The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1881-10-08
THE VIRGINIA OUTLOOK
Mabone's Efforts TO Make Conn
binafiOns and the Power of
Money.
lence of the Times

RIcHMoND, October /.
Virginia is on the skirmish line OF
the biggest political battle that has
been fought within her borders since
the days of the Know Nothing qnes-
ton. The Readjusters depend en-
tirely on the colored vote to pull them
through. Their white voting strength
will not foot up 10000 under the
most liberal calculation, and to elect
Colonel Cameron it will require the
solid individual Republican
vote added to the Readjuster vote of
last fall as polled for Hancock and
Elgllsh. At this writing such thing
does not seem possible, but out of the
question entirely, for the reason that
upon the State debt question and a
general coalition with the Readjust-
ers the Republican party is divided.
The ignorance, and to a great extent
all the trading politicians are with
Mr. Malone, because ofthe specious
appeals made to the ignorant and su-
perstitious blacks and the promises
and bargains with 'the traders;y but
the best element, the integl ity
and the ability of leadership, is
un5lterably opposed and they
hold the balance of power, and the
great bulk of truly reliable leaders
and followers of the real republican
party are against and will not sub
NIT to the ''unholy alliance as one
Of their speakers termed it in the
Lynchburg conventiony and the oppo-
sitlon on the part of these leaders
will prevent union with the read
justers, hence there is now little show
for Cameron election. MY observa-
tons lead me to make the statement
that the more cultivated and higher
moral class of colored people will not
take part in the coalition and repu
diation movement. a few SUNDAYS
ago, in Danville, an educated colored
minister delivered sermon on the
debt question, in which he took occa-
sion to say that "a moral wrong
could not be made politically right"
lie told his hearers to steer clear Of
the movement; that their Withheld
rights would come to them in due
season through the honest channels
of public opinion that was quicken
ing its life blood in their favor day
by day; that if at this late day and
this late hour they should enter into
this abominable scheme to rob the
creditors of Virginia they would lose
cast and favor with that large and
influential public that so manfully
and steadfastly stood by the policy
of Mr.. Lincoln and his followers in
doing justice to the colored citizen.
and, besides, said he, ''to do so will
render our race liable to the frowns
of angry God, who has taught us the
royal law, Thou shalt not covet thy
neighbours goods"
Money is the power that is more
potent than the throne in this cam
paign. 1t is so plentii'ully distributed
that well-to-do mechanics, laborers
and workingmen have left their en-
ployment and enlisted for the cam
paign. OF course there is standing
army of patriots who never do a
stroke of work only during the cam
paign. There is one peculiar class
of political strikers employed to work
especially upon the colored man and
brother That is that class who are
known to be superstitious and whose
prejadiees are easily reused. A col
ored readjnster orator at Charles city
some time since, in appealing to the
audience before him, said that forty
millions of the debt they were asked
to pay was for hanging John Brown
and two millions were to pay the pa
trolls for returning runaway slaves to
their masters in the days of slavery.
The words were sufficient to fill the
kind Of an audience he had with
enough enthusiasm to vote dozen
readiuster tickets at one time. W
The next. General Assembly, the
one to be chosen this fall will have
to elect a United States Senator, vice
Judge johnson, whose term expires
March, 1882. 1t is conceded that as
between the regular Democrats and
readjustefs the. Legislature will be
close, and the Balance of power will
lay. in the votes of about thirteen
straight-out republicans who will be
chosen and who will be independent
of either Democratic factions. Tn or
der to have such balance of power
the leaders and the main body of
those known as "straight-outs" are
exerting their every effort.
No man connected with the Federal
Government is allowed to oppose
Gen. Malone, and coalition and re-
pudiation. Union soldiers who serv-
ed their country during the war and
who have been working with the par
ty since the beginning of reconstruc-
tion have been discharged from gov
eminent places as soon as they oppo-
sed the scheme Of the little rebel brig
adler and Democratic readjusters put
in their places.