American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1881-09-24
Virginia and the National Debt.

When the Malone movement in Vir-
ginia gathered strength enough to swal-
low the Republican party with the en-
thusastic consent of its leaders at
Washington and the North, the World
pointed out the danger that if the
movement were brilliantly successful it
would assume National proportions and
make the National credit its object of
assault. That this view OF the case
was not unreasonable sensible people
will admit. We have the assurance of
one of the candidates whom the Re-
publcans of Virginia are supporting,
with the approval of Republicans else
where, that when they have achieved Il
great triumph in the State on their
view of the debt issue they will flavor
n vigorous application of the readjust-
ment principles to the National debt"
That when politician once sets out in
the career of dishonest demagogue he
infallibly becomes more and more radi
cal is sufficiently indicated by the fact
that Malone in 1879 was for settling
the debt of Virginia on the basis OF
1913, 900, 900, and in 1889 would not pay
a cent more than S20,O0O,OO We do
not know what Mahone's ultimate
views are. At present he wishes to
secure the Governor and highest
court of his State so as to make
sure that no veto such as Governor Hol-
liday interposcd shall block his scheme
for reputation, and that the creditors
shall find no tribunal not already
packed with regulators. He also
hopes in 1884 to oe able to name at
least one of the Republican candidates
on the National ticket. His plans,
therefore, are confined to operating by
IS Ln Ryrt
one Malone begetS many, and when
men shake off the restraints of party
obligations and compete with each
other for the favor of the ignorant and
dishonest, each new Malone must out
bid his predecessor, and the natural
consequence is a struggle for existence
resulting in the survival of the uniittest.
The Republican party at the South,
composed of q few whites eager for
office and mass of negroes. the vast
majority of them ignorant and credu-
lous. affords the nucleus of powerful
National organization. There are to
be counted upon as recruits the silly
and discontinued among the Democrats
and the men with crazy views on
the subject of monopolies and the cur
rency. At the North there is a power
full Greenback faction in every Repub-
llcan State prepared toco-operate The
cry "Scale down the National debit"
would prove a popular one among the
ignorant classes at the South, since few
bonds are held there and the country is
comparatively poor, and ii conjoned
with demand for internal improve
ments on lavish scale and an immense
imitation of the currency it might, under
certain circumstances easily to be COM
pretended. acquire an irresistible vol
ume. When it is remembered that the
Republican party packed the Supreme
Court to NEEDLE with the finances, and
that as soon as the silver craze became
formidable its leaders manifested their
readiness to accept the heresy they had
at first denounced, it must appear that
nothing is less unlikely than that the
moment reputation presents itself as a
popular National issue the Republican
party will take it up. There is nothing
in the party's past to forbid such a hy-
pothesis, and nothing in the party's
present. The danger is not remote nor
small, and it is well that the response
bility for its origin and encouragement
should be fixed now where it properly
belOnpS-N Y World