The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-04-05

The New Liberal Party.
gentleman who was 10 tie Virginia
Senate when they we're passed has furnished
us with the following In regard TO the con-
.li;u,ional amendment DISTINGUISHING per-
sons guilty Of petty larceny, aud the one
making the payment Of the poll-iax pie'
REQUISITE 10 voting. We have not exam
ineti the Journals Of the Senate aud House
OF Delegates 10 verify bis statements, but
we are sure that he did 80 himself:
The New Liberal Party.
The preleuce that the Malone movement
il the beginning OF liberal party IN VIZ
gina and the South attracts the sympath'es
OF many good people 10 the Nof'h' "po"
IL ticceivss.
L. l. well that these phiantroplsts should
know exactly the facts on which this pre-
tension rests. IL is not too much 10 say
that the spirit OF The faction now led by
Senator Malone has been the most bi2oted,
intoicrant, and sectional OF any organiza'
ton that has existed in Virginia since
1868. One of their leading arguments
on the debt question, reiterated on
nearly every hastings 10 Virginia, has
beeu that the Yankees stole our negroes,
destroyed our property, dismembered the
State. and now hold the bonds, aud ought
net to be paid. Every Rtadjuster OF the
Malone stripe has insisted time and again
that we ought not 10 pay the debt because
the Yankees bold II. And no argument has
had such weight in confusing Nirginians
and inclining them toward reputation as
this identical argument. The staple OF tue
Malone reputation agitation has been Sec
tionsiism, hatred Of the northern people,
and denunciatiou OF the supreme Court ana
its authority on this subject OF the debt.
On another question these leaders have
been 30 less emphatic. Great cutlery Is
now made about The injustice done the
negroes IN Vmginia by denying them the
equal rights guaranteed by the fourteenth
embodiment 10 the +, derai Constitution. IL
is charged that the Bourb0Ds "-tbat is,
The white people OF NITginia-haye perpe-
tra'ed great 0utTages on the blacks by dis-
franehising them by means Of the State con-
siitGti0DaI amendment depiiyiDg OF the
right 10 vote oil who have been convicted
OF petit larceny and who have not paid
the polI.tax, and by infIcliug on them
stripes as a punishment for that offence.
Senator Malone says i'm the Senate he never
endorsed the former. He makes no dis
claimer as TO the latter. But the records OF
the Legislature show that when these mea-
sures were before the General Assembly
every single one CT the Malone Readiusters
then members voted for them, or did not OPP
pose them.
At The session Of 1S74-'1j the amendment
proposing disfraHchisemen for pelit larcc-
ny and requiring the payment OF the poll
tax as qualification for voting was first
aH Eot voted II NJ 4 late 40.
adju>ter Speaker OF the House of Delegates
aud now circuit judge, and John 4. Massey.
R,adjus'er Auditor of Pubic Accounts.
House journal 1S74-'7j, p. 2l8
Riddieberger was member OF The House,
nut is not recorded. He therefore suffered |
this Outrage 10 be perpeirated without OPP |
posing IL.
Under the Constitution Of Virginia the |
proposed amendment had 10 be again adopt |
ed by the next General Assembly. Riddle
berger was not member, but Massey again |
voted for the am ndment. House journal
1876 rs, page 1885,
Lacy is not recorded, though he was q
member.
30 the disfranchisement for petit larceny |
and The prerequisite of paying the poll'taX |
Were both imposed by the aid OF Readi listers. |
The other grievance To the blacks, OF The
Vi ds iOi Pc'
tit larceny, was equally inflicted by the Re-
adiusters. At the session OF 1S77-'7S a
JOINT committee was appointed on the revi-
sion Of the criminal law. On this was placed
Senator Paul. [SeGate Journal. 1877 rs, =.
40 This committee reported the bill which
imposed the punishment OF stripes. Ii was
debated at length, aud Paul took an active
part in the debate, as the proceedings show.
The bill was passed Fu'kerson (Readi
member Of Congress), Paul (diltol and Mas
sey (Auditor). all voting for it. [Senate
Journal 1S77.'7S. p. 1901
When, therefore, Mahone's northern
sympathIzers believe that he is The leader in
new movement 10 protect the blacks from
the ubiquitous acknowledgements aud ignO-
miniOus punsbments imposed on them by /
the " Bonrbons Of Virginia, they must DO
so in the face OF the facts that his lieu
tenants and leaders are The very men who
aided In perpclraling these very alleged
ouifages.