Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-08-29


MADE MANIFEsT-HIS SUDDEN CON-
VERSION AND MARCH INTO THE
CAMP OF sTALWART REPUBLICANS,
WHERE HE CoMBATs EVERY MEAS
URE OF IMPORTANCE TO VIRGINIA.
THE PARTY SOLD FOR FEDERAL PA
TRONAGE.
General Mahone's residence in Rich
mOnd last winter, and his superinten-
dence of the Legislature, did not ac
complish, by good deal, all that his
efforts show him to have expected. Of
the Readjuster measures proper, the
debt bill, which in several respects did
not come up to the pledges given in re-
gard to it, and which was properly Mr..
Massey's measure, was passed without
trouble: and the rest, except the rail.
road reform, were pretty much matters
of course. But of the caucus brood,
except the scheme for controlling the
patronage of the Capitol clerkships,
none other passed SO far as I can now
recollect. General Malone was foiled
in his attack on the Judiciary he failed
to pass his commissioner Ofsales bill,
with its hundred offices or his DILL to
vacate the offices of the seven or eight
hundred notaries public, who had paid
for their commissions and licenses, and
fill their places with as many appoint tees
of his own or his unconstitutional bill
to remove the hundred superintendt.nts
of schools and fill their places with as
many of his own men; or to pass his
substitute for the railroad commission
er's bill. putting at his feet the railroads
of the State with their thirty millions
of wealth and their twenty thousand
men-in a word, he failed in his at
tempt to bind and rule the State by
patronage and caucus dictation.
One other and only resource was left
him-tO
"TURN OVER THE STATE TO PREsI-
DENT ARTHUR"
and the StaIwart Republicans and the
whole force and fury Of his followers
has been turned upon those who deny
his right and defy his power to trade
them off like herd of live stock in q
Texas ranch for offices in Virginia and
influence at Washington, and who re-
fuse to be transferred bodily to Mr.. Ar
thur, the man who, as some Readjust.
ers have not forgotten, in his letter &C
cepting the nomination for the Vice
Presidency, sneered at the ''sOuthern
os"sSS 40 IA"VihS OUBlRd
tiOns quite as sacred as those to which
the nation now stands pledged.u
or all that General Malone has at
tempted, his order to the Democf attic
Readjusters to face to the right-ab out
and march into the Republican caml, is
perhaps the most audacious. What in.
nuence has ne shown in any matter of
Federal politics-here at home, I mean
can justify this assumption n ?
In 1880 the whole Democratic vote y vas
~, 600; the Republican $4,000, On he
18th of October, five days before t. he
presidential election, with the figur es
before him. he told us all to ''rely" upo o
his assurance that 'our electoral ticket
headed by Cameron and Riddleberger'
and pledged to Hancock, will carry the
State by plurality of 25,OOO" But at
the polls we got only 81 900; the other
wing OF the Democracy $4,000; and
General Malone was $4,000 votes out of
his reckoning. Does that look as if his
orders would be obeyed now? Then
we had issues to rally upon, which are
now settled. Then we had Mr. Massey
to rouse our eople. whom it is now at
tempted to ex pei as tr sitor. Then we
1ad harmony which is now turned to
dlscord. Then he wanted US Demo
can. Does General Malone suppose
that
HIS SUDDEN CONVERSION
to Stalw artisan has so increased his in
huence over these same men az to ball
ance the loss from these caus es? Can
he convince men two ways almost in
one breath? It would insult the com.
monest intelligence to go about to ex
plain and prove in detail that Readiust-
ment (Which made General Iahone-
ne did not make it) claimed te be moth,
ing but BIZ aggregation of issu es purely
domestic in their character. and so
wholly unconnected with Fec eral poll
tics that man might be eithe national
Democrat or national RepublI ,an with
out impsiring his Readju ct er ortho-
doxy. 1t is true there were. some of us
of the ''old ISSUE" they said-who
had neither forgotten nor ION given the
conduct of the northern Democracy
just before and during the v1sr, who