The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1901-03-17

Keith and Holmes Conrad and Harry st.
George fucker and William II. Payne
and Hill! Carter and John Shelton Will
Jams and Virginius Newton are under
cur present election laws, as effectuaily
DISTINGUISHED as any negro in the state!
Does The Times forget that the votes
of Joseph Bryan and w. S. Copeland and
w. d. Chesterman and Harvey l. VII
sen and Carter Glass are as ruth'essly
cancelled as the vote Of the most lGnof-
ant negro?
Does any man attempt to deny these
facts2
1t is true that so long as we vote as
the machine directs we may expect TO
have our votes counted. But does any
man possess the rights of a free man
while he is permitted to vote only one
way?
II his vote be cancelled by the officers
of election the moment it is dropped
into the ballot-box is he not thereby as
completely and elfectually DISTINGUISHED
as ii his name were stricken from the
nol-bool,s. or as if he were denied the
right of suffrage by constitutional pro-
vision?
r. II. .Cardwell and r. r. Barton and
Rufus \. Ayers and r. Walton Moore
and A. F. Thorn and W. y. Jones ana
William H. Mann may desire the machine
continued in power, but do they possess
any right at the ballot-bo& to-day winch
Il Judge of election acting as uchet-
marker under orders from the lltch4tt
is bound to respect?
Under the present election law these
gentlemen are so far as the actual east
ING of ballots goes. as helpless and as
useless as the most iliterate and de-
graded negro in Virginia. If they vote
as the machine requires the machine VIII
count their votes. II they refuse TO OBEY
orders. SO far as the machine is con-
cerned they may go hang. Each one
of these gentlemen can cast but one Dil-
lot \ dishonest judge OF election, act-
ing as ticket marker, il any section OF
the State and at any precinct III the
State may mark five score ballots con-
trarv 10 the orders of the illteratc Vot-
ers and every fraudulent ballot SO marked
counts twice.
When the ticket marker goes into the
booth and strikes from the ticket the
names of the candidates for whom the
illiterate voter desires TO cast his ballot.
he kills that vote And there IS an end
of the matter so lar as the lilIterate
voter is concerned. But the ticket mar
ller does not stop there. He mas as
franchised the iIiiterate voter. lie now
goes a step further and disfranchises an
educated voter to complete the lop- lie
makes one ballot count two votes. When
he leaves on the ballot the names OF the
candidates which he has been directed
nv the voter to strike off who's vote
does he cancel? Not the vote OF the
jItiterate negro or the illiterate white
man whose ballot he has in hand Ihat
vote is already dead. The ticket marker
killed it when he marked off the names
OF the candidates for whom the voter
desired TO cast his ballot Therefore.
when he leaves unscratched the names or
the candidates which he has been or
dered to strike off he flies at higher game.
Having eliminated the vote of an lsnof-
ant negro he now proceeds TO cancer
The vote of some man with education
enough 10 mark his own ballot. 1t is as
though the ticket marker should say:
Robert w Hughes is not voting as ne
ought TO vote His vote must be can
celled by putting a fraudulent rstiint II,
the box to be counted against II Ana
so of Edmund Widdii. Jr., and l. l.
Lewis and Eppa Hunto1 and j. Iaylor
Fllvson. and John +. RiXey. and Edward
Echols, and John w Daniel. and IhonaS
S. Martin, if any of ,these gentlemen
should ever venture to go counter 10 the.
wishes of the machine. what does it
matter whether these gentlemen are for
the time willing to submit to being de-
priveti of the rights of freemen? II any
OF them object can they help themselves?
They are no whit less political serfs
because they consent 10 the crime which
is perpetuated against their rights and
against the liberties of the people. They
are none the less slaves. although they
he bene .iciaries of the crimes committed
by the judges Of election. Hose Ty1er,