The daily gazette., 1881-03-29

proclaimed themselves democrats, or
Conservatives, (in Virginia the Demo
Gratis are known as Conservatives until
the day before Malone entered the Sem
ate called to meet by President Garfield.
Mahoue and Riddleberger were both on
the Hancock and English Electoral
ticket, and declared they would cast
their votes for the Democratic Presiden-
tial candidates. Yet when Malone goes
to Washington to the Senate he agrees
to vote with the Republicans to or
ganize the Senate and to make the
committees of that body Republicans.
1t is thereafter discovered that Malone
is given the privilege of naming the
Sergeant-atA Arms of the Senate to be
elected, and suggest names to the Presi-
dent OF the United States to fill the
government offices in Virginia. Ma
hone presents the name Of Riddleberger
for Sergeant-at-Arms. This officer has
the appointment of number Of officers
about the Senate. Riddleberger would
of course be the mere creature of Ma
hone and the Radicals, whose object is
to turn out Democrats and appoint Re-
publicans and Readjusters whom Ma
hone should select. This is the first out
come OF the sale which Malone makes
Of his vote to the Republicans. Sena-
tor Johnston In his speech furnishes the
Senate in his sharpe replies TO Mr.. Dawes,
the policy of the Readjusters in Virginia,
of which Malone is the head and Rid
dleberger an able and acknowledged
leader. In brief it was this The debt
Of Virginia is gwen by the State auditor
at $29, ,6S5, ,693. Malone in his speeches
stated the debt to be more. He said,
81 would Use my best endeavors TO Sc
cure vote OF the people sanctioning a
settlement at 3 per cent. tor forty-tivs
years On the basis of $32, 2,977, 7,002.
But be subsequently Joined with Rid
dlebsrger who demands that the debt be
scaled down to SIC, 100000 on which, in
hls bill framed to pass the Virginia
legislature he provides for the payment
Of 3 per cent. interest but the bonds
are made subject to any tax that the
State legislature may impose, and Sena-
tor Johnston intimates that they may
tax the debt out of existence. Riddle
berger was accompanied in the cam
paign in stumping the State by a man
named Blair, who favored the re-adjust-
ment provided for by Riddleberger's
bill, and declared in his speeches that
as soon as he got the plan of debt-pay-
ing adopted in Virginia he was ready to
apply the same plan to the debt Of the
United States.
Senator Johnston first showed by ex-
tracts from Senator Anthony's news
paper, extracts from the n. Y. Times,
and from speeches of the Republican
Senators that they had proclaimed them
selves and their party opposed to Ma
hone and that he was repudIator OF
debts and advocated reputation of the
worst character aud yet they were found
bargaining with Malone and his follow
ers who were worse than he for his vote
and giving him the privilege of putting
men holding opinions they had con-
demned, in office.
1t was to this speech of his colleague
that Malone replied TO in the Senate yes
terday, and endeavored to explain away
the damaging position in which Senator
Johnston's exposition lett him anc
his followers before the country. Surely
a more glaring exposition of venality
as the GAZETTE charged heretofore, wa
never made among freebosters in lo7
GROCERY than that which is shown u
between Republican Senators and Ma
hone and Riddleberger.
As Senator Johnston presents the cas-
it is far worse than our brief reeita
shows 1t to be; because Riddlsberge
and his followers had bill passed in til,
legislature requiring State assessors o
properly to assess it so lew that the rat
of tax fixed upon would necessarily an
designedly fail to raise sufficient none
TO pay interest. Thus increasing tn
debt yearly they intended to repudiate.
ID summing up Mr.. Johnston said
Then the Riddleberger bill in th
} first place knocks off one third of Ii
} principal of the debt /; it knocks off a
the war interest of the debt and all Ii
reconstruction interest it says tn;
during the period of the war no intel
est shall be paid to any holder of tbs
I debt, no matter where he lived, and
is justified on the ground tuat Il
North subjugated the State of Virgin
and destroyed the property of IL
State, and it takes the ground hat Il
i subjugation absolved the State of vi
d giuia from aging any int to b,
own citizens, or to northern citizsn
: or to English subjects, or 10 Frenc
Q citizens, or German subjects. In add
d ton 10 thai, it reduces the rate of il
IA terest from Q to per cent. Then, b
sides that, it reserves the right to Ia
these bonds, and to tax them out
es existence if the State chooses to do 3
a SO the Riddleberger bill in the fir
r1 place throws off third of the deb
in the next place it throws off art
80 trarly all the war and reconstruct,