The Benton weekly record., 1882-11-02
MALONE THE BOSS OF
BOSSES.
BOSS
Playing the Autocrat Both in
Washington and Virginia..
Federal and Sta4e Officers Hentsar~
3ng Tribute 10 Hian-.Fhe Gaoverna
xneae his Servant and IL Very
Promptly Executes his
Commands.

1' seemed to be carrying the world on the
7r shoulders, and who thronged Malone
ST headquarters in the Portland Hotel tC
ID day. were his lieutenants from Yirgini;
l. The final formal conference was to be hel(
IS Malone made known as much Of the dt
Is tails Of the canvass as he cared to- He re
e celyed reports anu he issued his com
/ mands. He encouraged his aids by an
a nonneing that lie figured majority OF 20,
l. QUO on the general ticket, and that sever
II Congressman would be elected. The seri
i ons men who heard him left by the even
: ing train, and by tomorrow morning the,
:, will be scattered through the State, from
n the Blue Ridge to the sea. They go to cx
t ecute their commissions. Meanwhile, O.
a an incident to Mahonc's canvass. an even
: is consummatcd in one OF the great depart
= ments OF the Government. The Commits
c sioner Of the Land Office Mr.. MacFarland
is made by Malone an unwilling agent
e Dir. MacFarland, when he entered his of.
flee, touched his bell and summoned a
: clerk in his department, who is credited tc
Virginia. The poor fellow knew what
that summons meant. Others from his
J State have heard ii, and bitter experience
has taught it's inexorablc meaning.
Il am sorry to have to say to you that
your place is wantcd,'' said the Commits
sioner.
''Why:" asked the Virgnian although
he knew we'll enough.
Il do not know why, ''replied Mr.. Mac
Farlantl. "You are faithful, competent,
and satisfactory, and am willing to give
you and endorsement to that effect, but
Senator Malone wants the place for a
friend. Yop will have to surrender 1t, for
am poWerless in this matter.''
That was all, except that the new man
who will qualify will subscribe his two
/ per cent to Hubbell and his five per cent,
TO Malone, and can control the votes Of
three firginians besides his own. If the
discharged clerk should go to Malone the
Senator would lend him OF. give him $40 to
get home with, but no might plead until &
! change of Administration before Malone
would relenJ.
NOW, this Is one case, but it illustrates
Mahone's idea Of free ballot and popular
Government. II other States have bosses,
Matone's methods entitle him to Il more
discriminating title. Tie is the boss Of boss
es. What Tweed was TO Tammany Ma
hone is to the party he has created in Viz
glnla. This summer he has reached the
very refinement Of Republican autocracv,
so that the State which was the mother Of
Jefferson, the foremost Democrat. seems
to have beIied herself by producing also
the prince Of autocrats. Public opinion in
Virginia this fall, as expressed BY the ma
jority, will be simply Mahone's opinion,
Tor there is little doubt that his cause will
be successful; but the vote that that
will be cast there will represent
the free and untrammelled opinion of the
majority just about as fairly as did some
Of the alleged popular expressions
OF opinion which Napoleon Ill com
manded to be given. The patronage of
the State Of Virginia has been raked and
reraked, until there cannot be found, even /
on the sumac hills and in the peanut val
leys, an obscure local Office which does
not render its tribute to him. The Federal
patronage has been subjected to the same
process. For the first time in history the
headquarters Of the active leading politi-
clans OF a State have been located in Wash
lngton. Malone has whole fiat in the
Portland apartment house. Here his clerks
grind while he furnishes the fodder. Here
every Nirginian in Federal employ in
Washington OF elsewhere has been weigh
ed in the most delicate of balances. If the T.
does not stand the test-firsb. re-
specting contributions Of money; second.
respecting his ability to control at least
three votes besides his own-the grim ex-
ecutioner notches against him and he be-
comes victim. So that, though Mahone's
pathway to power is strewn with as many
victims rs have fallen III some other coun-
tries to the lust for power, yet he has in
tue place OF these large and faithful |r
- 80 = ~ vii ivy iln III AilytIl0I. II
That is what Malone and those who sun
port him regard as free popular Govern
ment.
Malone Is not all ideal prince, though
prince III fact almost. 4 stranger would t
have chosen any one Of the others who #
surrounded him to-day, before pointing !
1in out, az the chief OF the new dispense
ion. His voice is mild, he never loses his
emper, and he sits with his long and {
oosely articulated legs balanced, the one I
over the other, constantly pumping the .
alr with one Of them, and listening With S
seeming indifference to the reports and y
suggestions that his aids make. A huge G
white sombrero hides his face, or that part a
# it which bis grizzly beard does not, and !
I ne ever expresses emotion on his coun- h
enanee, the chances are that reverend
ng cloud OF tobacco smoke would conceal c
hem. He is the m1ldest-nannered living 4
keieton who ever went into politics; but
lls grip Is hard and cold as steel. He be- &
leyes thoroughly in the doctrine that pol II
tics is not gratitude, but power. When 4
lis lieutenants and clerks have made their
eports e hin, az yesterday III the case. .of d
fle Land Office clerk, Malone goes into i
ecret session with himself. He tries men
y the star chamber process. Nobody y