Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1882-08-01
The Big Four once more.

The Big Four once more.
AN ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE OF v1R-
GINA.
We, the undersigned, members of the
Virginia Senate, and of what was once
theReadjuster party, claim that we dis
charged our whole duty, so far as we
were permitted so to do, in the settle
ment of the public debt, in compliance
with our pledges to our respective con.
stituencies. Having done this, the main
object OF our trust was accomplished
But we soon learned from the acts of
the caucus and the leaders of the party
that an honest settlement of the State
debt upon the terms and according to
our repeated promises to the people was
not the real object of the self constituted
leaders of the party. But that the re-
suit of the November election was to be
used to establish dishonorsble spoils,
system unknown in the political histo-
~ of this State; that every right of the
people was to be prostituted to the sue
cess of dangerous centralized power in
the hands of one man and his chosen
friends; that to accomplish this purpose
the courts were to be deprived Of their
co. ordinate authority and made subser-
Went to a central executive and partisan
Legislature; the common schools were
to be converted into political agencies !;
the right OF the people to elect their own
officers was In measure to be taken
from them, and other heretofore un-
known and dangerous measures were to
be lnaugurated. To accomplish these
purposes q degrading and tyrannical
caucus system was enforced by rules
degrading to those who were forced by
the party lash to adopt it.insulting to
their manhood and q betrayal to the
public trust confided to them by the
people. The ultimate object of all this
was to get control of the whole political
power of the State and hand it over to
the daring leader of the party to be util~
lied by him to advance his ambitious
personal schemes; and it was all to be
done quickly and before the people
could be warned of the danger. They,
through their faithless representatives,
were to be converted into q new polite
al party, with new principles and doc
trines, all for the special benefit of the
leader and his friends. We, foreseeing
the tendency of these measures, alarmed
at the impending danger-refusing all
offers of place or profit as the price of q
betrayal of the trust confided in us-con-
scious of the rectitude of our motives
determined to use every effort to thwart
these measures. What we did is part
of the political history of the last Legis-
lature. Our deliberate purpose was, and
is still, to protect, as far as we can, the
liberties of the people against the dan
gerous aggression of growing and ire
sp0nsible One.man power known in this
State as "Mahoneism." For this we are
denounced by what once s0ds the Read
ulster Legislature as TRAITORS" We
appeal to the good people of all parties
spectful consideration If 80, we earn-
the present all past political differences
to bury all party hostility-to subor-
dinate all existing principles and pre-
JUDGES to the living issue of the day and
| unite in one supreme effort to throttle
in its infancy this incipient despotism.
There is no time to lose. This intended
outrage against everything dear to these
people must not succeed. Should it do
so this fall, through our folly and in
difference, this man will so entrench
himself in power within this State by
the assistance of the Federal Govern.
ment that no future effort can avail to
evict him, and no honorable man now
living will cease to regret if he fails to
use every effort to prevent such catas..
trophe.
One of the first, and certainly the
most daring measure because it was
done against the known will of the
united Readjuster party Of the whole
State), was the election of John E.
Massey from the Auditors office. Mr.
Massey had filled this Office with credit
both to himself and the State. He had
created a party in measure, and had
mainly formulated its principles, and
had it not been for his great efforts the
party would never have made a success
full campaign. This was undoubtedly
true as to the fall election. But he must
be sacrificed. The State is deprived Of
a valuable Officer, and against the express
State, simply because it was feared he
might become dangerous rival to the
present self constituted leader of party
he is manipulating for his own pur-
poses, because Mr.. Massey refused to
subscribe to his new revolutionary mea-
sures and declined to degrade himself to
the position of q subordinate instrument
to be used at the will of this leader. This
was his only offence. His previous
political and official action had won the
affection of his party as few men ever
did. To crush out this affection for him
the desperate and reckless strategy of
charging him with a crime had to be re
sorted to. This crime to-day, to the
shame of his prosecutors, remains un>
proven. Is it possible that here in Vir-
ginia such power can be exercised p
Have we come to this? Can free peo>
pie tolerate such deeds as these and
retain the perpetrators in power Do
they think they can long be free and
still entrust their liberties in the keep
ing of such men? Every honorable in
stinct of our nature calls for rebuke OF
this unmaDly assault upon Mr.. Massey.
and to use him as the instrument to put
down the men who were forced to single
him out as q personal sacrifice in order
that they might the more effectually
crush out the liberties of the people and
promote their schemes of personal am :.
bition.
We humbly ask that all good men of
all political parties who are true friends
of constitutional government will forget
for the present all political differences
and unite upon Mr.. Massey as the coli.
gressional candidate at large In our
humble opinion, it would be appropriate
in the present crisis, and the result
would be success-not only a success,
but a triumph. 1t would not only be q
defeat to bossism, tut u crushing humil-
iation. Reconciliation of past differ
ences upon the debt question-that we
all may unite to prevent an impending
political catastrophe--shOuld be the OBJ
ject of every patriot in the State.
A. M. LYBROOK,
| B. F. WILLIAMS,
P g. HALE,
| SAMUEL 81. NEWBERRY.
WHY EVERY TRUE VIRGINIAN
SHOULD VOTE FOR MASSEY.-10 the
| L,<zsfor of tbo DSooOfoh Tho HRiU