Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-10-23
From the Spirit of the Valley. Oct. 1Sth.l
WE CAN NO LONGER SUPPORT MALONE.

From the Spirit of the Valley. Oct. 1Sth.l
WE CAN NO LONGER SUPPORT MALONE.
In taking the important step which we
are about to take we assure our readers that
We do so after full consideration and we do
what we think any honest man holding our
views would be bound to do.
Many honest men will support Gen. Ma
hone for the goyernorship, and many OF
them are both our political and our person
al friends.
But they could not and would not sup
port Gen. Malone il they looked at the
matter as we do.
Men will differ and even friends will dif-
fer sometimes, but every honest man will
do what he thinks is right, and let the con-
sequences take care of themselves.
When Gen. Malone had the presumption
to have himself dominated at Norfolk: in
defiance of the best judgment even of those
who almost worshipped him the editor of
the SprH Of the Valley was present and
saw the outrages there perpetrated upon
Republicans, yet such was his devotion TO
Republican principles and so anxious was
he to see them succeed that he determined
to support the ticket, notwithstanding oil
that Gen. Malone had done to break up the
party and to persecute its best members. +
We knew that Gen. Malone was arbitra.
ry. dictatoria., domineering, malignant and
selfish; but we had no proof that he was
personally dishonest, nor had the evidence
been produced that he was base enough to
stoop to the contemplate device of writing
an anonymous communication to his own
personal organ (the Richmond Wing, )flled
with base ISLANDERS and malicious falsehoods
concerning the then chief executive of the
State, and then, when caught in this sneak
ing attempt to stab his friend in the dark,
that he would cringe like whipped
spaniel before the man he had so basely
wropged.
But all this, and more, is proved by the
letter which We publish in anott er column
from ex-Gov. WIN. E. Cameron.
This latter not only proves what we have
stated above, but it shows also that Gen.
Malone, while thus attacking exGov.
Cameron for his connection with the Plan
ters' and Mechanics Bank of Petersburg,
had, by means of a legal conveyance or co.,
tract between himself and his (Gen. Ma
hone's) son prevented the State of Virginia
from getting part of the money due her,
and tits, too, when Gen. Malone is himself
reputed to be very rich-in fact, to be
worth largely over million dollars.
This evidence of treachery and of dis
honesty is with US "the straw which broke
the cancels back" In OTHER WORDS,
WHILE WE HAVE STOOD MANY THINGS, WE
CAN NOT AND WILL NOT SUPPORT FOR THE
HIGHEST OFFICE IN THIS OLD COMMON
WEALTH MAN WHO is THUS PROVED TO
BE SUCH A DISHONEST AND TREACHEROUs
MAN.
For the party's sake we could and did
IL L. L
science of power strike down first one and
then another Republican and Readjuster
who had done valiant service for the cause,
but, after entering our earnest protest, we
continued to give him our support, be-
cause of our deep and determined oppo-
sit,nn to urbonism.
We saw him destroy Republican ma
iority of ever Is, 600 for Cameron in 1881,
and by his course create Democratic ma
iority CT over 16, 900 for Lee in 1885, and
yet We continued to support him and to
hope for better things.
We saw him, by the underhanded
methods which he loves SO we'll, attempt to
stab James G. Blaine by his notorious
secret circular, and still we condoned this
political crime.
We saw him openly and contemptuous
defy the authority of the National Republi-
can party by the manner in which he
| selected his delegates to the National Re-
publican Convention, and, when he was
| rebuked, we saw him continue to insist
| upon running his illegally selected electors,
but yet such was our concern for the sue
cess of Harrison and Morton and the prin-
ciples for which they stood, that we gave
his ticket hearty, earnest, and, we think,
effective support.
| We eaw him sfterwai Gs defeat the Harri-
son ticket in this State By his outrageous
and unaccnuntabls course in the Fourth
District but yet We cortinued our support
and hoped on.
Then when General Harrison had been
elected in +pi'e of Gen. Malone, and when
the National Republican Committee, seeing
the terrible condition into which he had
gotten thu party iu the State, stepped in
and effected a compromise, we saw Gene
raj Malone trampling this compromise
under his feet and treating all of his Oppo-
nents with contempt, we said Mahoneism
is not Republicanism, but yet, perhaps il
is better than Bourbopism, and we still did
not recognise the fact that patience had
ceased to be- virtue.
| But nov, when we have the proof before
US that he is both coacardiy and dishonest
we feel that thinking as we do, it would
be crime IN us to advocate longer the
placing of such man in the position held
by those pure men whom Virginians have
generally chosen IS their Governors.
| We have heretofore overlooked his mis-.
takes and political crimes because we saw
thes, as We see now, the great danger OF
| Democratic rule in this country, but when
we see CO ardice and dishonesty added to
his other faults we cannot continue to adj
wise other men to do what we can not dc
ourselves, and therefore we have deter
mined to remove the M ,hone Gubernatc-
| rial ticket from the head of our columns.