Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-04-04
Stalwart ApOlOgists for Malone.


1t is really amusing to read the sophis-
tries which the stalwart press are labori.
ously putting forward as apologies for
''Mahone, Virginia, since that repudiat-
ing gentleman has been received into the
embraces of the Republican party. They
have greedily seized upon that portion
of his recent effort to defend himself, in
which he used the far fetched argument
that the Democrats of the State were the
original regulators, because they as
signed one-third of the State debt due at
the close of the war to West Virginia,
which Malone called Scaling the debt. :"
A more fimsy charge was never made
The circumstances Of the case are well
known. When Virginia emerged from
the war burdened to the earth with
debt which had accumulated tremendous
ly during the conflict, she found that the
Republican party had taken advantage
of the war and had deiiberately-al-
though at that time very large majority
of the people of that section of the State
now known as West Virginia were op-
posed to it-despoiled her of fully one
third of her territory. This they did to
gain two additional United States Sena-
tors, but the West Virginia robbery has
proven boomerang, for as soon as the
citizens of the new State were restored
to their rights as citizens, she became
Democratic stronghold, and sent her two
Senators to the Senate as Democrats,
and, unlike Malone, Virginia, they
have proven true to their trust. The
robbery having been effected, could not
easily be undone, and so it was ac-
quiesced in, but Virginia very justly
and equitably took the ground that as
she had been despoiled of SO much of
the territory which she owned when her
debt was first contracted, and which
territory received due benefit from that
debt, it was but fair the new State
formed of that territory should share a
portion of the burden. So one.third of
the debt was assigned to West Virginia.
1t is true that this last named State has
never recognized her liability to pay
that portion of the debt of the Old
Dominion. Nevertheless, if we greatly
mistake not, the assignment to her was
agreed to and recognized by the creditors
of the parent State.
So much for the very lame apology
which Malone makes for desiring to
repudiate portion of the debt justly
due by his State, and which his new
found allies are using in his defense.
Another excuse which the stalwarts are
now making for the man they were so
ready to abuse numerically a few
months ago is that he does not now APP
pear in the United States Senate as
Readjuster, but as an antiBourbon.
That ultra stalwart sheet, the Chicago
Tribune, uses this argument and takes
the ground that Malone is there
fore entitled to the sympathy of
the Republicans. Apart from
the fact that this position is
distinctly opposed to that of Malone,
Virginia" himself-for when he was
first Smoked out" by Mr. Hill he dis
tinctly avowed himself ''readjuster"-
it is an argument in defense of the Re-
publican Endorsement of Mr.. Malone as
flimsY as is his charge that the Demo
Gratis of Virginia were the original repu-
diators. The Tribune KNOWS, as well as
does every one else in the country, that
the Senator from Virginia opposed the
Democracy of his State on the debt ques-
ton alone, he favoring reputation and
they favoring Bourbon-Or old time
honesty While he did this he persist
emily declared himself a Democrat, and
he only effected an utilization with the
Republicans of Virginia to enable him
to carry out his reputation schemes.
His high-fown pretensions of being in
favor of the purity of the ballot box,
ETC.. were mere gilded words and pre-
texts, behind which to hide his true pur
poses. This is patent to every one who
has ever examined into the subject.
The truth of the matter is the Repub
licans have made hard bargain with
Malone, Virginia" and have a hard
time of it to justify themselves even TO
their own party for having entered into
a coalition with him. They had better
bolt the little man down at once, and
say no more about it. 1t is nauseous
dose, but the wry faces they are making
over it are rendering them ridiculous.