The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-05-25

Force on the People-HIh Dastardly Vote
Asninst His Old Comrndes-in-A rms-The
Citizcus OF Fluvanna Railyina 30 the
STANDARD of Revolt.
The following from Palmyra, Fluvanna
county. Va, and dated May 21st, appeared
In the Washington Post of yesterday &C.
companicd with an excellent picture OF
Mr.. Massey: ,,
The Hon. John i. Massey addressed
large assemblage OF the citizens OF Flu
wanna county to-day. The court-housew was
full. although but short notice had been
given Of Mr.. Massey's intentions to speak
In this hot-bed OF Re4diusterism. III was
charged bv Senator Mahone's subservient
Richmond organ the Whiq that Mr.. Mas
sew would only speak in Funder counties.
To this charge the Parson gave satisfac-
tory quietus this evening by enlightening
mon various public topics highly-appre-
ciatiye assembly Of the yeomaniy OF "Old
Flu. ~ composed about equally Of Funders
and Readiusters.
His spcech was very clear and forcible,
OCCUPYING just two hours In its delivery,
and was highly approved and endorsed by
nearly all who heard IL. Mr.. Massey has
always been great favorite OF the people
Of Fluvanna, and is more popular with
them to-day than ever before.
| lie commenced his speech without any
| formal introduction, saying that he came
unannounced, and preferred to have no m
PRODUCTION TO the people OF Fluvanna; he
had been too fully endorsed by them Tor
the highest Office in their gift TO doubt their
respect and confidence for and in him. lie
appeared before them under different cir
/ f,Np W
addressed them. Then he was advocating
certain measures, and was speaking in be-
half of united party. There had since
been unpleasant complications and conten-
tions. II was but natural that they should
desire to know their origin and cause. He
desired TO explain them fairly, impartially,
and as fully as he could in single address.
Mr.. Massey said he thought he could
Justly claim that no one had better right to
speak for the Readjuster party than he had.
When the party was in its infancy no one
denied his right TO bear all the odium and
abuse which could be hurled at him by its
opponents, and now, il there was any honor
attached TO its success, he ought to be per-
mittcd to share il. Instead OF this, how
ever, he was more bitterly denounced by
some OF those with whom he had re-
Gently co0perated than he had ever been
| by the opposite party. He had been
charged with "treason," called an
"apostate," compared to Benedict Arnold,
to Judas IscariOt, and Guiteau. Similar
sweet epithets had been used with reference
TO his friends in the Senate. who had gained
the title of the big Four" who had
placed the people Of Virginia under imper-
| ishable obligations. to them; who will be
embalmed in the affections OF their coun-
trymen and live in history, surrounded by
halo of glory, while those who denounce
| them Malone, his satellites and hench-
men-will be forgotten or remembered
only with feelings OF detestatiOn. Why,
Mr.. Massey asked, were he and these men
thus assailed? What had they done, or
what had they failed to do, which justified
such foul charges and denmcationsY
A contract is an agreement between the
contracting parties either to do or to alb
stain from doing certain stipulated things.
When one OF the contracting parties does
all he contracted to do. the other party has
no further claim upon him, and cannot
Justly charge him with want Of fidelity be-
cause he fails or refuses to do more than he
contracted 10 do. What did the Readiust-
ers promise the people to do!
First. TO settle the State debt upon GER
tain principles. -
Second. To place tlM public free schools
upon a safe and permanent basis.
Third. To remove from the Constitution
the restric ion upon the right of suffrage
which requires a man to pay his capitation-
tax before he can vote.
Fourth. To abolish ring, clique, and
boss rule and to so liberaliZe public senti-
ment as to secure to all equal freedom OF
thought, speech, and action.
Have these promises been fulfilled? The
Woodstock Vjrginion (Mr. Riddleberger's
paper, said Mr.. Massey, after enumerating
with seeming eXultation what the Read
busters had done, says: Certainly moth
ing failed that the platform promised"
The Wing, which he used to think good
authority, and still does when it tells the
truth, saws "The Rcadiusters have passed
every measure to which they were ever
formally pledged, and more. They have
fulfilled every promise, and more. They
have redeemed every pledge, and more"
Now, il these witnesses tell the truth,
what Justification have they for the foul
charges they publish against Massey &
Co. Z" Each one OF the "Big -Four"
voted for every measure these witnesses
boast of having passed, and no one of these
measures could have been passed If they
had voted against them.
81 do not claim" he said, "that our
promises to the people were all complied
with. We promised them, and | meant TO
fulfil it, that the war interest upon the State
debt should be eliminated from it in any
settlement which might be made. This
was not done. We promised that whatever
bill might be passed for its settlement
should be submitted to the people for their
approval or rejection before it should be-
come a law. This was not done. Why
were these pledges violated? / can
not answer this question positively. i
am glad that the cause OF these yio-
lations Of plighted faith, and all the
trickery connected with them, Were kept
from me. There are men, however, who
! believe that those who were manipulating
and shaping legislation upon these matters
were specializing in State bonds, and hoped,
by having these bills to take effect from
their passage, that the present Court of APP
peals would act upon them and pronounce
them unconstitutional, and thus give them
another opportunity for speculation. How
ever this may have been, and although
these bills were not in all respects what |
wished, / sincerely hope they may be sus-
tanned, and the debt question forever set
tied.
"What was IL that Malone and his pimps
wished to have done which was not done,
and which so aroused their malignityy
Virtually TO place bits in the mouths of the
people, and the reins attached to those bits
IN his (Mahone's) hands that he might
drive them according TO his will and plea
sure for the sole purpose OF advancing his
own personal interest and the promotion Of
his own schemes and fortunes. This he
proposed to do by getting control OF all the
offices which then existed, and creating
others, and filling them with those who
iN,nlII1 Afial1 m