The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1897-10-13
WHAT CANDIDATES SAY OF HONEST
ELECTIONS.

ELECTIONS.
The election TO be held in. Virginia
next month can have no direct bearing
upon the financial questions now agi-
tating this country, so that the Times
has no sort Of difficulty in saying that the
most important matter the people of Vir-
ginia have TO consider in connection with
that election is the question of fair or
fraudulent elections. Vain is ia that the
people vote rightly IT, after they have
cast their votes dishonest election officers
are to feloniously abstract their ballots
from the box and substitute i'm place OF
them other ballots that do not represent
the will Of the people They had just as
well. instead Of going TO the
trouble Of attending the polls and
handing in their ballots. direct these cor
rupt officers in the beginning 10 make
out and certify an election and let the
whole matter go at that. II the officers
are to tamper with their ballots after
they have been cast.
The question Of fair or fraudulent cleo
tons is Of such transcendant importance
that the Times has been Interviewing
various candidates for the Legislature
with a view 10 ascertaining what their
opinions are upon this vital point. Some
Of them have answered most courteously
and have stated their positions most
frankly. and the Times published some
Of these answers last Sunday. But Mr.
S. H. Walker. OF Staunton, the Demo-
cratic nominee. then said: Il viii answer
any individual Republican or Democrat.
but decline to answer the Times for pub
LEGATION Of any Of the written questions"
Mr. Walker IS a little confused in his
way OF expressing himself. but We take
his meaning TO be that he will answer
anybody but the Times; that he proposes
10 hold no relations with that journal
This is pretty hard upon the Times. but
we are fairly confident that the Times
will be able 10 survive Mr.. Walkers dis
Standardization as that would
seem to be- Meantime we would sug-
gest to Mr. Walker that this is a case in
which a man should wear his heart
upon his sleeve" and hold his opinions at
the service Of all men, whether friends or
foes II we were in Mr. Walkers legisla-
tive district we should hesitate very
greatly before we voted for him. nominee
though he be- after this declaration from
him. for our disposition would be to re-
gard all those who were not openly for
honesty in this question as secretly
against IL. and we should very strongly
suspect Mr. Walker had it in mind TO
perpetuate the present election laws OF
Virginia. We may do Mr.. Walker in
Justice in our construction OF what he
says and we hope we do. But his re-
Spouse to our question has strongly ex-
cited our suspicious.
Mr.. William c. Williams. Democratic
nominee for Orange county. made the
following response to one Of the Times
questions:
l. While in favor OF any change which
may tend 20 secure the objects mentioned
in question o. as at present advised L
am inclined 20 think the present laws are
as good as they can be made, so long as
the present system OA NolHb ny SN'iNI
ballot is maintained, and so far as my
experience and observation has extended,
the elections in my county and section
have been as fairly conducted as could be
expected and our judges Of election have
made honest returns OF the votes as cast.
Mr.. Williams represents a very large
body of people in Virginia, and IT Is that
body that has 20 be dealt with in this
matter Tho frauds-not bribery-in our
elections are confined principally to the
counties where there is large negro
constituency. and because Mr. Williams
sees the elections fairly conducted in his
| county he assumes that the same must
be the case everywhere else. But the
same IS not the case everywhere else.
In many OF the negro counties there is
no pretence even Of an election. The
elections in those counties are the merest
| forms and the results are what the cleo
| ton officers choose TO proclaim them.
This is not a matter Of conjecture. as
Mr. Williams win find out when he gets
20 the Legislature. He will find out then
| from, association with members from the
| black bek, that the whole business OF
| elections is with them a mere form TO
| cover up the returns as directed by the
| party managers. ana that these msmbeps