The Abilene reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1883-1888, 1885-02-19
a SINGULAR SPECTACLE.
The HumiIiating Position That Virginia
Occupies in the United States Senate.


Occupies in the United States Senate.
Virginia presents singular spectacle
in the United States Senate. She is the
only State without representative in
that body. OF thirtv-eight States In
the Union some are represented in the
Senate entirely by Republicans; others
entirely by Democrats. In some cases
a Republican and Democrat sit as col
leagues. Most of the Southern States
are proud of their Senators; among
them Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana,
Alabama, Georgia, the Carolinas. Ken
lucky and Missouri. The Southern
Senators are Democrats. Most of
the Northern States are proud OF their
Senators, majority OF whom are Re
publicans. Whether Republicans or
Democrats, they were elected by LegiS-
latures chosen by the people. But
Virginia. the home of freemen, the
scene of progressive action, the field Of
industrial enterprise, is the exception to
the rule We look in the Senatorial
directory and find it is true, two names
under the head of Virginia. But they
no more represent this State than If
they hailed from the uttermOst ends of
the earth. If ueStiOuS of Importance
come before the Senate for discus sion
| Virrinia has no voice in that discus
sion. If matters of vital interest to this
State require attention in the Senate q
! friendly Senator from a neighboring
State has to take up our cause and
represent the sentiments of our people.
! The senior Senator ere lifted 10 Viz
! cinia has been drawing his Senatorial
pav for four Years His colleague has
been drawing pay for two years, having
! four more years TO serve. But the one
! : known in this Stat rs an OUtcast-a
mis- rable marplot; while the other is
I known as 4 braggart and fraud.
But were these men not CHOSEN by
/ vour Legislature, and are they not
. therefore representing the popular party
8 in their State?' some one asks. Every
BODY familiar with the history Of pol
tiles in Virginia Will quickly aus1cr IN
the negative, so far rs relates to the
latter clau,e Of the question. Malone.
by demagogy and fraud. foiSted himself
upon the public. BY making political
jSsur OF the State debt this inscriptions
rcaerade succeeded in drawing to his
standard some well-meauing people;
and along with handful of rcspecta-
bic people he carried the ignorant and
the vicious. This mongrel party tri-
umphed in several elections, and Ma
hone was sent to the Senate by his own
Legislature. But that Legislature did
not represent the people OF Virginia,
and had there been "a free ballot and
fair count the result would have been
different. The same party. holding
power by the petty Boss trickery, two
wears latter sent the Boss henchman &c
the Senate rs the colleague of Virginia
arch enemy.
A wear after the second outrage free
men arose in their might and over
threw Malone. In 1888 fraud and, in
timidation were made impossible. anc
never did would be dictator receive {
more crushing defeat. A ring of plum
dcrers gave place to the Democratic
party, and one by one the evils fastened
on the Commonwealth by the renegade
leader were uprooted. One of the frs
acts of the peoples Legislature was the
adoption OF a Joint resolution calling
upon Malone to resign his seat In TIT
Senate, but the thick-skinned Usurpe
! paid no heed to the sentiment of thi
!, representative body. The resolution hat
the effect, however, of branding the sc
Nor Senator from Virginia as an out
cast, and an outcast he Will ever remain
The desire of this man was to ruil
: Virginia. He thought that by putin:
his diabOlicil scheme into the hands
} Senator Sherman he would succeed. ;
street-fght in Danville was magnitie'
into political massacre and no South
hater in the bittercst days of reconstruc
ton, waved the bloody shirt more Wig
c orously than this renegade. Malone
: But scctionalism was fast dying Out
and Sherman and Malone, try as the.
: would. could not deceive the public b,
G tier NJ representations.
May Virg. MA never be placed in sucl
q diSgraccful position again.-R!c'
n,cnd (Ta.J State.