The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-08-05

and OF the Roanoke Times have chal-
lcngcd me TO prove this.
Their memories are short, and do
not 20 back To the Young Maynard
contest. when those who had been dead
many years were brought TO the polls
and voted. They do not recall the
wholesale frauds which Judge Skeen
has exposed In the Southwest. The
punishment to-day for stunins a bal
lot box with 1000 fraudulent votes is
fine Of $2.50 and one hour In Jail
1t IS not a penalty commensurate with
the greatest political crime that can
be committed against "A government
founded on the theory that the VIII
Of the people is supreme. Let US live
like men Of to-day. and meet the is
sues Of to-day with laws OF to-day
not with Anticipated statutes suited
only 10 the nefaiious purposes of de
signing politicians. There have been
have gotten together and paid tho
poll taxes OF black and white venal
voters by the hundreds. An attempt
Is made NJ each session OF the Gen
cral Assembly to make 1t a crime to
pay poll taxes of others. in order to
control their votes. Why is II that
there is some power so great that II
can keep a General Assembly from
passing a law which Will protect the
ballo; box?
Primary the Real Election.
''The men you choose tomorrow
viii be elected in November; the real
cratic primary. Yet the mon who
count the ballots are not officers OF
the law, but appOintecs OF partisan
committees. In some counties men are
not appointed to serve as judges, but
to influence voters. The present Law
does not prohibit election judges from
soliciting Notcs. Richard Evelyn
Byrd says 1t is worth % per cent
10 have the election Judges on your
side Is that consistent with a fair
deal? y democratic primary is the
real election. yet a Democrat whose
Office is taken away from him by
fraud has TO appeal. not to a court
OF justice. but TO a partisan com
,nttee.
Another Ubiquitous system very
nearly aligned with the above is the
fact that many officers get in fees four
or i've times the pay o: She Governor.
The clerk OF the court at Norfolk re-
ceives four or five times as much as the
clerk OF the United states Supreme
Cour; at Washington, or as the Gov
ernor Of Virginia. Yet the Legislature
seems powerless to correct this wrong.
You may be able to guess what II is
that hovers over the General Assembly
10 induce II 10 protect these men from
e"en informing the people what they
receive from their offices. There is
something rotten in Denmark when the
representatives. OF the people are not
brave enough 10 pass a law limiting
the compensation of public servants to
q just amount
fs,,Ii
year ago Virginia had 4 favorite
son as a candidate for President. yet
II was poWeriess to cast its vote for
Woodrow Wilson, for the so-callcd
leaders decided that they would vote
voice against the will of the
people. and put in man OF their
choice The man most responsible for
that betrayal is Hal d. Flood. the same
man who has to-day been visiting the
liquor dealers OF Richmond and asking
them TO cast their votes for an Anti
saloon League leader for Attorney
same Hal n Flood who
inisrepreseutcd Virginia and maligned
William Jennings Bryan at the Bulti-
more Convention, and said Bryan had
tried to wreck his party. when it was
Bryan who saved his party. II was
due TO Bryan, and not to this same Hal
ID Flood. that we to-day have Wood
Tow Wilson for President OF the United
: 'HteS' saw laSt year the NOrlolk
convention not only misrcprescnt the
PEOPLE in their choice, but later vote
down resolution that provided that
hereafter when the people of Virginia
wanted man for President. they
should have an opportunity 10 express
their wishes. The convention. led by
Mr.. Flood and his associates, OVERRIDE
the Will OF the people thar time and
then fixed il so that the people would
rave no say hereafter in the naming
OF Nirginia's choice for the presidency.
You cannot correct conditions by
shutting your eyes You must look
Facts in the face-not stick your head
IN the sand like an ostrich
Politics in schools.
In education. Virginia ranks forty
first in the states OF the Union in CT
hciency OF it's public school system.
Forty States provide better for their
states than We 90 our school system
should be above the reach of designing
politicians. The schools have been in
Iured by their connection with poll
ties. The law requires the state
Board of Education TO name superin-
tcndents sixty days before July !. yet
in thirteen or fourteen cases the state
board has postponed the selection un-
I'll after -morrows primary. Two
nephews of Attorney General Williams
have been candidates. and In both
cases the board postponed the cleo
ton until after Uncle SANS election
had been held.
I'm Wythevinc one nephew ran
school men in the State. the choice or