Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-01-20


pasSiv'ly or actively wishing yo lr defeat.
fhe negro vote Is still largely Rcpub-
mean, and In the late campaign the pro-
portion OF II which came TO the poi,s
waa largely yours.
But how changed from the teeming
horde that once thronged our ,oling-
places The negro population stllI ex-
VecoS the white population in this dis
VlcI But the last three census periods
SHOWS that the whites have increased
more rapidly for twenty years than the
negroes. and that during tho last ten
years OF TINT period the negro has de-.
creased. while the white population has
increased. In 1880 the census figures
SNOW that the negro voting population
exceeds lhe white voting population by
only 1863 Unfortunately for you. the
census reports are not equivalent to a
certificate OF election. Under our sys-
tenn OF government the electors must
at least come to the polls. This Formally
seems 10 be admitted even in your
notice OF contest, though II laughs at
all other safeguards which civilized ma
ions have thrown around the expression
OF popular will. There was time. as
you say. when Republican majorities
rose to 1000 in this district; but you
omit 20 mention that when such was
the case, 1900 and more Republican
ballots were brought TO the polls. or else
there was no organized opposition.
MANY NEGROES DID NOT VOTE.
I'm this election. including your vote.
Mr.. j. l.. Thorp's vote and the void
ballots, and counting all as negroes, still
5000 negro voters failed to come to the
polls at all:
Voting population, 1890 .. 1926
r. T. Thorps vote, 1896 ....10,29S
j. l.. Thorp's vote. 1886 &C.. z9l
Void ballots. 1896 ............ 1858 1895
Negroes not voting .... 1913
you should recolect, too that IN 1873.
when the district was in its Republican
prime. Jorgenson received only 1892
votes-572 less than / received in 1896.
Besides, there is no such negro majority
in the district as you claim. 1t is a we'll
known fact that for many years there
has been an eiiuX Of the young male
negro population from Southsde Virginia
TO the Northern states. and to public and
other works outside the district, so that
the actual voting population among the
negroes in the city of Petersburg and
in the counties is far less than the regis
tration-books would Indicate. The ne
groes who remain at home are no longer
solidly Republican in their politics, and
friendly political relations with their
white employers. who in nearly every
instance are Democrats. No fact is bet
ter known to party managers Republi-
cans or Democrats) than that the Re-
publican party has for several years
been unable to poll anything like the
full negro vote.
HIS SUPPORT WAS NOT UNITED.
THAT you had the united Republican
support | have already denied, and shall
prove; for apart from other matters per-
sonal to yourself, the campaign was not
waged upon old party lines, but upon
the issue Of gold VS.. silver, where for
years silver had been supreme. But in
view Of the fact that you allege that
YOU were fraudulently deprived Of the
S.57S ballots, void for congressman. 1t is
unfortunate for you that you should cite
as proof of your united Republican sup
port that you ran ahead Of the Repub
lican presidential electors. The void bal
lots for President exceed the void bal
lots for congressman by 1887. In a State
that was regarded everywhere as abso-
lutely safe for the Democratic ticket, is
il reasonable to suppose that the elective
officers, whom you charge to be my per-
sonal friends and supporters, would have
cared to steal 1857 more votes from the
opponents of Mr. Bryan than they would
steal for me; or, is it not true that this
fact is evidence of the probity Of the
officers Of election, showing on Its face
that the greater difficulties of the presi-
Dental ticket caused more voters, who
undertook to prepare their ballots I'M
aided. to lose their ballots for those can
ddates than for congressman?
Il Join with you in inviting the at
tention of the committee and the House
TO the cases of contested election from
this district. Their examination Will
evince clearly that no analogy exists be-
tween those cases and Thorp VS. Epes.
I'm the election of 1894 you had the
active support of the united Republi-
can party and the passive support OF
the Populist party; and only the Demo-
cratic party was arrayed against you
Rut I'm the election of 1896 the Populists
had n. candidate OF their own in the
person of Colonel j. Thomas Goodo, of
Mecklenburg. whose adherents were
highly respectable, both in number and
| in character. After you had announced
q change of views on the financial ques-
tion and had assumed an attitude OF
hostility to what the Populists consl-
dered their best interest their candidate
withdrew from the contest and gave
The full weight of his voice and infu-
ence IN my election Along with COLO
mel Goode were Major Mann Page,
president of the National Farmers ALI
ance: ]. Haskins Hobson, chairman of the
state Populist Committee, and host
of others eoquently and earnestly can
vassing the district in my behalf; so
that YOU had to face in this election
first a fearful detection in your own
marty: second the united aggressive
Populist party, and third the Demo
cratic marty These elements all CEN
tred on me. and it was impossible Tor
Them 10 have met with defeat. l invite
q comparison of the conditions of 1896
with those of any other recent congress
sional election.
II assert my right to the seat in the
Fifty-ffth Congress, TO which l nave
been fairly and legally elected, and in
receiving this, l shall value aoove any
personal advantage the Vindication
which 1t implies of an honorable people
Who suffer from the slanderous asper-
eions upon which alone your contest Is
| based" - e., 80,
rho answer Is a volumnous one, com
nrisine 10 pages of typewritten matter
and is the work Of Major francis X.
| rossiter and Hon. William Il. McllWalhe'
both of Petersburg. the able ana eihcleht
counsel for Mr.. Epes
Witnesses to Come from Norm '"ro-
Of h. IrfG