The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-08
MALONE is DYING.
FAMOUS READJUSTER IN THE GRIP
OF TRE.GkIM REAPER

Nation and 1T One Time Held the Unite
States Senate in the Hollow of His Han
He Made Postmasters and then Take
Them for All They were Worth-sma
missal of Madison's Servant to Spit
Senator Ben HILL
Washington, Oct. THE sudden i'll
| ness of ex-senator Malone of Virgini:
has set many persons rejecting upor
the ups and downs in American public
| life. as Illustrated by the fortunes of Z
man who a dozen years ago held tn,
political destiny of the great state o.
Virginia in the hollow of his hand, bu
whose chief occupation for the last half
decade has been to struggle with con.
| gress to induce it to buy piece OF land
of him for printing Office. Recollec-
| tons of his methods as a political boss
are recounted at every gathering of pol
iticians in this city. He used to swing
party patronage with a long arm in the
early eighties. He used to leave lying
on his table, as means of impressing
the causal visitor of the sense of his
power, in his palmy days, printed
blank reading in this way:
Form Number Sd
washington, D. c. - 1855.
General: Please appoint -- Post
master at -, in the County of -
Virginia.
This is at the request Of those inter
ested in the Office, and for the good of
the service. as am advised and believe.
Yours truly,
WILLIAM MALONE,
To the First Assistant Postmaster
General, Post-office Department.
This document was endorsed, also in
print, in this way:
Senator Malone, - -, 18S-, rec
omends the appointment of -- for
ostmaster at - in - county, Vir-
ginia.
Malone worked diligently in con-
junction with Jay Hubbell, assessing all
the federal office holders within reach
Once in while his mechanical meth
DDS brought him to grief. The story is
told Of a Democrat who had deserted
his party, and done great deal of
work for General Malone in one Of the
southwestern counties of Virginia, and
had received postoffice in return.
The neghborhood was not thickly set
tied, or the people very much given to
letter writing; and the result was that
during the first month of his office hold
ing the postmaster took in only four
cents in cash-the price of one three
cent postage stamp and one postal card.
A campaign was just coming on, and
the postmaster had hardly time to fig
ure up his profits from his office when
circular arrived from Hubbell. de-
handing 5 per cent. of his official in
come for campaign purposes. This was
quickly followed by one from Malone
calling on him for 10 per cent of the
same income. The postmaster con-
cluded that, after handing over per
cent. and then 10 per cent. the remain
der of the four cents was not likely to
lay the foundation of fortune; so he
threw up the post Office and his men,
bership in the Readjuster party at the
same time, and went back to his old
love among the Democrats.
Malone could be very small in certain
ways when he had vengence 10 crafty
An old negro, who had been a servant
in President Madison's family, had re-
ceived an appointment as an employee
of the United States senate at the in
stance of Ben Hill of Georgia. The
place was worth only a few hundred
dollars a year, and the old man was
abundantly able to perform its duties
in spite of his advanced age. He was
a favorite with all the senators who
came in contact with him. Malone
wanted place for one of his bankrupt
heelers, and learning that the negro had
been appointed through the influence of
Hill, who had recently given him a ter
rife drubbing in a speech in the senate,
20 e \
said:
II want that nigger's place.!
why" demonstrated the sergeant
alarms, that is Robert Stewart. He
was one of President Madison's SER
wants. He has been here -
Yes, yes, l know: but you might as
well make him out one of Washington's
while you are about it. Per-
haps that would help him get another
position. 1 want his placer
AS the senator insisted, sergeant-at-
arms complied. for that was the per-
iod when the Readjuster chief held the
balance of power in the senate.
In 1884 a commander who had been in !
the navy twenty-three years was super /
ntendent of the fifty lighthouse dis |
trict. He dismissed a VIGOROUSLY in |
negro who had been appoint |
I'd by order of Malone. The senator |
ordered his henchmen back again. The |
senator went to Washington and de- |
nanded that the commander be disci- |
Dlined. 1t took the secretary of the |
navy four weeks TO bring himself |
around TO the point of carrying out this |
OeheSt. and then the officer was put on /
waiting orders with the reduced pay
Incidental TO that condition.
1t is not difficult TO appreciate the in
iignation which inspired eX-Attorney-
General MacVeagh. as early as 1882. TO /
Xclaim: Look at the awful humilia-
ion through which Malone and his IS
iociates are dragging the state of Vir-
yiniai Every citizen must be ashamed I
II the spectacle. The adminisN alton is
lrostituting the national treasury to
'nable a certain portion OF the people
II Virginia TO enforce another portion
o repudiate her debt"
There was one man in Washington
turing General Mahone's supremacy
vho took great satisfaction in showing |
hat he was the senator's equal in a |
anne Of political bluff. This was Mr..
Rounds. then puiss4e printer. Malone
vent one day to the government print
ne Office TO demand the dismissal Of a |
er1ain composition. a Virginian. who !
ad worked against him in a recent !
Mr.. Rounds objected 10 dis
Missing the man. Mr.. Blank is a good
said he. He is faithful and /