The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-12-15
Cause and Effect.

In commenting on an article from The
Times on the height OF dishonest cleo
tions. the Portsmouth Star says;
In this matter of fraudulent elections
the position of the people OF Virginia. in
fact the people of the entire South. has
been and is very singular. Everybody
saint and sinner. churchman and non
churchman. pulpit and pew. the blackleg
and the respectable man of family. all
seem to have come under the spell OF
strange hallucination. to-wit: that the
foundation of government. the ballot-box,
may be built in with fraud. yet any
superstructurc which may be put on such
a foundation can be made stable. honest
clean.
But this singular hallucnation does
not end here 1t is supposed that fraud
tolerated as to the ballot-boX will not
result in rotten governments; that
the corrupting influences of this fraud
will not pass from the body polite to the
private Individual: that the sufferance OF
legalized dishonesty at the polls cannot.
by any possibility of means. create a
tainted atmosphere. which all must
breathe.
Singular delusion and a sad one this
for yirginians to come under. AS a
whole. they are behind no people In pa
trlotism in intelligence. in honesty. yet
to-day they stand in dumb liberation of
this all pervadng pest
Under such circumstances no thinking
Virginian will be astonished though ne
be never so grieved at the outcome OF
the investigation recently held in Rich
mond.
That an agent Of an outside corporation
can come into Virginia and by the judi
cious use of checks for small amounts
of money work its will among men in high
places is the direct outcome Of bribery or
fraud. done may be, years ago, at some
precinct in the name of the people OF
Virginia.
The luxury Of surprise cannot be ours
any more than 1t can be INDUCED In by
the merchant who has been betrayed by
an employe who. TO hold his place. was
forced into crookedness for the behoof of
his employer.
But even this much does not bring us
TO the end of the evils flowing directly
from the election laws Of Virginia. We
stand to-day bound hand and foot by
these laws. and no man pre-ordained to
any office by the machine can. as matters
now stand. be defeated by the people al
the polls. It is a matter of the smallest
consequence. indeed of no consequence
at all. whether the people vote one way
or another, or whether they vote at all,
the choice of the machine is always elect
ed by a safe majority.
When the awakening comes, when the
people are made to see what frightful
monster they have called into being. this
fact will he found the first. the hardest.
and the coolest to confront them in any
endeavor TO do this monster 10 death.
No matter how false the public ser
want may be. no matter how debased
he may become. he cannot. so long as
he Is under the outstretched wings Of the
machine, be punished through the pal
lot-box by his outraged constituents. Nor
can this or that measure Of public econ
omy. nor this or that plan for the better
ment of the public service. be enforced
by the people through the polls unless 1t
has the imprimatur of the dominant ring.
Historical. saw you? Not bit OF It.
IL Won will sit down and do some think
ing it will dawn upon you that as a
citizen Of Virginia you are, through the
election laws OF your state, chained TO
the wheels of the machine.