The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-08-18
A RESPONSE TO Mr.. MASSEY'S
OPEN LETTER.
4 POWERFUL INDICTMENT OF GIN. MAHONl
RICHMOND, July 10, 1882.
HIM .Lobu T.. INdSsey:

| Hon. cONV II. Huooey' -,
Dear sir,--On the 9Th instant, when the
"opcn letter." you did me the honor 10 aa,
dress to me appeared In the D.SPdsch, l
was IN Botet0uIt county on WISH 10 our
friend Mr.. G. NJ. Reynolds, late treasurer
OF the Commonwealth. Hence the oeiay
in this response, which j have written rs
soon after reaching home as some prior en-
gacements would allow. viii you please
| 70 excuse n slight departure from the usual
episfolary form? As the subject compels
me 10 narrative style, have used your
name in the third person rather than in the
second
n / had thought that /, an humble prI-
vote in fbe ranks, could have done 1t With
out the impntation OF presumption and the
ascription OF vindictiveness, | would not
have waited TO be called, but would have
volunteered to ask the attention OF my fel-
low-citiZcns TO some points in the present
condition OF affairs which / think should
give us pause. Andas / am persuaded that
even now, when i speak by an invitation
which, though did not expect it, do not
consider myself at liberty TO decline, 1t will
he said I am inspired by loss OF my clerk
shin in the Treasury office rather than by a
| Judgment not hastily formed nor tardily eX-
pressed, beg leave to make an eXplana-
ton. Though this may appear egotistical,
vet consider 1t proper to open my way TO
the public mind by removing any suspicion
that | have only become sensible to the de-
fccts Of General Mahonc's policy and poll
tics when ! have ceased TO enjoy the bounty
of the party he claims to lead. This | can
not do effectively unless by.disclOsing some
thing of my relations with General Malone
in the Rcadjuster past: and this again can
not be properly understood unless / go still
! further back.
MY POLITICAL ACQUAINTANCE WITH GENERAL
MALONE
began in the Wells-Walker contest in 1869.
In that important struggle he organized
victory. as | thought, and saved the State
from Radical rule. But directly after
wards, like an OcracOkc wrecker, who
claims vessel and cargo for salvage" he
commenced a bitter contest with Governor
Walker for the control OF the State, which
he aimed to acquire, and, fora time, did ac-
Quire. by consolidating the three railroads
which extend from Bristol to Norfolk, by
making that the pivot OF combinations OF a
more or less questionable character in the
Legislature, by having his salary as presi-
dent Of the consolidated line increased TO
the enormous sum OF $4,000 per annum,
and by having himself elected president OF
! the new line for term OF five ycars-a pro-
cceding then, rs now, without precedent in
| the United States. All which things
proved him to be rapaciOus, greedy OF
/ power and money. But in a comparatively
short time his administration failed; he
was set aside by the courts, and his road
went into receivership.
At that time / had, in common with
many others, very unfavorablc opinion
OF what was regarded as General MahOne's
mscrupuOuS methods OF accomplishing
his ends. But upon the assurance OF some
OF his friends, who happened also to be
mine, that / had misiudscd him in some
ethical points, yielded in large measure
to their estimate Of his character, based, as
| conceived it to be, upon better oppOrtu-
mites OF judging: andwhen he doomed up
as one OF the leaders OF the Rcadiuster
movement | was willing to accept and cul-
tiyate him. | had my own knowledge OF
his partisan ability, his friends word for
his trustworthinesS, and hope that his
railroad humiliation had taught him sObric-
ty in aspiration and tolerance in opinion.
But as he came to be exhibited in the light
Of his new relations, | was gradually, be-
cause reluctantly, forced to the conclusion
that the Partially Of our common friends
had beguiIed their judgments and my first
opinion was reGStablishcd with the added
force OF fuller observation. Not proposing
to specify the many acts which led to this
conviction, | here take one or two against
which thought it my duty to protest at
the time in plain but friendly language. for
these show how soon l withstOOd him to
the face. | refer first TO the project that
was preached in the last Convention OF the
Readiustcrs to nominate
Mr.. RIDpLEBERGER FOR GOVERNOR,
and Mr.. Groner, OF Norfolk, for Lieu
tenant-GOyernOr, with the design, il was
said, Of afterwards making Mr.. Riddle
berger senator and Mr.. Groner Governor
by promotion On the day before the Con-
vention met | had an intimatOn that for
| financial and other reasons General Ma
hone favored this intrigue; and having
been invited by one OF his friends TO see
him and oppose it, ] called, and, in the
presence of third party, assured him that
the battle had been gagged between Colo
mel Cameron and Mr.. Massey, that the
friends OF each were pledged in good faith
10 the nominee, and that no third man
could be elected or would be permitted to
run as the candidate Of our party. The
objections, not specific but general, that he
made to both these candidates and the
dependency with which thought he con-
templated canvass by either, satisfied
me that he did favor the above or
some other ticket. But | told him
that any such step would be unpopular
and hazardous, and, after what had hap
pened, would give color to the charge then
beginning to be freely made, that he want
ed to become dictator, or Boss, as the slang
has it, Of our party, and so it would in
lure, rs it should do, both him and us.
After some further conversation OF the
same character | took my leave. How far
General Malone was implicated in the at
tempt that was made the next night to sup
plant the other candidates by this scheme
| do not know; but he was, in my opin-
ion, opposed to both Colonel Cameron and
Mr.. Massey, but found it impolitc to show
his hand to the Convention.
Very soon after the adjournment OF that
body General Malone, as chairman OF
our State Executive Committee, issued to
most, ii not all, Of the chairmen OF the
county committees paper OF which the
following is an exact copy:
hereby pledge myself 10 stand by the Read
juster party and platform. and 10 20 into caucus
with the Readinster members of the Legislature
nominees. and candidates 10 be elected by the Lo-
glslature as the caucus may agree upon.
~, Given under my band aud zeal this -
! i. 5. day Of september.
| first saw tins extraordinary paper in
the hands OF the Roadiuster chairman for
The county OF Chesterfield. | at once took
exception to it, and said that | would not
offer such pledge to a candidate nor vote
for one who would subscribe it.. First,
because it required the surrender OF
mans action, which should be, and theo-