Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1883-07-24
OIL, June 81, 1888.

BRISTOL, June 81, 1888.
Major Il. ". Holdacay, Estillvil5e, "a:
Dear Sir,-Your favor of 21st instant
duly received, and am obliged for the in
formation it contains. l note your refer
ence to politics, and I beg to say few
words in reply.
You refer to the Colonade caucus, edo
not regret that you were there, see no rea-
son to abandon the good and wholesome
views on readjustment you taught me, :"
&C. I was in that caucus, am proud of it.
entertain the same views on the debt
question l did then. profited by the SEN
sible and wise suggestions made by you at
that time. Ny recollection is that we pro-
posed then to fight the debt question inside
the Democratic party. This was not my
notion. I never thought the debt question
could be settled inside the Democratic par
ty. | always thought it would require a
separate organization to settle that ques-
tion. Hence the origin and purpose of the
Readiuster organization. If the Demo-
Gratis ever divided on any other question 1
am not aware of it.
I always held that q man might be a
| Democrat and a Readjuster at the same
| time: that he could be Funder and a
| Democrat at the same time, and that he
could be Republican and Readjuster at
| the same time. Now that we have settled
| the debt, and removed the only difference
there was between Democrats, we find that
| the Funders stick to the Democratic party,
and the Republican Readjusters and Re
publican Funders all adhere to the Repub-
| lican party. But, strange to say, Malone
and his set and kind of Readjusters row
say that they are not Democrats, and they
are ashamed to say they are Republicans,
while, in fact, they are the meanest kind OF
Republicans, because sneaking.
! You know very well that Malone has
gone into the Republican party, and gone
to stay, provided they will pay him to stay.
You know as well as any one that he seized
the Readjuster organization, and without
the shadow Of authority from the party
united and consolidated it with the Repub-
lican organization last year. You know
that the Readiuster party is not in exist
ence as separate organization; that it has
effected the object of its formation, and
now that the debt is settled, that it could
not be maintained as an organized party
separate from the Democratic or Republi
can party. Why, therefore, do you talk to
me about the Readjuster party and my loss
to it?
stood by readjustment from its origin
to its final consummation, the passage OF
the Riddleberger bill last winter, and
shall oppose any effort to disturb that set
tlement, come from whatever source ii
may.
The only Convention of the Readiuster
party ever held to fix its relations to ma
tional politics was the July Convention of
| 1880. That declared for Democracy, and
said the election of Hancock and English
would promote the best interests of every
man in Virginia, and especially the Read
justers. Was that fraud and a deception,
or was it the honest expression of honest
men? We never had another Convention
of the party. How, then, can Malone and
his followers be Republicans and escape
the charge OF desertion from both the Dem
ocratic and Readjuster parties?
[ canvassed this district in 1880 as a
| Democratic Readjuster, and I declared
| from every stump that the Readjusters
were better Democrats than the Funders.
You endorsed me then. was honest then.
l meant what l said, and | have not
changed my position, nor has our party by
convention changed its position. Surely
then, as claim to be an honest man, honest
people will not expect me to desert my
principles and my party and follow Ma
hone into the Republican party.
| Now that we have whipped out all oppo-
sition to the settlement of the debt, passed
the bill which we declared would settle the
debt, and our settlement having been sus-
tanned by two Funder courts, it is our duty