The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-07-29

In recalling the grand jury and in
s,ructin- the members to make a tho
rough investigation of the recent city
primary, Judge Witt has promptly met
4 q popular demand. Public confidence has
been rudely shaken and II host OF In
dignant voters require that diligent IN
ouiry be made 10 ascertain If there was
fraud at other precincts as there was at
Third Monroe, if there was plot to de-
feat the will of the voters. and If so to
apprehcnd not only those who did the
dirty work, but those also who put them
IN 10 ii. If II shall develop from the
inquiry that the fraud at Third Monroe
WAS exceptional and that the election
otherwise was honestly and fairly con-
Quoted, none will be more gratified than
The Times Dispatch. But The Times-Dls-
patch expresses the sentiment of every
honest Democrat OF Richmond in demand
4 ing that the truth and the whole trut..
be ascertalned and proclaimed. no matter
how distressing and humiliating the rev.
4 citation may be. no matter what guilty
man IS thcrehX rxposed
There is mo surimo more contemplate,
more audacious than that OF stealing bal
lots. i, is bad enough for trusted juuse
of election to steal a mans vote and rob
him of his constitutional right to vote for
man or measure of his choice; the felony
is COMPOUNDED when the thief after hay
Ing stolen the ballot casts it for the
man or measure that the voter opposed.
Such theft Is high handed robbery OF
the most sacred rights of citizenship the
practice Of highwayman through the
:ontempitiblc method of the sneak thief.
The ballot thief has none Of the courage
of the hEhwayman. He would not dare
hold a voter up In the open and take his
ballot from him. lie manages to have
himself appointed to Il position of trust
and commits his theft In corner II
makes The blood of every manly man Dol
with Indignation that he should thus
be defraudcd, that thief should stca
his ballot and do his voting for him
And 10 think that such crime shoult
be committed in Democratic primary, II
an election which is supposed to be AZ
affair among gentlemen!
1t viii not he tolerated In this com
munity, for apart from the d!shonor an'
disgrace Of It, If contests between cit
liens canno, be fairly settled by ballots
in time they will be settled by bullets
Dishonest elections carried to their LOCI
cal end will inevitably result in revolu
ton. If any man doubt let him inqur
into the repeated revolutions In the Sout
American republics, so-called, The out
resort 10 force because the ms civ
them no show Of success in the farcic;
elections.
The eyes Of the whole State are upo
Richmond, and as a people We must VII
GERS whose business 1t viii be TO pro
ecute criminals and enforce the law al
preserve the peace and good oraer OF u
community. What good results may v
reasonably expect if such officers a
chosen by the fraudulent acts Of 4
most contemplate and audacious class
criminals
Gentlemen OF the grand jury. 50 to I
bottom OF this wretched business VIII
you SO cleyery discovered at Third Ale
roe Probe deep, Investigate to the
most IL 1t takes you all summer and
US know the worst. II there III q polite
.s.esslsooll IN this community u ttntst
DO concealed. The remedy ~ In expos'