National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-03-14
General Mahone,s Vote To-Day.

Senator from Virginia, toward the lie
publican party. This comes of the fact
that upon his vote depends the question,
likely to be decided to-day, of supremacy
in the United States Senate. The COM
mittees and officers of that body are to be
appointed, nominally for the brief eXecu-
tive session, but virtually and practically
for two years. The committees will either
be composed, each, of majority of the
friends of the administration anxious for
its success, or of a majority of its oppo-
nents straining every energy to make it
failure, on the ruins of which they hope
for a party triumph in 1884. To these
committees must be committed all legis-
lation and executive nominations.
Hostile committees can delay action,
refuse to receive, and neglect to seek IN
formation, and color with party bias their
consideration of and reports upon all mat
ters referred to them. Appropriations
for carrying on the Government, and for
maintaining its authority when resisted by
the Bourbon Democracy, as it has been in
the past two years, must depend on
whether General Malone will aid the
Bourbons or the Government. The
power of the President to nominate faith
full and patriotic district attorneys and
marshals, who can be confirmed without
the concurrence of the Bourbon Senators
from the States in which they are to
serve, must for two years depend on the
vote of General Malone The success or
failure of new measures that may be found
necessary for the further security of the
ballot-box and the protection of equal
political rights Of the citizen will depend
on his vote.
How, then, will General Malone vote
He is the leader in Virginia of GER
tainly over thirty Thousand independent
white voters of Democratic antecedents.
Besides these thirty thousand are many
others who voted for straight Republican
electors in November, but who did SO
hoping thereby to defeat Barnum's ticket
He is also the leader of the great body of
colored voters IN State contests. These two
elements can control the election in Vir-
ginia this year, and choose United States
Senator. They can, in 1882, elect seven
out of nine Representatives in Con-
gress. In 1884 they will have come
abreast with each other on ma
tional interests, and the Solid South
will be broken. The thirty thousand are
not Republicans, but they are friends of
the Nation and its laws, and are willing
to support the new administration. They
are for an honest ballot and fair count,
and have already compelled these in Vir-
ginia. They are the black mans friends
and political associates. They are for
free schools, and against the whipping
post and the capitation tax, both of which
are political engines for disfranchising
colored voters. They are for our national
election laws, and all amendments calcu-
lated to strengthen them. They are for
national force against the disobedient.
They are against the Democratic party
which is headed by William III. Barnum,
and led in the Senate by Bayard, Hamp-
ton, Vance, and others like them. Yet
they are not Republicans.
Now, the question whether General
Mahone's friends are as good company
for Republicans in Virginia as he would
be for Republicans in the Senate answers
itself The brave and patriotic men who
have, un der his lead, fought the Virginia
B ourbons are as worthy of the respect OF
Republicans as he is. National suprem-
acy, equal rights, and fair elections are
more desirable in Virginia than a party
name IN q State campaign. General Ma
hone would be guilty of great crime
against the ideas on which the Repub-
lican party is based if he should to-day
so act as to disband the thirty-tWo
thousand anti-Bourbon whites, without
whose continued aid all that has been
gained in Virginia must be lost.
But how will General Malone vote?
The estimate put upon his patriotism
and that of his followers by the Republi-
can Senators will settle that question.
They will, it is likely, by some significant
action, give assurance to the anti-Bourbon
whites of Virginia that they are not out
laws in Republican estimation. Then
General Malone can, without surrender
ing Virginia to the Bourbons, give his
vote against Bourbonism in the Senate as
he has done in the contests in his own
State. That he will so act there is no
reason to doubt. If Republican Senators
were to draw lines between Virginia 10y
alists of to-day to the disparagement of
the thirty-two thousand white independ-
ents, the Virginia Senator could not fol-
low them, because to do so would be to
disband his party His main desire is to
maintain the anti-Bourbon majority in
Virginia. This he can do if wisely aided
by Republicans. This he could not do if
they failed to see the value of seeking his
advice on the subject.
Iftwenty independents held the bal
ance of power in the Senate, the twenty
would be consulted as to the organization.
We doubt not that the Republican Sena-
tors will so-eensuit with General Malone.
And so believing, we feel sure that the
Republicans will vote with General Ma
hone, and that he will, with the hearty
concurrence and approval of his party in
Virginia, vote with the Republicans on
matters pertaining to the organization.
The Republican party, founded in 1856,
did not lower its standard when, in order
to save the Nation in 1861, it struck hands
with patriotic Democrats who were will
sci and fight the Nations battles in the
field
The Republican party of 1880, saved
alive by scant majority in New York
and q nolitical miracle in Indiana and