Lexington weekly intelligencer. (Lexington, Mo.) 1871-1887, 1882-04-22
DIsINTEGRATION OF A CORRUPT
COALITION IN VIRGINIA.

From the st. Louis Republican. April 18th
When General Billy Malone, the
"boss" of the republican.repudia:i a:ion
party temporarily in possession OF
the reins of government in Virginia,
picked up his paper, the Wing. aud
read Of the capers cnt by the state
senators styled the "Big Four" he
doubtless gnashed his teeth and won.
dered how those four senators dared
to defy his power. Malone has
imagined for the past year that he had
collars around the hecks of the mem.
bers Of the legislature. aud from the
manuer III which the rspudiators fol-
low the directions of the boss, all,
save these four plucky senator's and a
few others, are at bis mercy. The first
prominent readjuster politician in the
state to defy The orders OF Malone
was old Parson Massey, Of Alber-
marie. The parson had an object in
giving up preaching to enter the
political arena, and that object was
office. During the campaign Of 1880
Mr.. Massey stumped the state in the
interest of Mahone's Hancock electo-
raj ticket. The boss was then merely
feeling the public pulse, aud owing
10 tho uncertain aspect Of political
affairs he was too shrewd not to have
it distinctly understood that his fol-
lowers iu 1880 must vote a "demo-
cratic electoral ticket.' Somehow
Malone failed to poll more than 49,
600 votes at that election, but in the
local scrambles after office the read
justers captured the Legislature which
made the boss a United States sena.
tor. For his services Parson Massey
was elected staio auditor by the re-
udjuster legislature. He had higher
aspirations though, aud from that
time on conducted All active canvass
for the gubernatorial nomination..
Cemeron was made the nominee, and
;he ambitious parsOn as nowhere in
the contest. for the thing had all been
cut and drled by Malone. From that
very moment Parson Massey began 10
sour. His wiry figure was seldom
seen on the stump during the cam
paign, though he managed to say
and do enough to remain within the
told. After Camerom's election it was
heralded to the world that Riddle
berger was the boss man for United
States senale, aud to use aM inelrgnut
expression. Parson Massey ags,n real
lied tina: he was badly left. o, the
principle that half loai is better
Than no bread, he determined to huid
on if he could, to the position of nu-
ditor: but ii seems that Malone hal
decided otherwise, and Massey had 10
20. He failed TO receive the caucus
nomination, but few friends rr-
NAMED true to the nuditor-a suili-
cient number to prevent. with tho aid
Of democratic votes, Tor while the
election of Mahone's choice. The
Massey deadlock, as it WAS called,
was immeasurably denounced by the
picayuue newspapers styling them
selves "liberaP' in politics. Massey
was finally overthrown. But Massey,
be it said to his credit. is more hon
est than the Mahoneites. He has
always claimed to be readjuster,
and In national politics he claims to
be q democrat. Even though he
clings to the tallacy of REIMBURSEMENT.
he is better man IN every way than
Malone, ,ltlddleberger or Cameron, for
he has some conscience left. The
noted trio of political jugglers men
toned above have taken three differ.