Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1891-09-30
Wall of the Lost !

The late shrek of the State Republican
Committee, says the Petersburg Inde@'Ap.
peal, BOUNDED very much like the wan .,
the lost, not to say of the damned. ipa'
marty snrrepders in advance OF the batlie,
and against The protests of influential he-
publicaps in and cut OF the State, on the
pretext that under the AndersonSsMc-
Cormick law fair election is Impossible,
and that contest is therefore impractlca-
bic and unnecessary. But the truth Is
plain to all mankind familiar with the
facts in the case that, under tho present
organization and leadership, neither tne
Australian ballot, nor viva voce vote, nor
any other system of voting ever devised oy
human ingenuity, could afford the Repub-
lican party in Virginia the slightest snow
of success. There is settled conviction IN
the minds of thousands of respectable Re
publicans that defeat under the selfish and
despotic rule of Malone is more desirable
than victory, and they will remain apS-
thetic and indifferent as long as he con-
tinues to impose himself as Chairman upon
the party. 1t is the dread of his ascend
ency in Virginia that compels men, in
obedience to paramount duty to the State,
to act with the Democratic party while OPP
posing many Of its principles and practices,
and it is the shadow of his presence as
leader of the Republican party that makes
ballot reform impossible in Virginia. The
Democratic party has noted how he works
his organization againet the members Of
his own party, and iby that token they
know what his restoration to power In this
State would imply for his adversaries.
If the Fabian policy resorted to BY the
Republican Committee, so-called, relates
to any possible deal with the Farmers Al
lance, it will prove fruitless for the reasons
we have already outlined. Besides, there
will be no war between the Alliance and
the Democratic party, because intelligent
farmers not only understand what Malone
rule means, but they also know that they
have more chance of securing what they
want inside of the Democratic party than
anywhere else, and they would rather post
pone what they want than to surrender
their political Independence to one-man
rule. 1t is safe, therefore, to assert that
tho political Mr.. Micawber will have to
wait long time before anything turns up
favorable to him in the Farmers Alliance.
1t calls for no powers of prophecy to see
that no party in Virginia will ever again
march to victory under Mahone's leader
ship.
It is, doubtless, full appreciation OF
this fact which prompts Gen. Malone to
adopt the present evasive tactics that he
may prolong his influence and power in the
national councils of the Republican party
1t may seem to him better policy to put up
a poor mouth, and say that the wicked
Democrats, through fraudulent ballot,
force him and his party into an attitude OF
martyrdom before the world, rather than
boldly meet the issue and add the lambast-
ing which he would be sure to get to the
already long record Of disasters which be
has to his account.
But whether this dc-notbing policy is q
dalliance with the Alliance Or an imitation
of Mr.. Kilrain to avoid punishment matters
little. One thing is fully assured, whatever
may be the future of parties in this State,
the Republican party is "out Of it' as long
as Gen. Malone is in its lead.