New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-04-26
NEWS FROM WASHINGTON.
MAHONE'S DOMINATION.

ING REPUBLICAN COUNTY
GBY TELEGRAPH THE rRIDUNE.l
WASHINGTON, April 25.-If tho statement made
to TRIBUNE correspondent to-day by ex-Repre-
sentative Dezendorf of Virginia, is correct 1t Is
apparent that Senator Malone has forgotten some
of the provisions of the Civil Service law. In SUBJ
stance Mr. Dezendorf's statement was as follows;
"In Norfolk County there are 1900 Repubhcan
voters and 1856 Democratic Readjustor voters.
Some time ago Jacob E. Reid. chairman of the Re-
publican County Committee, issued O call to the
townships to elect delegates, on April ., to county
convention to be held on April IA for the purpose
OF nominating candidates for county officers Ma
homo got wind of this and telegraphed to Norfolk
that the call must be revoked and the convention
postponed. Several days later Reid called the
County Committee together second time and laid
before them letter from Malone. in which the
| Boss demanded that call should BIO issued
providing for the election of Republican and Read
juster delegates to joint convention to nominate
county officers; this demand being coupled with
threat that In of refusal every member Of the
committee who was In the Government service
should lose his place.
The members of the committee who were not
holding Government places withdrew at once but
the others obeycd the boss Reid Is q clerk in
the Custom House and of course. he had to obey.
The Republican township meetings were hold under
the original CALL and delegates chosen to the county
convention That convention assembled on April
IA and nominated full ticket for county officers
Every township was represe nted and the vacancies
In the County Committee were filled. John Losner.
who has been sheriff for the last ten years and
whose performances of the duties has given uni
versal satisfaction, was renominated by acclama-
ton. | was unanimously nominated for county
treasurer Malone Immediately summoned to
Petersburg Reid. Rue, the postmaster OF Norfolk,
several of the foremen in the NavyYard and other
Federal officeholders and after conference 1t was
| decided that he should go to Norfolk IN person
| He was there last Monday night and public
| meeting was held to which admission was
| granted to such as held tickets issued
| by Mahonos trusted friends The meeting
| was composed wholly Of Democratic Readjusters
| and Government office holders and employees, some
| of whom claim TO be Republicans. Postmaster Rue,
! Collector Bowden and oremcn from the Yard
were prominent IN the affair. About 200 persons
were present. Boss Malone talked to them for more
than two hours. He declared that the ticket nomi-
mated by the Republican Convention must be de-
feated at all hazards; that it could be done If the
men in charge of the Post Office, the Custom House
and the Navy-Yard and their subordinates would
put their shoulders to the wheel and their hands in
their pockets and give their strength and money to
| the cause that If the Republican ticket should be
elected il would be a reflection upon the National
Administration W ich had cherished and encouraged
the Readjuster movement that any man hoidlng
Government place, and who proved iukeWarm
or inefficient would lose 1t.
IL was not present at the meeting, but nave my
information from perfectly trustworthy persons
who were there. They told me that considerable
enthusiasm and earnestncsj were manifested as an
evidence of which il unanimously agreed that
for the purpose Of raising funds to defeat tho he
publican ticket each Federal 0iceholder and clerk
and each Navy-Yard foreman shall be assessed ana
shall pay per cent of his yearly salary. while each
workman in the Navy-iard and Custom House shall
contribute one days pay for the same purpose. In
order to prove that he meant business. the boss
procured the discharge of five colored men who
were employed as laboseIs in the Custom House
and Navy Yard, because they had expressed a
preferonce for the Republican ticket You look
surprised at this but tell You this country has
never before been cursed with so relentless and
arbitrary a boss as is William Malone. lie has
established perfect reign Of terror among Federal
oficeholders throughout tho entire state
of Virginia. No matter how faith
full and efficient officer may be,
he must obey the boss in all things or on
goes his official head. This IS true as well of clerks
and other subordnatos of every grade down 10 mere
with a rod of iron. Collector Bowdon or Postmas-
ter Rue would no sooner hesitate to obey an order
from Malone than he would order from his
superior offcer-Secretary FOlger or Postmaster
Ge.eral Gresham. As for Yarney. the naval con-
structor at thej Norfolk Navy Yard. he IS ono Of
Mahone's most plant tools lio is grossly ncom-
peicnt aud inefficient but as ho Is solid with Ma
hone he thinks he has nothing to fear. lie mas
spent about 100000 in repairs on the Pinta,
small vessel which was ordered TO be equipped for
Alaskan service and now she is not tit to go.
| distinguished officer OF the Maya man who has
seen thirty year, service and who knows all about
| shps-tod me recently that he could go to Phila-
delpha or Now-YOrk and buy better vessel imam
the Pinta, fully equipped and proviSoned lot
voyage. for less than half the sum that has been
spent that vessel Tor repairs under Narhey . III
competent supervision
"Whcn is the election TO be held 7"
ION May -. The Malone clique will hold a
| convention and nominate ticket on April 80. The
| regular Democrats have not yet made nominations.
Mahone's strikers declare that they VIII defeat
the Republican ticket If they have to pay 30 for
every vote they need. They hayo already begun 10
try TO buy up leaders among the colored voters 10
one they offered 500 If ho would stay out OF the
Republican Convention, but he refused tho offer"
There aro several provisions IN the Civil Service
| law which might be studied with profit not only
| by Senator Malone, but by Postmaster Rue. Col
lector Bowden, Navy Constructor Varney and other
United States officers at Norfolk, before they 20 too
| far with the political asSessm mt scheme. one OF
these provisions is that no person III me puDic ser
vice is under any obligations 10 contribute 10 any
noIiical fnnd or 10 render any political service
nor will any person DO removes r OF
| otherwise preiudiced for refusing to do So me
| same law makes it mlsdcmean0r puhlshaole WIN
! fine or unprlsoumcnt or both. for any senator,
executive, judicial. military or naval Ollcer.
| clerk or employee TO solicit or receive, or
be i'm any manner concerned IN soliciting or rccclV-
| ing directly or indirectly" any political assess
| ment subscription or contribute 1t Is also
| made a misdemeanOr punishable with inc OF I'M
| nrisnntnent for any officer or empoyo before men,
toned, to promote degrade or discharge or IN any
manner change the official rank or compensation Oh
any other officer or rmplOye, promise or threaten