Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1882-11-06
POLITICAL
Mahoneism.

fraud a country aud destroy the sovereignty
of the people in Il State.
II is the great sin of little man whom
the freaks of fortune and his own pliability
have transformed from ''rebel'' to a radi-
CAL A few years ago he was a candidate
! for pardon; now he yields sceptre The
/ Virgnians i'll public Office arc slaves and
their master is Malone. Men slaves and
women slaves alike surrender to his over
seers the wages Of their work.
y reconstructed "rebcl' gives and takes
away public Offices and public salaries, APP.
points and removes public servants with the
facility with which a sultan makes changes
in his harem,
No single picture in our gallery or para
graph in our history is so dark and dis
gushing us Mahoneism. 1t shows the depth
of degradation to which a convert against
his will can sink. General Malone tried
once to destroy the political integrity of this
Government; he is now doing ali that
fearless, constituencies and desperate man
can do to destroy its moral integrity.
Never was such boldness exhibited in
patronizng bad methods. His contempt
Of public opinion astounded, then aroused,
public sentiment: aud still he p,1rsues his
path.
Since the evil day that Jackson initiated
the "spoils system" official patronage has
been deemed party perquisitc. All that
has been heretofore claimed was the distri-
button OF places. This was and is bad
enough. But the Office given was and is the
oiiice-holder's: the salary was and is the
public servants. 1t was and is so much of
the collective taxes paid into the Treasury
by the elective people,
What, then, is the extent of General Ma
homes iniquity when he demands of poor
widow, perhaps that of late comrade in
arms, to pay $45 out of SIS to the Virginia
readjuster.NIahonc fund?
First. Like Dick Turpin on Hunslow
Heath, he demands her money or her life,
for it represents the staff of life to herself
and live children bur, unlike that bold
robber he runs no risk of the Tyburn, which
such conduct Justly deserves.
second. He diverts taxes paid by New
England and other States for the support Of
the General Government aud dcdicates them
to rewardng readjusters and debauchinc
heggarly voters in Virginia.
Third. If his efforts are crowned with sue
cess his example will be followed: his pre-.
cedenL become rule.
Fortunately the stroke which destroys
"bossism' reaches "Mahoneism." The
spirit of desperation which inspires in him
a course without parallel has aroused
in the people an antagonism which is IT.
resistable
Party lines arc obiteratcd before danger
which threatens all alike. One of the
secrets Of the vitality ofthe republican party
is its willingness to Suffer defeat rather than
cross the line Of sound policy. or lend itself
as q whole to outrageous oppression
IPtshingfow Capitol
Mr.. Massey spoke at Petersburg, the CAPT
tai of Mahoneism, on Saturday night last
to one of the largest audiences ever gath
cred in that city, among which were a num-
Der OF straightout republicans In the course
of his speech he spoke of the bitterness and
abuse that had been displayed in this can
vass, and said that never before in the his
tory Of Virginia had it been known that the
Governor Of the State had descended from
his high office to mingle in tho heated strife
OF party politics, and he hoped that such Il
scene would never again be witnessed in
Virginia. His speech made Il firm impress
sion and at its conclusion Mr.. Massey was
presented with Il magnificent bouquet OF
while flowers, which was accompanied by
a card bearing the following inscription:
From Lady to Hon. John E. Massey.
Emblamatic ofthe party you represent"
In reference to the last dodge of the Ma
honeitcs, in sending all over the State circu-
lars to liquor dealers charging Mr.. Massey
with being e-president Of Il prohibition
Society, it may be merely stated that the
only material statement in the circular is
untrue. Mr.. Massey is not a president
of Prohibition Society, nor member of
any Prohibition Society He is rice-presi-
dent Of 4 local-option association-an asso-
citation which, as he said in his late speech
in this city, accords to the people the right
to decide all these questions for themselves.
The liquor-dealers are too intelligent to ar
ray themselves as class against the demo-
cratic party on such an issue as the one up-
on which this circular endeavors to rally
them. They are too inteligentto be misled
by SO transparent trick.
The chairman Of the democratic execu-
tive committee has Sent circulars through
out the State urging that every vote be
challenged which is voted on delinquent
euA -SoiiSStoi SSiIiiiSdtS 1NluG III Ten arc
frauds. OfSS.15O SO put in the hands of one
of these collectors in 1879 for collection, only
S647, &c have been accounted for; but no one
knows how many were voted
Remember, it is the privaligc of any voter
to challenge those who vote on these certi-
ficates. The law, says Code-page $50, Sec |
ton II:
ANY elector may, and it shall be the
duty of the judges of election to challenge
the vote of any person who may be known
or suspected not to be o duly qualified !
voter"
The attention of Mr. Mahone's collectors
Of delinquent taxes is called to the follow
ing paragraph from the Acts of Assembly,
1859:
"If any clerk or other officer shall issue
his blank receipt for any such taxes with a
view to the same being filed at future
time, or give receipts for any such taxes,