Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1880-11-10

Why was Ii?
THE overwhelming defeat which has
crushed the Malone, or 9Th Of July,
party, while not altogether unexpected,
has caused some little establishment,
A review OF the rise, progress and tall
os this faction teaches some important
political lessons. and furnishes evidence
that Its destruction is to be attributed
wholly TO its own foolish blunders.
The public debt was the hobby Of the
party. Gen. Malone, its acknowledged
leader, gave his views as TO what was a
Just and honorable settlement Of the
debt, and advocated his plan 'because
it was right" They went before the
people with bis plan and met with some
success but the moment that victory
was achieved, dissolution began. As
soon as they aacerIained that by barter
ING with the negro members of the
General Assembly, they could control
legislation, they became arrogant, VIM
dictive, and proscriptiye. The great
qualification necessary to obtain office
under the party was Gealty TO the faction
Honest, worthy aud capable officers
were displaced to make room for pollti-
clans who had been rejected by the peo-
pie. They voted for negroes in prefer
ence to white men, and for republicans
in preference to democrats. To such
an extent did they carry their partisan
spirit in selecting county judges that
one Of the prominent members OF their
own party publicly notified the caucus
that he would not act with them nor be
bound by their acts.
The settlement proposed by their
Lender before the election was aban-
doned and a new scheme into which re-
pudiatlon, under the more popular
name of elimination, was introduced
became the pet idea Of the arrogant
party. They practically stopped the
funding of the public debt, and at the
close ofthe session, they had accom-
plished nothing. The presidential
campaign promised a rich field for
securing the patronage of the General
Government and abandoning the re-
adjustment of the public debt, they un-
dertook TO control the electoral vote OF
Virginia. First we hear it whispered
that an unpledged ticket Is to be the
policy OF the party. But the Staunton
Republican Convention, contrary to
the expectation of many Of the Malone
party, refused to recognize Gen. Ma
hone as their leader and put up a
straight Republican ticket. This was a
disappointment, but still there was
hope that they might do something a.
their convention in July. The conven-
ton called by their committee met. Ii
was a motley crew composed Of all
shades of color and Of all political
afinities. 1t was neither white nor
black, Republican nor Democratic, but
il was Malone al over. AZ the time
there was great enthusiasm for Hancock
and they professed to espouse the Han
cock ticket, and put up an electoral
ticket which would lujure Hancock az
much as possible. a vigorous cam =
palgn was at once entered upon. The
regular Democratic party OF Virginia
was denounced as a Funder Rump, and
every species Of denunciatlon was re-
sorted to by the stump orators of this
new fedged party. The people fearing
that this boasted party might devide
the Democracy and thus allow the Re-
publican lShtt " Odlt0 tHN Oe'NN
earnestly sought an honorable compro-
mise, but every effort in that direction
was met with arrogant and insulting
replies. The Democratic party, alter
exhausting every effort in this direction,
submitted the question 10 the voters OF
the Stale.
The people Of Virginia, in reply gave
no uncertain sound. They exposed TO
public view the insignificant proper
tons of the noisy, clustering Malone
party in Virginia. As predicted IN The
beginning OF the campaign, they were
reduced to an army Of officers without
priyates. In some counties there were
less than fifty members. They were
completely overwhelmed and routed
and to-day the Democratic party OF
Virginia has a majority of not less than
10000 and it Is probable that it is
much greater. So ends the little tac'
ton that claimed TO be a big party.