Democratic Sentinel, Volume 7, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1883 — THE VIRGINIA ELECTION. [ARTICLE]

THE VIRGINIA ELECTION.

Refuting Billy Mahone’s Villainous Slanders. Investigation Into the Inwardness of the Danville Riots. Testimony of a Leading Republican Against Mahone. The Danville Riot. [Associated Press Dispatch from Danville, Va.] The Co mm it ;ee of Forty, appointed to investigate the facts connected with the riot on the d inst.. organized on the 12th inst., and ap p.intxl pioper sub-committees. Allpeisons oa\ iig information in relation to matters to bo investigated were publicly requested to appear le.tre the sub-comailLee and testify. I'he sub-commi .tee regularly attended to tieir duties from the morning of the tb'th to the evening of the 21st, during which time thirty-seven witnesses were examined, it is said that the witnesses, for the most part, wor - 'known to the committee personally, and represented a l clasresand vocations. They we e intelligent, and thoroughly reliable. I he committee makes a caieful and impartin' review of ad the facts connected with the tot. Alter speaking of the ill-feeling existing betw eeu the blacks and whites, the committee states that the negroes were the aggi essor.” The repoi t adds: “Two days before che e ectlon, circulars, signed by prominent ci i e.is and leaders of both political parties, w ere issued guaranteeing every person, without regard to colon or party, the f.eo and undisturbed right of voting. 'O volcnee, threat, or intimidation whatever was shown toward negro or coalition voters, but on the contrary such voters were repeatedly assured by citizens, the police and military officers sent to Danville by he Governor that they would be protected in the right to vote as they chose. Election day •vas quiet and without any disturbance or ditf culty at any precinct or elsewhere in the town, and the election Itself was honestly conducted, free and fair in all respects. The negroes, as a body, refrained from voting under the advice and command of their party leaders, while others voted the coalition ticket without hindrance from any quarter.” Mahone't Slanders Refuted. [Washington Telegram to Chicago Times.] One of the counties in Virginia that was specially mentioned in Mahone’s address to the public as having been the scene of Democratic intimidation and murders of negroes was Hanover. The candidates for the State Senate in that oounty were Jones, a Mahone rtepublican, and Gen. Wickham, anti-Mahone Republican. The latter was supported by Democrats and Republicans and elected by a large majority. Mr. Jones, who is said to be one of the shrewdest political managers in the State, gave notice of contest, and charged that he had been defeated by fraud, intimidation and outrages upon the black voters. Ex-Congressman Dezendorf, the head of the Republican organization in the State, calls attention to tbe fact that Jones published a card to-day in Richmond newspapers, in which he abandons his contest and states that he undertook it upon what he then thought to be reliable information, but upon full investigation he is satisfied that he cannot establish the charges. Mr. Dezendorf says of himself that he is a Northern man and also a Republican, but he cannot consent to be silent while Mahone slanders his adopted State, and he wants the Republicans of the country to know that already one of Mahone’s closest allies and supporters has denied the truth of Mahone’s charges of murder and intimidation as to one of the most important points relied upon by the Readjuster leader. A semi-official statement of the votes received to-day from Richmond shows that, Instead of losing votes by bulldozing or otherwise, the aggregate anti-Democratlc or Mahone vote was 25,003 greater than it was at last Congressional election. Tbe Democrats estimate that of the 128,000 colored voters in Virginia, about 5,000 voted against the Mahone candidates. Mr. Dezendorf thinks the number was much larger, and that the Democrats got the benefit of the votes of several thousand Republicans who were opposed to Mahoneism. It is stated that when the Readjuster leader found that he had lost control of the Legislature he sent agents to remote parts of the State, which had been his strongholds, who urged the defeated Mahone candidates for the Senate to agree to take the seats of their Democratic opponents in case the State Returning boaid should throw out the majority candidates on the ground of fraud and outrages. Only two out of five necessary to give tbe Readjusters control of the Senate acceded to the proposition, and it is supposed to have been abandoned; but it is expected that the Returning Board may yet attempt some such extreme measure in order to get control of the Legislature. A Richmond Paper on Mahone’s Lying Address. In reply to Senator Mahone’s recent address the Richmond Dispatch makes the lollowinsr statements; 1. There are nine negroes elected to the next General Assembly. 2. There were about 5,000 negro votes cast in this city. 3. There were more than 3,Q00 negro votes cast in the county in which Danville is situ ated. How did it happen that this large vote was given by bulldozed negroes/ 4. There were, it is estimated, 100,000 negro votes cast in the State. 5. The Mahoneites polled more votes at the late election than they ever did at any previous election. «. A negro orator was among the speakers who addressed the crowd in front of our office the next day after election. 7. A negro club joined in the procession which celebrated the Democratic victory of the 6th inst. 8. In Gen. Mahone’s own town several hundred negroes voted the Democratic ticket. 9. The negroes are much more afraid of offending their own race than of oflending white men. This is a rule to which there are of course exceptions. We think it likely but or this fear of their own race thousands of negroes would every year vote the Democratic ticket. Our Democratic leaders must solve the problem. The negro must be freed from the apprehensions we speak of, and be made as fiee to vote the Democratic t eket as the Republican. Negro Trustees and negro teacher* appointed ur.der Democratic laws, and being Democrats themselves, will perhaps accomplish that desirable end. 10. We specially commend the following testimony from a Republican paper published in Henry county, which adjoins the county in which Danville is situated. We quote from the Martinsville Herald, editod by L. 8. Thomas, Esq., whose father, the late C. Y. Thomas, was a Republican in the dark days of reconstruction. The son is as true a Republican as was his father. The Martinsville Herald s ay 8. “A Fair Election. —The election in Henry county was fair; the ballo; was free to all; the count was hone3t. Every voter wasuntraumslcd. He had his choice in the exercise of the great right which makes men equal at the polls and places parties upon an e qual footing. It is with pride that we can j oint to such an exalted veneration for ‘a free bal’ot and fair count.’ Fraud and intimidation have no hold on the people of Henry county. Every vo.er within the border of the county feels that the results of the election were reached by means fair to law and morals.” What ,Tubal Early Thinks of Mahone. As to my opinion of Maboaes recent address lean only say that the English language Is not sufficiently strong to properly c haracterize the infamous nature of the production and the infinite baseness of its falsehoods. I must say, however, that it is eminently worthy of Mahone and the minions who have assisted him In its composition. A great poet has intimated that in tbe lowest Jeep there is a lower deep still. That can no longer be said to be trye. Mahone bos sounded the depths of infamy and reached a solid bottom below which it isim(H>ssible even lor him to peteirdte.