Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1882-02-20
The Readjuster Position in Vir-
gfufa.

The dead lock In the Virginia Legisla-
ture, caused by the revolt Of the Massey
Readiusters, and which, for some time
past, has prevented the election OF Audi
tor and other State officers, has at last
been broken. A Mr.. Wingfeld, OF Han
over, a Wickham Republican, who has
been voting heretofore with the Demo
Gratis, was on Friday induced, from
some cause or other, to change his mind.
and cast his vote with the original Re-
adiuster faction. In consequence the
Legislature will proceed to day to elect
an Auditor in place of Massey, Rail
road Commissioner. several Corporation
Judges and Judges Of the Supreme
Court of Appeals, all of whom will, Of
course, be chosen from among the Re-
adjusters and their Republican allies.
This end of the deadlock, however, in
the Virginia Legislature, is by no means
an end of the troubles which have been
brewing so long in the Readjuster ranks.
Indeed, it is really but the beginning Of
those troubles, for it means reading Rev
DIR. Massey out Of the party, and Mas
sey's influence in the State is not to be
despised. If we mistake not he was
candidate for the Legislature when Ma
hone scored the first triumph
for his reputation party in Virginia
two years ago, and was defeated. Still,
so great had been the service he had rem
dered the party during that memorable
campaign, and so fully did he force his
abilities to be recognized, that he was
elected Auditor of the State by the Legs
lature, and that position he has filed up
10 the present time. Now he will prob
ably take the field against the leaders Of
his party, and will devote his energies
and capacities to wreaking vengeance
upon them from turning him adrift, and
that he will make his animosity serious
ly felt there can be no doubt. He will,
in all likelihood, put on his war paint,
and declare war to the knife against his
former friends, who have not only snub-
bed him, but have also publicly de
nounced him as a felon.
A house divided against itself cannot
stand, and neither can a political organi-
zation which is split up by internal
dissension. The beginning of the end
of the ephemeral Malone organiza-
ton may, therefore, be regarded as at
hand, and before the next Presidential
election it is not improbable that it will
have passed away from the political
arena altogether Its whole history
affords a warning to others who may
desire, for the advancement Of selfish
personal ends. to join any similar organi
zation, formed, like it, upon no sound
principle. 1t has shown itself ready to
hand the State over to the Republi
cans, whenever by so doing po
litical capital might be made thereby,
and it has also shown q greed for spOils
which reflects no credit upon itself as a
party, and which has threatened, and
still threatens, to subvert the best in
terest Of the State. a State subjected to the
control Of any such organization cannot
prosper, for it is exactly upon that same
spoil principle which the old carpetbag
and scalswag party of reconstruction
days acted, and the unhappy experiences
of those troublous times have, by no
means, been forgotten in the South. At
any rate, Georgfans remember them with
sufficient distinctness, we feel assured
never to be willing to run The risk of
subjecting the welfare Of thor State to
the tender mercies of such dangerous
and selfish rulers.