Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-03-30
4 New Kind 0f "Boss."

II seems uow To be douh.lul whether
the chief practical re- ult achieved ty
Senator Malone and his followers j. not
simply and solely a new demonstration
OF the fact that the negro vote can hc
used 10y interruptions leaders who know
how to influence 1t, no matter what
their object, may bo. 1t hardly needed
rc adIu-ter party or the reputation Of
southern debts To- teach Ia this; Tor the
carpet tag governments set up through
out the South al the close of the war
had proved 1t already. The dem cogues
Of the reCouslruCilon period cast the
negro vote A. they pleased, aud they
cast II, too, for purposes As directly
antagonjstic TO the true interests OF the
blacks as any for which the Buurhons
since their Disappearance have used it.
II has now been voted" hy Malone ~
Virginia in precisely the same way. The
fact "a, aud the sooner the fact il rccog.
nIzcd the sooner we shall hc nd of many
dAngcrou. illusions with regard to the
future OF the country, that the negroes
constitute a pea.antry wholly unframed
in, and ignorant OF. those ideas OF con.
s;Iiutional liberty and progress which
are the brihright Of every white voter
that they are gregariou. aud emotional
rather than intelligent, aud are easily
led in any direction by white men OF
energy and determination. Such white
men may be dcmagoEues, "a IN the ,se
OF Malone. or they may be filled with a
sincere desire 10 effect desirable political
objects but their relation To the negro
vote. until the character OF that vote is
materially changed through education
and material Improvement, will be sub
stantially what IL ia now.
The Importance Of the Malone move.
ment lies IN the fact that It will proba.
bly be followed by other movements OF
similar kind IN other parts Of the
South. Mahonc's imitatovs will not ne.
ccssarily make use Of his CRY, for IN
most Of the southern States reputation
Is a dead question. But almost any CRY
will for the reasons we have mentioned,
do equally well. In any movement, an
Independent now starts with the Ad.
vantage that he is necessarily an enemy
OF the Bourbous. and can therefore al
vertise himself a. a friend of liberal
ideas, and count upon a certain amount
Of sympathy as q friend Of the negro.
Such movements, II they are allowed To
remain local. can do little harm, and
may do much good II they fall, a. here
and there they must fall. into the hands
OF men with something more than mere
selfish interests At stake. But it is evi.
IDENTITY the intention in certain quarters
at the North TO utilize them for n pur.
pose which Republicans have the right
to consider good tn itself, but which can
only be advanced. in this case, by means
lull Of danger To the country. The pur
pose Is to strengthen the Republican
party at the South the means, the use
Of Federal patronage in aid Of any iode.
pendent movement that may be started
How far the administration Of President
Garfield actually went in placing the
Federal machine in Virginia at the
disposal OF General Malone and his
friends, i, is difficult to say but that it
was extensively used, and became n
potent factor in the campaign, there
c1n be no doubt. II IL now proposed
that In Georgia, or South Carolina. or
wherever an Independent leader shows
any strength among the negroes. this
scandal0us abuse of power shall be re.
peated. aud that the custom houses and
post offices Of the general Government
shall bo converted into local political
machines to stimulate the movement.
IL is hard TO believe that any admin.
istration which avows itself In favor OF
civilservice reform can lend itself TO a
scheme 80 inconsistent with all profes
sions Of reform as tbis.-Tbpita Of he
Tine" in The Century, for April