Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-04-25
DEATH OF JOHN E. MASSEY.

dOD. JONI Ia ndoecy uieu nv V'Ao
O'Clock yesterday evening at Char
lottesvllle, after en- Illness of about a
week, resulting from exposure while
addressing meeting 10 the rain. The
cold wonid have been thrown off easily
by younger man, and indeed in his
case little uneasiness was felt until
Tuesday night, when about midnight q
change for the worse occurred and he
gradually lost strength until death en-
sued. His funeral will take place at
noon Friday. His wife and his child.
rem were present when he died. Mr..
Massey was nominated Monday for the
constitutional convention. His death
will necsssitate the nomination of an.
other candidate by the Albemarle
democrats. Possibly the convention
which nominated Mr.. Massey and Mr..
Boaz may be reassembled to select an.
other candidate.
Mr.. Massey was one Of the strongest
public speakers 10 the State, and as q
debater probably had no equal In Vir-
GINA. He was one Of the earliest ad.
vocates of readjusting the State debt,
and came to be known as the "Father
OF Reimbursement" His public career
covered period Of many years, and he
maintained his intellectual vigor to the
last. He was man OF remarkable
strong individuality. and though he had
many enemies, he managed to main.
tain his hold on popularity, as the recent
struggle In Albemsrle county indicated.
For the past % years he had been fac
tor in Virginia politics. One Of his most
memors BILE struggles Of later years was
that which closed Monday with his
domination for the constitutional con.
ventiop. From the first Massey was q
convention man. On the issue Of the
party indorsing this question he defeated
Senator Martins friends, as he did 10
the fight which hes just closed. It was
In the last battle that he contracted the
cold which caused his death. His vic.
tory In this case was O most notable
one, overwhelming all opposition, and
from the highest quarters.
Mr.. Massey was born In Spotsylvania
county, SO years ago. He first studied
law and was admitted to practice, but
soon abandoned that profession for the
ministry. He was ordained In the
Baptist Church and has preached 10
many places In Virginia. He was
member of the House of Delegates and
subsequently ofthe Virginia Senate soon
after the war, and be came into promi-
hence during the agitation Of the debt
question In the campaign OF 1878 8. 10
that year he met John w. Daniel, ]. l.,
NJ. Curry and others Of the most bril-
liant "debt.payipg" speakers of the
State. After serving two terms In the
House and one in the Senate he
ran for o second term In the latter
body. but the democrats beat him with
"debt.paylng" republican-Evert
Early. II was costly victory, as Mas
sey's party had pretty much carried
every other part OF the Commonwealth.
In 1881 he broke away from Malone.
and while auditor he became the real
head of the "Big Four" In the Senate,
which became the entering wedge In
breaking Mahone's power in Virginia.
Massey was behind this movement and
inspired the four boiling Senators
Newberry ,Ly brook, Williams and Hale,
from Carroll county. In 1888 he ran for
Congress from the State at large. The
democrats did not nominate him, but
gave him what was practically an In.
dorsemsnt. Msssey's opponent wss
John s. Wise, who won after one of the
most remarkable campaigns known 10
the State. After it had ended Massey
and Wise had o personal encounter.
After that campaign Mr.. Massey re-
manned with the democratic party. 10
1885 he was elected lieutepant.governor
on the ticket with Fitz Lee. The legis-
lsture OF 1SS3.1SS4 made him super'n-
tendsnt Of public instruction, which PC
sition he held until three years ago.