The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-08-07
THE STAUNTON ELECTION: FURTHER
REFLECTIONS


all citizens. who desire to maintain and pre-
serve their rights at the polls and who appre-
ciate the danger of local government passing
into the hands OF corrupt. venal. irresponsible
and alien forces.
It is a fact, more and more obvious and easily
demonstrated, that the victory Was won at the
price OF thwarting the will OF the reputable and
responsible citizens of Stanton. Familiarity
with local conditions demonstrates the fact that
this victory does not reflect the sentiment OF
the men. whose opinion should BY every right
Eold precedence in the determination of local
policies. 1t was achieved through the intro
duction and agency of elements that would not
be tolerated in deciding any other problem of
local government The city was carried VI.
by coalition of saloon forces with politicians,
and this combination was in practical effect
conspiracy to accomplish the opening Of the
saloon without regard TO the rights of citizen
ship or the righteousness OF the city. We
think ii is easily demonstratable that a poll
OF representative citizens would reveal a large
nolicense majority, II the brains, business in
terest. moral character and social standing of
that city had determined the issue, stanton
would still be dry. II the property holders and
tax payers, who give stability to the city and
promote it's progress aud prosperity, had posse
ssed the power Of debating the eitys course,
the saloon could never have gained new foot
hold in stanton
The victory Was won through a combination
of the saloon forces. the lower elements of Sc
ciety, and politeians-a combination that
placed upon the registration books $50 negro
voters as against - in the last local option
election that imported many voters from DIS
tant points-nen who have no longer any in
terest In Stanton and whose presence upon
the occasion Of the election was procured for
the sole purpose of assisting the attempt to
override the viii of bona fde citizens: that
marshalled and marched to the polls, with wet
ballots in their bands. the total strength of
the corrupt disorderly and disreputabe ele-
ment of Staunton's underworld There were.
to be sure. quite number Of representative
citizens who united their votes with this gang
Ia make the eits But If The undesirable
element controlled by this saioon'politteal com
tination had been eliminated, the reputable
citizens voting would have found them
would still be dry by tremendous majority,
The city is wet TIE victory has been won
tr an qrs.ctfof prevanasag honest far tt4i
conduct and count under law Ii concerned
But the facts IN the case, the conditions that
determined the victory. should give us pause
Not much foresight is needed 10 discern that
such elements may conspire-and sometimes do
cyonspre--to control other municipal elections
and fustrate the governmental policies OF the
men, whose character. abilities and material
interests should give them the right to ses<rn
II is not in harmony with good economics,
nor consonant with common sense, - hold
that the saloon, ward politicians, ignorant IT.
responsible and corrupt voters. white and black,
should be permitted to dictate a municipal
policy directly contrary to that desired BY the
more enlightened and more responsible Gle
of the eitys life. Yet this is just the
condition and the danger we face, forced
upon our attention by recent wet and dry cleo
tons.
The liquor interests loading regis
tration books with negroes by the connivance
Of politicians, and liquor money is paying
their poll taxes in order that they may vote
wet They are gradually resurrecting a condi-
ton which gave serious trouble years ago,
and which the South had eliminated by var
foas expedients, viz tire pron1iscuous extens
sion to negroes Of the suffrage, In Stauntcn II,
negro registration than trebled itself in
two years under this politic0-liquor activity
The result is that the negro vote in Stanton
absolutely determined a great moral problem
of farreaching importance In Texas they ~es-
innate that $4,000 negroes voted in the late
election and their votes dictated the policy Of
great state. Having found their way back to
the registration books they can now find their
way TO the polls at every election, and il may
happen at any time that they hold the balance
OF power. 1t suggests serious problem for
the future, Ii this policy OF winning at any cost
is persisted in by this combination OF the
politicians and the saloon Our political
friends who not SO long ago were so exercised
negro domination. will face the same pro.
hlem again If the present tendency continues
Then wtn-at-any cost policy of the saloon re-
suited N the importation 9; voters. whose wet