Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-10-17
A New, Yorker on Mahoueites,

| before the late war l was IN the habit OF
going South every year to visit q cotton
plantation | owned in Georgia, and it was
my custom TO stop in Virginia going and re-
turning Three times since the warI have
made the same trip and the same stoppages
and having been out of business since 1872
have taken my time. ] was here and at
| Old Point for the first four months Of this
year, and am here again, and it occurred to
| me that some of the observations and reilcc-
tions of a New York republication am
! New Iorker and Il republican-wouldn not be
without interest to my fcllow-readers Of the
Hraid
| was in Richmond during Il large part of
both the regular and extra sessions of the
late Assembly, and made the acquaintance
of several of the members, who were stop
ping at the same hotel The most note
worthy thing in the present political aspect
of the Statc--ior it is Of that / spcak-is the
ahject scrvility Of 50 many of the white
people. Familiar us ! was before the war
with representative mcn i'll Virginia, and
fully aware of the high spirit, the manlincss
and independence which then characterized
them, am amazed ut the depth Of personal
degradation to which their children have
fallen. 1t almost delics belief, but it is an
undoubted fact. For example, before Ma
hone permitted the people who followed
him to nominate their candidates for the
Legislature last ycarhe demanded written
pledge from such candidates, under hand
and seal, that they would vote for no man
or principle or bill that his caucus did not
approve and indorse. And the abject crea-
lures gave him the pledge. Out of Virginia
| ypnn1I 10 i'm,
BILE: certainly it has never to knowledge,
been exhibited. During the session of the
Assembly Senator Malone left his seat in
Washington and established himself in
drinking saloon near the Capitol, where
saw him several times, and he directed leg
ialation from this rum shop. 1t was public
ly stated OH the streets and in the Assembly
that whenever any railroad measure was
proposed to the committee having charge of
considering such legislation the draft Of the
bill was invariably sent to Malone, whether
here or in Washington, and nothing was
done or dared about it until his plasllre was
heard in the matter. The nominee of his
party in the Second district think it is,
that was formerly represented by Mr.. Goodc
for several years-onc Spalding-did not
suit Malone, and he ordered him TO retire
and the Convention to rc;lSscmblc and elect
another, which it forthwith did. In anoth
cr district the people Of his party nominated
gentleman named Winfield Scott whom
Malone for some reason did not think avail
able, and distlaininG even the formality of
again appealing to the people he ordered the
county chairman Of the district TO come to his
home in Washington, and there. outside not
only of the Congressional district, but out
side Of the State, he deposed the candidate
nj nl h,. hn r,npnln nr,lnrol In,,
to support another-onc Simms. And they
are doing it. Indeed, the wonderful part of
it is, that the slaves do, with the patience of
oxen, whatever their master orders.
Terrified at the power which a master so
absolute, governing legislative slaves so alb
iect. must possess in an assembly, the rail-
road corporations of the State knet at his
| fecct He ordered them to displace officers
| from the highest down, and they obcycd.
He ordered one to take certain partisan
whom he had trained in the railroad he
bankruptcd for their purchasing agent ::
and they mcekly obeyed. Others he order
cd to displaCe officers, attorneys, way-agents,
even telegraph operators, and they obeyed.
Finally he demanded of the Norfolk and
| Western the displacement of its vice presi-
dent, y man whose talent gave Malone all
the railroad reputation Of value which he
enjoys, and to his furious amazement it re-
fused. Straightway lie introduced bill
putting the railways of the State under the
absolute control of commission to be ap-
pointed by the Governor, 4 facile tool OF
Malone.
This corporation, being governed by
Northern men unused to the servility of
Nirginans peremptorily insisted on its re-
fusal. Had Nirginians been its head it
would have got on its knees promptly.
Such things would have been impossible
in Virginia before 1861, and would now be
impossible in any State whose citizens had
not lost the marrow out Of their bones. The
race of men in Virginia is extinct. Other
people with instincts of manliness and cour-
age must come here and take possession oi
the business, the industries, the farms of the
State, or it will soon be unfit to raise honest
children in.
I have seen efforts like Mahone's in other
States, but never methods like his. Other
bosses had some respect for their slaves. He
does not even profess any Others tried to
disguise the fetters they put on their under
lngs. Malone makes them parade them
He puts collars on his cattle and brands
them and requirers them to exhibit..t their col
lars and boast their branding. And the
wonder is the creatures do it.
. The secret of this universal degradation
is the poverty and the inability or unwil
lingness to work of so many of these people
\ few days since enquired whether an old
friend, with whom in ante-bellum days hac
many tilt in conversation, was still living
and was told he was. then asked if hi
was as much of fire eating secessonist a:
he used to be-for he was a leader of thu
Calhoun Democracy when I knew him il
1oSn - 1CeO Nv tiNo IL