Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1882-02-03
FRIDAY MORNING. FEB. 8. 1882.

FRIDAY MORNING. FEB. 8. 1882.
A telegram from Richmond last night,
says no further attempt was made yester-
day in the Senate to elect an Auditor
The Riddleberger Investigating Commit
tee organized yesterday evening and will
20 to work this morning.
The election or retention of Mr.. Massey
is insignificant compared to the blow the
Readjuster party has managed to inflict
npon the reputation it was striving to estab
lish for honesty of purpose. The spectacle
of great political organization stopping in
q great victory to loot each other fore
bodies future defeats for this incorpora-
ted company of political adventerers in
stead of future victories. Having des-
poiled the enemy's camp, each man en-
ploys himself in tightening his neighber OF
his goods. For it is simply question OF
loot, Even those who assail him with a
bitterness amounting to brutality, do not
charge the Auditor with unfalthfulness
to Readjustment, It would be hard in
deed to prove that this official who was 80
ofEcious in behalf of Readjustment as to
issue laws from his department that had
never seen legislation; that had to be
checked in his career by the law department
of the Commonwealth with the reminder
that while he could execute statutes he
could not make them; that even in the
last few weeks had attempted to cure an
error in Riddleberger's ''c0upon killer"
bill (the omission of the 10.40 coupons] by
telegraphing to his collectors the day the
bill passed to refuse all coupons; that has
gloated over the capture of any Democrat
ic tax collector short in his settlement
Awith the State and paraded the fact with
exaggerated Importance for the benefit OF
his party-it would be hard we say to
charge such sleuth-hound OF his party
with unfaithfulness to it or its principles
! If it had any. There was nothing
that he lacked the will and audacity to do,
law or no law, to forward REIMBURSEMENT.
He was one of tine few men in his party
with whom Readjustment was principle,
we might almost say mania.
It was for no disloyalty to his party OR
his principles that forty-fve men of that
party voted to eject him, against twenty
two who voted to retain him and five who
bolted rather than be forced to assist in
the suicidal policy of beheading him; it
was simply and absolutely for nine thous-
and dollars worth of offices. 1t was not
question that any but Readiusters were
to fill these offices-the Auditor had
promised that; it was simply matter Of
bargain and sale. These forty-fYe men
said if you will give us the clerkships to
divide among ourselves or our friends you
can hold your office; if not you must go.
That was the Principle laid down by the
majority of the chosen representatives of
Great Party. Nine thousand dollars worth
Of Offices or your place. Your money or
your life.
We suppose that at heart there are few
members of Mr.. Massey's party who do
not think that the ground he took in in
sisting on managing his own office is the
proper one; especially since experience has
shown that with that concession he has
administered it wisely from ReadJuster
point of view, and beuefcially fer the State.
It is very difficult even for the most excl
ted partizan denunciation to eradicate or
smother this conviction. To call the Au-
ditor a traitor to his party by no means
eonvinces calm men who have read his ar
guments, that he is traitor to the State.
1t does not diminish the confidence of the
citizen in the police to hear rufians COM
plain that they restrain their liberty. Nor
does it weaken the taxpayers apprecia
ton of State officer to hear him berated
by professional politicians for not making
lis Office, through which their taxes must
pass, camping ground for political hacks
or saloon for political bummers. The
principle that Mr.. Massey tries to preserve
whether his efforts are dictated by policy,
or self-interest, or revenge on political
competitors, is the true principle on which
an important office of the State should be
administered, and had his party been
sincere ia their promises of the past cam
paipns and honest in their prefessed pur-
poses he would have had more support
from his own party friends. AS it is his
twenty-five caucus friends have yielded
their convictions of duty to the State TO
the superior necessity Of fidelity to party
and obedience to bossism and left the Au
dtor with four comrades to fight it out.
The Democratic Senators have properly
refused to assist in the removal of Mr..
to 10 n STR 10 h
their party, rarely departed from, that
when an officer fills place of the kind and
Importance of Mr.. Massey's, with honesty
and efficiency, the interest OF the State
should not be trifled with by changes. and
they have assisted in extending the benefit
of the rule for a time to the Readjuster
party. 1t has been curious sight to see
Democratic Senators resisting the removal
OF Readjnster Auditor, an Auditor who
has been declared by every speaker in his
party from the Governor down to the
cross roads orator, to be the best the State
ever had.
One good purpose this party dead lock of
the last few days will serve the people OF
the Commonwealth if they are minded to
be taught by it. They can learn from this
that in no organization afflicted with boss
ism can there be any tolerance of counter
opinions; that when they elect representa-
tiyes they have reached the length of their
tetber. and that those representatives on
reaching the capitol become the property
of the head of the party; that all roads
lead to Rome, and that all important pre-
ferments are centered in the Head and his
CLIQUE, and all minor ones in their favorites;
that all attempts at the assertion of per-
sonal Independence are met by the cry OF
treason. and finally that the hour OF victory
is the hour for kicking away the ladder by
which the boss has mounted to the throne.