The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-06-11

will kill the primary system is no deter
rent to the man who contemplates the
commission of such fraud, because those
| men as rule have never been in favor
of primary, and only submitted to 1t
when the party made them do It, and they
would be only too glad to DO something
that would result in Its being ahandoned.
80 that they could return to their old
methods OF manipulation Of conventions.
mass meetings, Legislatures, etc, which
the primary, for the present at least, has
forced them to abandon. But while they
care nothing for the primary system,
they are supposed to at least care lot
the supremacy Of the Democratic, party
In the State and certainly they care for
the offices which they hold, or hope to
! hold, and they had just as we'll under
stand now that the gaining of place by
corruption will no longer be cou11tenanced
in Virginia, and that lf the majority OF
the Democratic voters In The State can
not get fair treatment within the party
lines, then they will get 1t outside Of
these lines. The people are going to down
such methods one way or another For
my part, think that man who perpe.
trates or cotintenances the stealing Oh
votes or any other species of fraud IN
contest between white men and Demo-
Gratis, Is about ms deserving of lynching
as Is the ficnd who commits the worst OF
all crimes. In a certain celebrated elec-
ton in n county near this, where two
white Democrats were running, at some
of the precincts the Judges of election
were warned by posted hnnd bills that
If they attempted any monkey business
they might not get homo to their families.
The result was that for one time there was
a fair election at these precincts.
j. C. PARKER.
Franklin, Va.
Mr. Parker puts the case in strong Lam
guage-too strong, indeed, when he talks
about 1ynching and all that, but he repre-
sents large and honorable body Of Dem
ocrats, who will not tolerate any sort OF
cheating or trickery In the Forthcoming
primaries. "All that's past Is gomez"
there is no use in taking the skeleton
from the Democratic closet and rafting
THE dry bones. It is q skeleton which
no honest Democrat likes to look at or
think about. The skeleton is buried, and
there Is no occasion to resurrect It. But
this much Is certntn: The honest white
men Of Virginia are resolved that cleo
lions In this State shall DO hereafter
honestly conducted. There is no longer
any occasion or pretext for cheating, for
trickery, for ballot-box stuffing for false
counts or false returns. Such practices
were bad enough under any circumstances
and in any elections; in Democratic pri-
mary they are simply ntolerable, and
If they are employed to nominate Demo-
cratic candidates, as Mr.. Parker we'll
says, 1t will be at the peril Of the can
dldates themselves and at the peril Of
the party.
American Push and conserva-
tism.
Upon the announcement yesterday that
Alexander and Hyde had retired from
the Equitable Life Assurance Society and
that the control had been passed to
others, with Hon. Paul Morton as chair
man Of the board OF. directors there was
a feeling of great relief in the minds OF
the pollctholders and generally in finan-
cial circles, and when the stock market
opened there was buoyant rise In the
price Of all classes of securities. This
affair had been hanging over the mar
ket" for some time past, and there was
a feeling Of distrust and uneasiness,
which caused investors to hold off. In
deed, confidence has not yet been fully
restored, and at the higher quotations
cautious holders Of securities may decide
to urload., under the fear that other
revelations Of like character are yet to
come. People are naturally asking them-
selves II iinsurance premiums are not
held as sacred trusts, what as held
sacred within the realm OF high finance?
But we believe that the worst Is known.
and that the worst IS over. No doubt
is entertained in any quarter as to the
solvency Of the Equitable. and it is
fair presumption that its affairs will
hereafter be conducted honestly and more
than ever In the interest Of the policy
holders.
Other life Insurance companies and all
companies handling trust funds have now
been put on notice, and they will doubt
less be more careful than ever In dis
charging their trusts. Every such COM
pany has had fair warning to set Its
house in order and has In all probability
done SO. we look for no more Equitable
sensations in the near future.
What d great country We have! How
firm its foundation! How conservative
its people!! 1t Is a tribute to our good
sense, 10 our good temper and to our
financial stability that the Equitable
incident" has closed without wrecklng
the company itself or seriously affecting
the general business If the land.
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U.. Tia Nau,eronerc' Vict0rV,