Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1883-04-19

president Arthur has given the
whole weight of the Administration in
support of the Virginia coalition, says
| the Washington organ of Mr. Malone.
| Fairly construed, that language means
that the President of the United States
has made special and great effort, as
] President. to foment. and keep up a
party quarrel growing out OF a local
question in the State of Virginia. 1t
means that the President of the United
States has given the whole weight OF
| the Administration to matter with
which President has no more legltl-
mate business than he would have with
a political affair in Canada or Mexico.
For there is nothing in the Constitution
or in the laws passed in pursuance
/ thereof that requires, authorizes or per-
mits any official meddling in State
politics by President of the United
! States
| We do not believe the President will
regard with unmiXed gratitude the
declaration that he has so strangely
misunderstood the duties and obliga-
tons of his great office. The Post, it
! should be borne in mind. is not making
| this charge against the President. 1t
| is simply taking the Enthusiastically plain
words of the Republican and making
! just application thereof r.tn
/ On the 14th instant our neighbor
made a loud and eloquent. demand for
free conventions, free elections and
/ free Legislatures On the next day it
said, as above quoted, that the ''whole
! weight of the Administration had been
used to build up Mahoneism in Virginia.
/ What sort of 'free conventions" are
3 III IL, 80 tn{o IN,
which the ''whOle weight" of the Fed
eral Administration, including an army
of officials (ostensibly hired to perform
employed to pack primaries and ''set
| up conventions), is thrown into the
scale?
The people of Virginia, like those of
Michigan, know what such ''free con-
ventions'' are. They have tested the
t desire of the Administrators promote
| freedom of Political action. They have
seen, as the central Administration or
gan declares, ssthe whole weight of the
| Administration in support of the coali-
! tion," and they have seen the knife at
| the official neck of every Federal officer
/ who would not work in the traces with
Malone. . They have seen relentless
prescription personifed by Malone,
! clothed with s'the whole weight of the
Administration, hunting down and
!, trampling out opposition. THE people
of the WHOLE country have heard of the
doings of Malone as deputy of the Ad-
ministration; have heard these things
with regret, disgust and indignation.
but they did not expect the central
organ of the Administration was going
to, rise up and boast of such local and
UNIV arranted use of the Federal execu-
tive power.
It is worse than folly to talk of "free
elections in State thus dominated.
The verdict of a jury, every man of
whom had ten thousand dollars of the
defendants money in his pocket. as an
| argument for the defense, would not be
! a greater mockery of justice than the
| farce in Virginia last fall was OF a free
election. Large sums of money, paid
as salaries to department officials, and
handed over to the. Hubbell committee
by those officials, "for fear of what
might befall them in case they should
refllse,' (sce Presidents last annual
message), were sent into Virginia in aid
/ OF the coalition Troops fof Federal
! officers, leaving their pffcia work went
Dyer and over. the State, .tel6ngSthe Re-
| DuD1lCd1 HcSIOCS tIldu tiic lCSllCHt uC-
sired them to vote for the Malone candi-
dates. In short, "the whole weight of
| the Administration was given in sup
port of the coalition''-given without
color of lawful authority, in direct and
palpable violation of the right of the
people of State to have fair and free
election.
Free Legislatures are as impossi-
BILE as any other ingredient Of local self
/ government ina State where the Fed
eral machine whole. weight of
the Administration brought to
bear on local politics. There is no free
dom in the nomination of candidates for
| the Legislature and no free choice at the
| polls. When such a burlesque on the
name of Legislature meets, the boss is on
hand-as was Boss Malone at Rich
.mond--to control its ACTION; to control
it, not as an influential citizen of Vir-
ginia, but as the accredited representa-
tive of the Federal Administration, with
honors and emoluments for those who
will do his bidding.
The Republican, ought to be able to
understand that it's policy of admins
trative control in State affairs has been
condemned, most signally condemned
and trampled into the mire of public
contempt in all the States where lntelll-
gence generally prevails among Repub-
lican voters. The people in the might
of their righteous wrath, have decreed
that the Administration must and shall
Keep its hands out of the State elections.
The present Chief Magistrate of the
United States has, in very graceful
manner, shown that he fully understands
and accepts this decree. If Malone and
his organs are counting on a future like
the recent past, they are leaving the
most important factor out of their cal
culations. ''The whole weight of the
Administration will not be thrown into
the Virginia contest this year or next.
The vote for Grover Cleveland against
Secretary Folger was a lesson that is
not forgotten Washington Post.
1T is not often that man digs his
own grave and buries himself, but John
Tyler, an old grave-digger of Fayette-
To-