Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-12-13

and he has an absolute and indisput-
able right to change them when and aS
he chooses, provided that this change,
and the action resulting therefrom. do
not violate any trust or repudiate any
duty he has voluntarily assumed and
solemnly pledged himself to recognizes
aud respect. If Malone. at any
time previous to his election to the
Senate, had left the Democratic party
and Joined heart and hand with
the Republicans. he could not have been
justly condemned by those who value
manly independence in such matters an
appreciate it's obligations. But when.
protesting to be Democrat, he OBJ
tanned his election by Democratic votes,
and then openly and without shadow
of apology or excuse sold himself to the
Republicans and became their active
and INSCRIPTIONS servant, he touched
the very depth of political infamy, and
no condemnation language can frame ID
too severe for him, no contempt the
mind can conceive too strong. The
matchless treachery has been followed
by work entirely worthy of it. Tho
traitor was not one of those who stake
the first false STEP" and then, smitten
by shame or stung by conscience, do
not to hell's perdition 60" He pro-
ceeded at once not only to earn the
wages of his sin by voting steadily with
the men who bought him, but to assail
in every possible way the party he had
betrayed, and to harass and humiliate
the State he had bargained to mis-
represent. Directly and indirectly
he has done more harm to Virginia
than was done by the armies that made
her historic soil the great battle-ground
of the civil war. He has stabbed her
credit, he has stained her reputation, he
has checked her prosperity, he has dis
turbed her peace, he has kindled ami
mosities among her people which will
live and burn long after the grass has
grown upon his grave. Intentionally or
unintentionally, he has been an unmit-
igated curse to the State that bore
him; the State that trusted and honored
him until he proved himself an un-
grateful and faithless son. There have
been chooses" and "bossism'' else
where. but no ''boss'' like him, no
g bossism'' like his, ever before dis
graced the American name and Nation.
Compared in this respect with Malone,
Conkling and Cameron are angels of
light. They, occasionally at least, tried
to give their tyranny a color of gdecen-
cy, 6 assuming virtue if they had it
not;'' but he has seemed to take pride
in making his tyranny utterly indecent
as well as utterly hateful, and no SEM
blance of virtue has marred the long
catalogue of his misdeeds. x sfa
But the responsibility of what is now
known IN our political vocabulary as
ksh LII H. -, Il, IL
upon the man who fathers it. From the
day he pocketed the price of his treach-
cry until now he has had the hearty
support and cooperation of the Repub-
lican party and all the aid and comfort
a Republican Administration could give.
organs and orators have
sounded his praises and applauded his
efforts, and Federal offices have been
placed at his disposal to reward his
friends and punish his enemies. If the
Republican party outside of Virginia
had simply let Malone severely alone.
and if a Republican Administration had
refused to lend him its patronage or
grant him its Endorsement, he would have
been extinguished long ago, in spite of
his desperate energy and splendid abili-
ty for political intrigue and intimidation.
When we think of the moral strength
an immoral cause can receive from the
and encouragement. of a
great party, and the almost omnipotent
influence of "the spoils SYSTEM the
is, not that Malone has escaped
defeat so long, but that he did not
escape it altogether and continue his
rule of ruin indefinitely. He has been
beaten now--and we believe helplessly
and hopelessly beaten-not by luck or
combination of fortunate circumstan
ces, but by the wisdom, courage, in
domitable zeal and incompatible work
fore in the eventful history of the grand
The scene of such a political struggle as
the one now SO happily and gloriously
ended; and she owes to her Democratic
won against overwhelming odds, is
worth more to her than all the bright
aurels her sword has gained. The most
shameless and insolent of '.bosses'' has
oeen knocked down and out, leaving q
record and lesson well calculated to
discourage future imitation of his
party has been taught that the purchase
If Democratic Senator does not insure
he Republicanizing of Democratic
State, much less the breaking of solid
Democratic South; and Republican,
administration ought to be convinced
hat it has been partner in a very dirty
business, without even the poor con-
ISOLATION of seeing the profits balance
he losses. st. Louis Republican. ss
The Two Columns. .5
THE DEMOCRATIC COLUMN. aA