The Brookhaven leader., 1889-09-12
THE VIRGINIA NIGHTMARE.
The Coming Struggle Between Mahons-
ism and Common Decency.

The Coming Struggle Between Mahone-
ism and Common Decency.
The unanimous nomination of Ma
none for Governor OF Virginia makes
sharply-defned issue between Ma
honeism and decency, and the cam
paign will be hot one. The nominal
ton removes all doubts of Democratic
solidarity. The Democrats who, be-
ing engaged in the tobacco business,
think the first reduction Of Federal
taxes should be on tobacco, will forget
their differences with those who advo-
cate immediate reduction OF tariff
taxes. No man alive can bring more
straight Democratic votes TO the polls
in Virginia than Mr.. Malone. His
nomination of himself under such cir
cumstances is characteristic OF the
man. lie is as pugnacious as he is
dictatorial. BY nominating himself
he humiliates his enemies in his own
party and infuriates the Democrats.
1t is not probable that he expects cleo
ton. but the fight will give him the
keenest enjoyment
The platform on which he was
nominated is such studied and
elaborate tumble of incompatible ideas
that it is more suggestive of night
mare than OF any thing else. 1t glor-
ifes Virginia and calls for Federal
interference in its politics.; it indorses
the Confederacy and supports the
Union; it denounced the Democrats
for giving office to "ex-cavalry brig
adiers and the like" rather than to
farmers, while General Malone and
his brigadlers were waiting to be
nominated on it; it is in favor of every
thing every body wants, from the free
coinage of silver to exemption from
working the roads; it is bitterly op-
posed to every thing every body does
not like to do, from paying incon-
venient debts to getting the worst of a
bargain. 1t is for high taxes and low
taxes 1t wants Federal tariff taxes
kept up and Virginia State taxes kept
down, and if there is any thing else it
has failed to favor or oppose, whether
it is free school books and fostering
care" for the oyster beds on the one
hand, or bad roads and imm orality on
the other, it must have been omitted
only because the platform committee
was too drunk to think of it.
Or, if we reject this charitable view,
we must account for the platform as
piece of pure Mahoneism; an attempt
TO appeal at the same time to eX-Con-
federates and negroes. This makes it
ludicrous--a very Shark OF plat
form, to unrayel which is an attempt
attended by the same difficulties de-
scribed by the doggerel bard in writ
ing of his encounter with that incon-
sequential creature OF indigestion:
Every night after dark
engage with the SaarS
In a dreamy. delfr.oVs fight;
And l serve him with greens
In those shadowy scenes,
And use him for striking 4 light.
This suggests but does not limit the
possibilities of this creation of Ma
honeism-, the Virginia nightmare. 1t
will cut no figure in the fight, for the
issue is Malone, and the Virginia
Democrats lose all sense of humor
when the question is for or against
Malone. They will undoubtedly de-
feat him by majority that ought to
dispose of him finally.
In the meantime the demand is
made for 1.-The full recognition of the
civil and political equality Of this MA
hone) party, its organization and its
constitutions by the National party
and Administrations which must
mean that President Harrison must
send Tanner and Blocks-of-Five Dud-
ley down to assist in making good the
platform guarantees OF full sympa-
thy and succor for the disabled Con-
federate, or the widow or orphan of
dead Confederate soldiers. st. Louis
Republic.