The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-11-07

%Virginia's Call.

There is great rejoicing among the pcof5
y E,lc Of Russia because they nave peeh5
& granted the privilege of taking part IN INC
4 elections, and of having representation IN
B tle law-multing body and " the various
Il departments of government we OF INC
United States have enjoyed that privilege
30 long that we do not put rs hlRh q
value upon 1t as We should we take u
;ls {, matter of course, and popular cleo
;.ns nrc 10 common with lis that We
# often attach little Importance TO tleh'.
Yet every election is an occasion or pro-
d found Importance. We elect our olttll cers
fclt3as specified term and Just before N. me
sS term OF an officer expires We hold al
a election to fill the vacancy which is.
about to occur. To-day we elect pracu-
( caliy all the officers of the state govern
n,eut, together with members of the Cen
\ eralsAssembly, and the General Assembly
VIII, in turn, elect five members Of me
Court Of Appeals, one-fourth of the circuit
Judges and Il number of city judges, and
+ a man TO represent the State IN the
senate OF the United States. Moreover
the governor to be elected will appoint
4 twoi9mcmbers of the Corporation Com
mission and the boards of our various
public institutions. Each party has put
,,p Its candidates for the offices TO be
filled, and tile State OF Virginia calls upon
All qualified voters TO express their choice
to-day, to say by their ballots whether
4 the nominees, !: Of the Democratic party
or those OF thc Republican party shall be
chosen to I'M the various offices OF the
4 State. government
Ia such crisis no qualified elcctor has
! the moral right to keep his choice 70
himself ana refrain from voting The
Stntc cannot make him vote, because IN
that capacity he Is sovereign ard 3
Inv unto himself. lie may vote or rac
vote. according 10 his own will. and ne /
rlny vote. II he votes at AL, Io= wtlara
he peases. There Is no corapuls!o1.; but
solemn obligation rests upon every sa.er
citizen TO DO his duty. Voting Is az rapsa \
an obligation as paying taxes, serving ".
turies. or even taking up arms 10 t@teut
ones country against an invading foe,
An obligation Is al obligation, no rgpatt1r
what may be the chafacte- of IT, o. WHAT
the occasion. \ man may shErk an o5il-
CATION. but he cannot escape the respon.
rlbi!ity Of It. The State does not say u
any citizen that it Is his duty 10 vote for
certain candidates. That Is matter Of
choice with him, and he must determine
In which direction that duty lies; hut the
State does say to him that it Is HIS duty
to vote, and the qualified clector VINO
fall. 10 votn falls short OF his ob.iga tlon
10 his STATE In the election to-day
Democrats. or AZ least az many OF them
rs took part In the primary, are under
peculiar obligation TO vote, ana not mercy
TO vote, but 10 vote the straight Demo
cratic ticket, for they 90 obligated them
selves when they voted IN the primary.
We can see no reason why any Demo
crat should hesitate, or Why he should
not take pleasure IN voting the Demo
cratic ticket The Republicans have made
very active campaign; they have turned
the searchlight OF Investigation upon the
record OF the Democratic party; they have
moved heaven and earth MS The saying
Epes, 70 find some point Of attack, but.
after all what have they accomplished?
What fact or argument have they brought
forward to show that the Democratic
party should be turned out and that HE
Republican party should DO turned inp
with all their Investigation with All their
alleged exposures. they have not been
able 10 show thar the Democratic admin
istratlon was false or inefficient In any
direction, and II is a glorious tribute 10
the part that they "ere not able 10 do
70. for the Democratic party has been In
power In Virginia continuously for twenty