Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1905-10-06
WILLIAM l.. ROYALL AND HIS
CAMPAIGN AGAINST P0LIF-
ICAL CRIME

EDIToR CITIzEN:-Eger since th,
close of the city primary eampalgr
the Hon. Buck" Royal has beer
acting as sleuth ferreting out ths
crookedhess of the Democratic or.
gaDizstion aud its officials. Unlike
Sherlock HOLMES he has kept the
public in has confidence through the
medium of the city press, and each
day has promised to add some new
and more startling headlines for the
papers. The headlines have come
pretty regularly, but when be gave
his complete story to the papers the
startling Developments were lacking,
aud when the four. column article
was read by the public the harrow
ing tale was found to only contain
the same story that the three grand
jurors had endeavored to offer the
Hastings Court as a minority report
and which had already been printed
and discussed to greater or less ex-
tent.
So far as the public knows, from
this report there is no evidence upon
which further indictments can be
found against those whose names are
mentioned.
Mr.. Royal makes a grievous com
plant against Clyde Saunders be-
cause he named nine of the Judges OF
elections in the recent primary. IL
Saunders had been as presumptuous
as Mr.. Royal and some of bis
friends he would have named all
sixty-nine Of these judges. 1t looks
AS if Mr.. Royal has been the whole
thing In this move to gather a Wig.
llance committee to awe and over
ride the authorities selected by the
people and appointed by the Court.
at the meeting he called in the Cap
itol Square he nominated the chair
man, and that chairman named the
entire tlfty yigilants. That mass
meeting, which proposed to take
charge OF the election machinery of
this city, has been estimated at from
1000 to 1000. Perhaps it would
be fair to strike medium and say
1000 people we're in attendance. and
at least 500 of these were either not
voters or not in sympathy with the
movement. This would leave this
meeting without any reason to sup
pose it voiced the majority of Rich
mond's voters. 1t has always been
in every matter for the defeated cau-
didate to imagine that there was
some other cause for his defeat than
because he did not receive the reoui-
site number of votes. Ia the recent
contest the defeated candidates we've
numerous, and Mr.. Royal found not
few of these that would rather
have his salve than quietly stake
their medicine"
There was undoubtedly, crooked
ness In that primary con test, and il
is doubtless true that there are 9TH
ers that should be indicted and pun
ished, and every honest citizen will
rejoice to see these men caught and
made to pay the-penalty. But the
orderly arrangements OF our courts
are amply provided with means to
accomplish this p0rpose, aud Rich
mond is certainly not so sunk IN
crime and want of self-respect as to
require mass. .meetings to appoint
vigilants to secure honest elections
10 contests in the Democratic fold.
And if such need were present, /,
is hardly probable that the majority
of Democrats would select the pres
ent head of the committee, and a
number of others named therein,
who in 1900 tried to turn this State
into the Republican column, to lead
such g movement.
Thus far was written when the
announcement of the last mass
meeting was called for, and as atill
more startling evidence was promis-
&c, that evidence was waited for. II
has been held, and the same old car
cass has been rehashed.
The general estimate of the crowd
at this last meeting was that there
were less than Eve hundred hearers
present. Put it at 500. From the
indications not more than two-thirds
of those present were in sympathy
with Mr.. Royal.
1t cannot fail to impress thought
full people as something remarkable
that lawyer as noted as Mr.. Royal,
and that people as intelligent as his
followers are claimed to be, should
have proceeded TO pass resolutions
demanding the resignation of the
Electoral Board, and asking the CITY
Committee to rescind It's action,
when so numerically small.
1t is true this meeting was held
under the shadow of Virginia's great
monument, but that very fact should
have awed these people and prevent
ed the exhibition of such "monu-
mental cheek" Surely these people
do not believe in majority rule
What kind of government they pro-
pose to set up is not known--wheth.
er autocratic, plutocratic, or what
not, they evidently ars not content
with majority rule. OF those who
have made themselves prominent in
this movement it is not believed that
q single one could be elected to any
Office by the popular vote of their
oTpn faroeinck M Rovol hao d~,,o