The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1889-10-24
Malone the Author Of the Peters
burg Charter.

Manassas Gazette.
We publish below the letter of Geo G. Round
to Tazewell Branch, the leading &C lored man OF
Soutnside Virginia. Branch Is an honest, indus
trio,ls shoemaker ana neighbor OF Phil. Nc
Kinney. Branch says he would lose his right
arm rather than vote for Mahone ana he cannot
see how any colored man who respects himself
can do it, He has always voted the Republican
ticket and has represented his county several
citizen of Farmville tells us that Branch has the
respect and confidence of all classes and that he
is a man no money can buy. He IS warm
-, MANASSAS, Va. October Is, 1882
TazelceH Branch, FulmpHte ld
| address YOU this public letter and through
YOU the other colored members of the Legislature
of 1873 $ with whom served, viz John NJ Daw-
son, Joseph r Evans W. N stevens, Henry Hill
FL. Clay Harris, Matt Clark, Armistead 5. Nick
ems. VIM. P. Lucas, Ross Hamilton, r.. G; 4.
Paige James p. Goodwin, Henry Cox, Robert
Norton, Peter J. Carter and John 3. Syphax.
call on you and them both those that are liv-
ing and those that are dead as witnesses agallsU
William Malone. ] charge that he was I'll
responsible author of the greatest outrage ever
attempted on the rights of colored freemen:
worse than the shotgun, for tnat could only
MAIN few voters; and worse than Tissue bal
LOTS and fraudulent returns, for they only
swindle for one election al Il time:
The act | fefer to, ii successful, would have
been permanent in it's effect and would have
brought you and your race into worse condi-
ton than Russian sefis, which consider worse
than the former condition of American slaves.
You all remember SENATE Bill, No. 81 IAN
Act to provide a'eharter for the city of Peters
burg" You know that William Malone, then
and now as | believe, the greatest bourbon or
Virginia, concocted that bill to establish in his
own city as absolute despotism his prOto-
type the Gzar of Russia, holds to-day over st.
Petersburg his capital city. You know that it
was the boast of the Mahoneites of that day that
when they got their heels on the neckS OF the
Republicans of Petersburg they would follow 1T
up by similar bills in every city and county i'll
which there was Republican majority.
Who saved your people from this irresponsible
deyPo5s wj5i remember that Won and the other Re-
publicans of the Legislature, together with the
colOred men of Petersburg, headed by Peter Il.
Morgan, asked me to take charge OF the oppo-
ton to the charter in the House of Delegates.
You remember how it was opposed by such
Democratic Senators as Pridemore and Cochran
and by such Democratic Delegates as Riddle
berger and Judge Blair. You will remember
how the cohorts OF Malone crowded the lobbies
and hotels demanding the contamination of the
outrage. You will also remember that when
that i'll starred measure had finally passed both
houses that appealed on your behalf to Dem
ocratic Governor and that did not appeal in
vain. And you remember how brave kempefs
veto message was read i'll the light of his blazing
efffgies i'll Petersburg, fired by Malone and his
miniOnS
You and | are Republicans. But when you
and and Is, 900 more of the same sort vote for
your neighbour Phil. Mckinney on the 9TH OF
November, we will be asked by MahonelteS
Are you going to vote for a Democrat?' Ana
some other bogus Republican will demand
ed peopleI Just name, one thing if you can
Thus you can replyi 'Kemper vetoed the Pet
ersbuig charter and majority of the Democrat
&c senators sustained kemper. We prefer non
est Democrats like kemper and Mckinney, to
dishonest and bogus Republicans like Malone"
firmly believe that when Governor kemper
and the Democratic Senate squelched the Peters
burg charter, they accomplished more for your
race than Malone has done, or could do in life
time. | know kemper was brave man during
the war, for fought against him: but believe
it took more genuine metallic fight the array OF
intolerance marShaled by VIM. Mahone than it
did to face Hancock's guns on the heights OF
Gettysburg. And under all the circumstances |
consider kemper's veto one OF the sreatesJ pa
pers that e,er emanated from an American
Executive.
am no Democrat. Inever voted for Demo-
cratic President except when the National Re
publican Committee deceived by MahOne) sent
Messrs. Burr and Loveland to advise Virginia
Republicans to vote the Hancock keadjuster
racy. ! am no apolOgist for any wrongs the
Democratic party has done. But have always
tried to be conscientious i'll my political action
and independent enough OF machines to 90
Justice even to a political opponent aud to con-
denim a demagogue of my own party.
At the approaching election we shall find 10
Republican in the Held for Governor. TO call
Malone a Republican is at once to do violence
to the English language and to American MS
tory. Between the two Confederate soldiers
Malone and Mckinney, prefer the latter w 10
Hero of the Crater" who against all the laws
of civilized warfare butchered the colored
troops WHO desired to surrender
As one whose first Republican work was done
when boy for John G. Fremont as one whose
first vote was cast for Abraham lincoln: as one
county of his adoption; as the ilst one to pro
pose in the Virginia Legislature che establish
ment of Normal School at PeterSburg as one
who, when a candidate, has always received the
support of Your people in his own county; as a
sincere admirer of John NJ. Langston the ablest
man of your race; and as one who for half a cen
fury has loved Republican principles even more
than the Republican name, adrise Don dnd
from your ticket the name Of Malone, the bogus Re
publican, and insert that OF Mckinney, the honest
Democrat. Respectfully, &C.,