The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1883-12-13
Mahone's Downfall.


The country has become acquainted
with this adventurer. He has been
notorious and powerful quantity in Fed
eral politics because of accidental cir
cumstances. He got himself elected to
the Senate-as Democrat, with diff
ference from the main party in the
State on the debt question. They were
were Funders. He was Readjuster.
So many readers forget facts that ii
will be well to explain these terms.
The Funders maintained that all the
debt of Virginia-not assessable on
West Virginia, which was cut out of the
Old Dominion as a war measure
should be funded and paid. 1t was
S45, 100000. The Read iusters main
tsined that Virginia should pay only
S30,00O,000, on the plea that that was
all she could afford really because the
Reputation of 100000 was ''popu'
lar. +" The Reputation was softened into
the term ''readjusting. Falstaf
called stealing ..conveying." Malone
got $4,000 whites and 10000 negroes te
vote for "Readiustment. Against il
100000 whites voted. The Republican
party in Virginia combined with the
Malone whites to make two minOrities
form a majority. All the time, Ma
hone said that, on all Federal questions.
he was Democrat. He ran an elector.
al ticket in 1880. Only the whites with
him voted it. The Funders ran electors
of their own. The Republicans did so,
too. Both distrusted MaEone. The
Funders won by plurality. The vote
of the State went for Hancock. In the
1880 canvass. Malone urged the Dem.
cratic National Committee to get the
Virginia Democrats to join with him il
the canvass. He said he was as good
Hancock man as any OF them At the
same time. he secretly visited Garfield
at Mentor for the purpose of a fusion
with him-only to be repelled.
When the Senate met, March 4, 1881,
there were thirtv-seven Democrats,
thirty-seven Republicans, and two non.
descripts, David Davis and William
Malone. The latter sent word to the
Democratic caucus that he would vote
with them if he could dictate his plac-
ing on committees. The party refused
his offered trade. He then negotiated
with the Republicans the nomination
of a fellow repudiator, Riddleberger, to
be Sergeant-at-arms, dictated his plac-
ing on committees, and voted with that
party. The negotiation was effected
BY Vice President Arthur. 1t was the
most dishonOrable pact ever formed in
politics. Ever since then, by having
q casting vote in tied Senate, Ma
hone has been the master of the Repub-
lican column there. The murder OF
Garfield enabled Malone to have the
same hold on the Executive that he
had on the Senate. Since Arthur be-
came President, Malone has effected his
plan of Reputation for Virginia, and
had it declared inviOlable by the Repub.
lican Supreme Court of the United
States.
His course has been impressed on the
country. He has made his action in
Virginia that of an autocrat, with pol
icy of larceny and tyranny. He grad
ually estranged every considerable
leader who had led off with him. He
stung the honest Republican leaders in
to revolt. Thatle him only the men
without reputation among the whites
wiz
worked on the fears and ignorance OF
the lower grade of blacks. After an
earnest struggle the Democrats have
united all the efficient honesty in the
State against him. 1t proved to be q
The Legislature is against
him. He has yet two more years in the
Senate. His tool. Cameron, will be
Governor two years more; but that is
the limit of his power. This Legisla-
lature chooses his successor. The State
has slipped away from him. His over
throw is the chief event for civilization
which has occurred in American poll
tics this year. 1t Is a great rebuke to
the Federal Administration. President
Arthur has sacrificed every principle OF
Civil-service reform to gorge Malone
with patronage. He has reversed every
principle of Republicanism, as to honest
to sustain the Virginia repudia-
ton. He has condemned his Admins
tration to diShonor in history by his Ma
honeism. Yet that utter badness is the
only affirmative and overt feature of the
Administration. Otherwise, it has been
a mere parasite on the spoils and in its
action and policy, dull, commonplace
and tricky-Ai6dnY ArguS.