The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-01-17
SUNDAY, JANUARY II. 1904.
Norfolk County Politics.

.s WE nrint elswhere in to-daSs paper Z"
lengthy report from staff corresponds
Il ent OF political affairs III Norfolk county,
4 sn much has been said about the contest
s hetwecn the F,lsionists and the Straight
K o,,ts and so many charges have been
made. and tho matter has become OF
such general interest, that We nave la EF|e
the pains to mako ali Investigation" Will
4 view to getting at the facts. Inc IN
V yes,lgation was made IN no pa par
spirit, and with no disposition 10 cSas-
+ rerate or conceal. The endenvor has pecn
Il To md the simple truth and proclaim II
Il ,.notb,nr .cxtenuatinE, nor setting down
Hught in malice. ~
IT appears from the report tllat t lilie
* F,lsionists hnvc for years acted III COIL
cert with the Republicans, and nave
time and again made bargains with thein'
& under which the offices We're DIVIDED. ~
also apparent that ifs the Democrats
had come together and voted together u,
,#ihe election last ycar,.n full Democratic
q ticket could have been elected by q large
4 majority, and to-day there would ¬ pc
d solitary Republican Office holder IN me
county, save the clerk of the court.
whose term has not expired But IN
spite of the fact that the State Cehtral
Committee had recognized the Straight
outs the Fusionists held q primary and
I. nominated a ticket, and afterwards
). threw aside three of their own nominees
ana substituted three Republicans, and
on + the day, Of election Joined with the
Republicans in clecting the mixed ticket.
Il Is two members Of the House OF Dele
IA ties were elected on this ticket, we have
\ claimed. and still claim, that under party
rules they arc not entitled to seats In a
f. Democra tic caucus.
AS for the charge that the F'uslonists
registered negroes who We're not entitled
to register under the new Constitutions
h there is something to be said on both
I sides Under an arrangement between
& the factions, three OF tho districts were
e assigned to the Fusionists and three to
the Straightouts Tho Fusion registrars
. conducted the registrations in the dis
4 tricts Of Western Branch. Tanners Creek
h and Butts Road, while the StraGhtout
registrars conducted the registration In
the districts of Washington. Pleasant
Grove and Deep Creek. The Fusionisls
registered STA negroes. while the Straight
outs registered SOC. Hence the charge
gl against the Fusionists. But the Iusion1sts
II claim that there were many more negroes
In their districts than in the others. Thcy
4 registered In Tanners Creek District SS9s
negroes, but they claim that there are
s75 negroes in the district who are cnti'
tied to register as property owners. IS
In the Western Branch District they
registered 3SS negroes. and they claim thai
ii: there are in that district 1915 property
s owners. They say that In the whole
county Of Norfolk there are S,l22 negro
fs property owners, 0G3 of whom were cnii
tied 10 register as such. and that as thu
total registration OF negroes In tn
54 county is only ,2i5, there Is no grount
for the charge that negroes were unaw
fully registered.
Their statement would be more plausi
q bic If it were not shown that IN one o
the negro districts assessments were I
all appearances arbitrarily raised IN l00
on The property of nearly one hundred ne
groes from less than 500 to $3.50, the min
Il imum sum required to entitle citizen I
register under the property clause of tn
Constitution. The exhibit which we max
In this respect is most damaging to tn
Fruslonists. and needs explanation,
needs more than that. 1t needs official IN
vestigaton, and that is our recommends
ton Grave charges have been brougl
against the registrars, and grave charge
have also been brought against tho couI
ty administration. Therefore, the Who'll
subject should be thoroughly inquired int
BY a committee Of the Legislature an
" probed TO The core.