The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1883-05-19

An Obnoxious and Degrading PoIicy.
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 q local
question in the State of Virginia. 1t
means that the President of the United
States sshas given the whole weight of
the Administration to . matter with
which . President has no more legiti-
mate business than he would have with
q 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 win
regard with unmixed gratitude the
that he has so strangely
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 RepublicGn and making
Just application thereof.
On the 14th instant our neighbor
made 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 Maboneism in Virginia.
What sort of stfree conventions" are
possible to the people Of q State in
which the sswhole weight of the Fed
eral Administration. including an army
of officials (ostensibly hired to perform
public, non-political duties, but actually
employed to pack primaries and ''.set
up conventions), is thrown into the
scalep as or
The people of Virginia, like those of
Michigan, know what such free con-
ventions'' are. They have tested the
desire of the Administration to 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 personified by Malone,
clothed with ssthe 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 Adj
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
unwarranted use of the Federal execu-
tive power.
1t 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
greater mockery Of justice than the
farce in Virginia last fall was Of q. 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
refuse (see Presidents last annual
message), were sent into Virginia in aid
of the coalition Troops of Federal
officers, leaving their official work, went
over and over the State, telling the Re-
publican negroes that the President de-
sired them to vote for the Malone candi-
dates. In short, 1.-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 in State where the Fed
eeral machine-ss the whole weight Of
| the Administration is brought to
| bear on local politics. There is no free.