Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-04-29
AN ADDRESS
TO THE VOTERS OF THE CITY oB
NORFOLK.

! The City League for Good Govern
ment, In presenting the names of Its
candidates for the Councils, as shown
III another column, first OF all begs to
assure you that not one Of them Is
pledged to the interest of any man or OF
any measure, and that they will serve
you as lawmakers without fear and
without favor, untrammelled by pledges,
unpurchasable by promises. and seek
ing only to promote the best interests
OF our City
The names Of these gentlemen will
not ne before You in the coming pri-
mary election, and we therefore ask
you to consider them carefully, to COM
pare them, man by man, with the prob
able winners In that primary, and to
uecloe now upon your preference be-
tween cur candidates and these others.
IL, after this review and comparison.
1t snail be your Judgment that the In
terests Of the City will be best served
by the selection OF our candidates, we
| ask you to take no part In the primary
election, but to reserve your vote for
the general election.
| proper regard for the opinions OF
our FELLOW citizens requires that we
| should declare to them the causes
which have impelled us to seek tho
election OF our candidates without first
submitting their claims to the nominat-
! ing primary election;
| We hold that the right of the citizen
to declare, by his ballot who Shall
make and who shall administer the
laws to which his obedience is required,
is the right preservative of all other
rights. and that the infraction thereof,
If left unrebuked. will eventually lead
to anarchy or despotism;
We hold that. since there can be no
just form of government except that
| which derives its powers from the con-
sent Of the governed. it is u sclf-cvldent
truth that none but those who are bona
Tide residents of the city should be per-
mittcd to have n voice in the selection
of It's magistra ties:
We hold that whenever the power of
any political organization. or of any
member thereof. is exercised for the
destruction of these principles. II be-
comes the privilege and the duty Of
the people to resent the usurpntion, and
| to insist upon their own right to de-
eide who shall be their officers and
| lawmakers:
The record of the committees in con-
troll or the dominant political party in
this city is a record of impudent dis
regard of these principles of govern
ment, record of repeated connivances
at attempts to convert the primary
election into a mockery and q farce.
record of wrong and usurpation;
In proof. we submit to you some facts
in relation to the primary election
which was held on the nth instant:
They refused our request for new
registration OF the voters. although It
is a notorious fact that the registra-
ton books contain the names of hum
dreds of men who have died or removed
from the city, and that votes are cast
in their names at every election:
They used their influence and power
to prevent us from making a copy of
these registration books. thereby great
ly impeding our efforts to prevent
fraudulent voting:
They rejected our proposition for the
holding OF a day primary for council
| men, and have arranged for a night
primary, we'll knowing that such an
election offers every opportunity for
the exclusion of legitimate voters and
for the admission of trampS and re-
peaterS;
They have resorted to n subterfugc in
order TO make you believe that no other
than a night primary would be legal,
ignoring the fact that they have the
right to dregard the provisions OF the
legalzed primary election law IL they
| choose SO to do, and apparently for
getting that they have actually ignored
| these provisions, within the past ten
days, in having the delegates to the
! State Convention chosen by Ward
| meetings: The same law which they
rely upon to support them in calling
a night primary for councilmen re-
quires that delegates to State conven-
tons shall be chosen by primary cleo
ton. They ignore this law when 1t
suits their purpose SO to do. but they
are not willing to exercise the same
right and privilege when the question
is one Of fair and free election;
With the police force of the City or
gunized and controlled as at present,
| n fair urinary 6lnpti0r a INN csih
Within the past few weeks policemen
have been permitted to suspend the
duties for which they are paid by the
City, in order that they might have
more time to work at the polls on cleo
ton day;
They have recently assaulted and
maltreated a citizen whose only offence
consisted in daring to challenge the
vote Of an Illegal voter:
They have refused protection Of the
law to a candidate who was driven
from the polls by threats OF violence
made In their presence;
The have caused some two hundred
voters to be deprived Of their right Of
franchise by so permitting the OBJ
struction of the booths that the polls
closed before the men In line could
reach the ballot box;
They have recently arrested and
taken from the polls on the false
charge of assault. two gentlemen who
were lawfully engaged in preventing
an imported gang of tramps from vot-
ing.
II such things as these have been per-
petrated in an all-day election. and
have gone unpublished, what is there in
the way Of fraud. intimidation and vio-
lence that would not be attempted and
could not beaccomplished in an election
held during five hours of the night?