The law further requires that when tho
polls are closed al sunset the three judges
are TO take the ballot-box, exclude every
body from the room and thus being BY
THEMSELVES TO OPEN TT. Compare
the number OF ballots In tho box with the
number OF persons who have been re-
corded upon the poil-book as having
voted. This is called canvassing ihe vote.
Mark, the judges are to be alone when
they do this. What is TO prevent dishon-
ess Judges from taking from the box all
the ballots that have been voted and put.
ting IN their place the others that they
have nnafxed as they wish the election &C
ro and then destroying those that were
IN the box instead OF those ;hat were icf
aver? Nolhingi absolutely no'hing'' snt
shrough .his feature IN tbs law ever,
ha,tot-box IN the State may be actual,
stufred with false ballots wherever as