The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1902-11-02
TUssD aY, ELECTION.

The Democrats have their own va. IN
Virginia. and The election on Tuesday
will probably return full Democratic
delegation 10 Congress But although
one-sided The election vii be Interesting
in one par;icu ar. We have had new
rcs.straton under the new Constitution.
end the suffrage has been materially
changed The registration books have
been plugged and we have better ard
more tigiy representative list OF voters
than NC have had since the war, The
object enable negro voters have been
eliminated, although many negroes
throughout the State who have shown
themselves qualified have been admitted.
Some of the Republican papers have
made great ado over the exclusion OF
the negro vote. and claim also that many
whites have been dlsfranchlsed. There
is no ground. however. for this com
plant Such negroes as have been de-.
MED the right Of suffrage arc those who
pay no taxes who are ignorant and
who take no interest whatever in gov
eminent. and they should haze been.
4 AS for the whites, il any of these have
failed 10 register 1t has. been their own
fault Tho doors were wide open. and
those who refused to come in have mani
Tested so little interest and have at
tAched SO little Importance to the priTi-
iege Of voting that by this very act they
have demonstrated that the suffrage is
There is another phase OF this subject
which is not TO he overlooked We have
gotten rid OF the purchasable vote IN the
State. and there Will be hereafter less
ecl.v3ty among the so-caiied party work
ers who make 1t business to go around
money. or giving them whiskey or by
other and equally disrepDtab!e methods.
The occupation of the coirupticniS is
gone: at least there Is less material for
him to work on than ever before. The
same may be said of the professional
politician. of the demagogae. The work
Ing material among voters Is usually
FOUND at the bottom. intelligent men,
men OF character. men who read and
think for themselves are not persuaded
except by argument Such men are open
to conviction and If public speaker
can influence them by an appeal to#iea
son. we'll But we all know that the
denagoeue Goas not n HE public
speeches address MS remarks to ttsat
class OF men. He talks to those who do
Il, ,i,,l. ~,
f'uenced by. the. passing sentiment of
the hour. to those who are caught hy
c.ap-trap rather than by argument. and
uits il is that the political denagaEue
almost invariably talks clap-t1ap and
anpea's to passion and prejudice and
emotion rather than to sober judgment
Last Of all, bu, by no means least. we
look for substantial improvement in Viz
gina politics and in election methods be-
cause with the objectionable negro vote
eliminated there is now no reason and
there will be no rretext for corrupt
methods at the poiis. There Is no rea-
son why our elections should not be ah-
solutcly far and honest. no reason why
men should not be permitted 20 vote their
sentiments. and no reason why the bal
lots shou.a not be honestly counted and
honestly returned Therefore the voters
viii! demand a free ballot and an honest /
count is a new era for Virginia. and
we sincerely hope--nay. We hsisstlg be
lievc. that in the new order OF things We
shall have purer politics and honest cleo
tons. and better adm nis,latien OF 1
public affairs than ever before since the
war.
The duty Of al qualified Democrats IS
to vote on Tuesday and vote for the res
rlar nominees II Will not do to take
things Tor granted. II is duty 70 vote
whether or not there is any Formidable
opposition.
abb FER ON4L.
We print in another column an cd to,ial