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


shape made the bill unconstitutiona
but tnat reduction to one. half the sum
and some discretion to himself as to ex
penditure, would cure that defect. wa
obviously the mask to more prOfoun
hostility. oL
Really New York and New Enplan,
saw new power adverse to their section
resulting from the union of the grea
West with the South, now cured Of he
constitutional scruples by the war. /
was this power shadowed forth in tn
river and harbOr bill that the veto aim
ed to strangle in its birth; and it wa
this policy of the President. hostile I,
the whole South, that was endorsed by
the vaunted champion of Virginia in
terests srrd also by Mr.. John Paul, VIII,
was duly notified of the expected adven
of the veto, and being called came not
How potent sometimes Is the influenc,
of patronage!
ALL GENERAL MALONE HAS DONE
for Virginia, so far as I know, was, BY
amending the House bill to build
courthouse at Abingdon and getting
one for Harrison burg included, or vict
Uers0, to have one such ordered to be
built at cost of $4,000. And in that,
learn, he was materially aided by Sena.
tor Johnston and other Democrats. This
is all of General Mahone's work for Vir.
ginia interests, and this the liberality OF
President Arthur. $5O,0OO!!
That the President has given General
Malone the
FEDERAL PATRONAGE
of the State in exchange for q promise
of its electoral vote is not of itself friend
ly to the people of Virginia;rather the op-
posite, for it aims to commit them to the
support of such men as Sherman in the
Senate, who entered the Treasury poor
and LETT it huge millionaire of Robe
son, leader of the House, who entered
the Navy Department in debt and left it
at the beginning uf Hayes's term with a
very large fortune; of Chandler, the
visiting statesman" who did more
than any other of those worthies to cheat
the American people out of the election
of Tilden, who was rejected by the Sem
ate on account of bad character when he
was nominated by Garfield for Solicitor.
General, but who now fills the place of
Secretary of the Navy; of Babcock and of
many others of that old set of Grants
robbers and ringsters whom the Preei-
dent, from weakness, incidence, good
nature, or a. far more culpable reason,
has kept or placed in Office. And these
are killing
THE REPUBLICAN PARTY
which we are asked to join in its de-
cline. If it ever was great. as it certain
ly was strong, it is not SO now. A man
who stood by them through the war and
knew them well, has lately said -
"There is nothing left of the old Repub
licaD party but combination of cor
rupt managers to hold power by force
and by fraud, and to use the Treasury
and the public patronage as means Of
their followers. They have
no creed. no principles, no convictions,
and no aspirations. They treat the
country as great rotten borough where
votes are to be bought with the peoples
money, and successful jobbery is es-
teemed public virtue"
Such party, even if in full vigOr, has
too many large jobs on hand to help
Virginia by lifting any of her burdens
or aiding any of her interests. Really
the principal proper of their debt has
not been reduced for, as Senator Beck,
of Kentucky, tells US, and truly, ''all the
we have been going through
for the last fifteen years to reduce our
debt from So, 700, 900, 900 to ST, 700, 200, 600
has only been making up to the bond
holders and bankers the difference be-
tween the value of the gold they paid us
and the present gold we pay them now"
And they do not want it reduced. They
have arranged in the interest of the
that a vast amount of it
cannot be paid until 1907. twenty-five
years hence, that they may fill up that
interval with expenditures
TOPAY PLUNDERERs.
Their pension bill, whose amount,
though the product of a common tax, is
yet disbursed exclusively among what
they call the loyal States, has been late
ly increased to $1OO. .OOO. goo per annum
"a sum that will amo6nt, before the
pensioners die and the purjurers and
pension agents are glutted, to very near
ly, if not quite, what has been paid up
to this time as reduction of the debt.
So there will be no lowering of taxes if
they can help it. Already the late ses-
sion of Congress increased the appropri-
ations nearly $100,0O0,O 900 beyond the
Democratic limit. And this is the party
in whose beneficent hands General Ma
hone advises our people to place them
selves; he to lead the Yay, and to play
in Virginia the part that has been play
ed in Pennsylvania for years and years,
by that old "heathen and titan," Simon
Cameron he to persuade US to serfdOm
just when patient Pennsylvania has re-
volted in force. For one I decline to
take the advice. When I Joined the
Readjusters, which did as soon as they
formulated and platformed my ideas on
the debt, the suffrage, the education,
and the railroad questions, 1 brought
with me no romantic notions of the
purity and disinterestedness of political
leaders. I had seen too many parties
for that. I had been taught that
"Christianity itself had shared the COM
mon lot of all great changes and that
perfect as it was initself its nominal adhe-
rents were often neither wise nor good"
Hence, though grieved, I have not been
surprised at the turn that
SELFISHNESS AND AMBITION,
represented by General Malone in this
case, have sought to give measure in
tended for the good of the people. But
that has not moved me to acquiescence
l never meant to surrender the princi-
Piles, the traditions, and the aspirations
of Virginia to an evanescent and demOr-
alizing expediency. Neither did my
associates in the party. At least shall
not believe it until I see it.; and hardly
then.
But I have said enough-I fear toe
much-fOr the patience of the public
and yet I knew not how to say less.
The theme, it is true, is not inviting
the task ungracious at the best. But
there was a work to do; and why not
do it as we'll as another? This qualifi-
cation at least have for it. am get
ting old am not very far from the al.
lotted three .score-and-ten never q can
didate for a vote, and but once in my
life for an office, / have yet mingled &C.
lively in politics for nearly fifty years,
Tn that time have seen much but
never before saw 1 anything like the
state of affairs which General Malone
has sought to bring, and in some par.
ticulars has brought, upon the people Of
Virginia. I name now as
THE MOST SHAMEFUL THING
that ever witnessed the mode in which
he was permitted to neglect his duty in
washington and to invade the Capito
at Richmond and to dictate, corrupt
and poison the proceedings of our Legis
lature. I pity the Virginian who does
not blush when he thinks of it.
And now, in conclusion, affirm tina
in what I have written I have sale
nothing in nasaiOn If knew it-nOthinf