Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1909-07-23
MANN ANSWERS
Attack Over Malone
Letters.
NOT ASHAMED OF HIS FRIENDSHIP

WVi hJtIhWLU VI titJ ! htLNOJuiF /.
Judge Mann. after dealing with politi-
cal history in Virginia, declares that
he was never ashamed of his friendship
for Malone, aud that he had supported
him az long as he wns Democrat, his
continuous support being based upon
the assumption that General Malone
would continue, as he then was, a
Democrat.
The statement In full follows:
Three letters, purporting to have been
written by me TO General Malone about
thirty years ago, were reproduced in
the Richmond papers. At the time they
were published / was absent in the
Southwest.
For the proper understanding of these
letters it is necessary to consider the
time and circumstances under which
they were written. Were it only the
older men in the State, familiar with
the history Of political events since 1869,
/ would not deem it necessary to say
! one word; but in the past thirty years a
new generation has grown up. For this
new generation it is necessary to re-
count briefly the political history of
Virginia between the years 1869 and
1879.
In 1869. upon the adoption of the new
Constitution. the State passed from
Military District No. back into the
Union. Walker was elected Governor
over Wells, the latter running with the
negro, DIR. Harris, on his ticket for
Lieutenant-Govern To secure the
election of Walker, the white mans
candidate. it was necessary to bring
together groups of men of varying
political opinion-old-line Wings, Wings.
Democrats and Northern men of the
better class who had come to Virginia
Mahone's Important Part.
Among the leading men who organized
this movement and secured the election
of Walker, and thus saved the State
from carpetbag and scalawag rule. the
fate of so many of the States south of
Virginia, General Malone acted an
important part, and from that time on
he was a notable figure in Virginia
politics. In 1872 the funding bill was
passed, making the interest coupons
tax receivable.
In a short time these tax-receivable
coupons poured into the Treasury in the
place of money. and the State govern
ment was embarrassed for funds neees-
sary for the current expense of the
government. Out of this embarrass-
ment there arose an agitation to read
just the debt settlement, and thereby
get rid of the tax-receivable coupons,
party was divided into two wings upon
this economic financial question, with
no political principle involved, one of
these wings being known as the Funder
Democrats and the other as the Read
juster Democrats. In 1879 the question
was voted upon by the people of the
State.
The Readjuster Democrats, led by
General Malone, Massey, James Bar.
bour, Fulkerson, Lewis Harvie, anc
others, elected majority of the Legis.
lature. In this Legislature of 1879 81
the Readjuster Democrats passed then
bill for the settlement of the State
debt, which was vetoed by Governor
Holiday.
| In December. 1879, General Malone
was elected United States Senator by
this Legislature, and / was elected
county Judge of Nottoway county. {
position had held by virtue of the TIVE
elections by the Democratic party, since
1870, and to which was again reelected
by the Democratic Legislature in 1885
Why Letters We're Written.
Under the circumstances surrounding
this reelection by the Legislature o
l879-'80, these letters were written
General Malone was elected at tha
time as a Readjuster Democrat, as j
fully proven by the fact stated in Sen
ator Ben Hills famous speech il
March, 1881, when General Mahon,
voted with the Republicans in the organ
izatiOn of the Senate, in which speecl
Senator Hill said:
81 understand there are in Virgini
what l call Readjuster Democrats an
Debt-Paying Democrats, or somethin
of that kind; but. as understand, a
are Democrats. -
This more than a year after my re
election as judge. 1t will he remen
bered that at the time the last of thes
letters was written, the Richmon
Wig, which was owned and controlie
| by General Malone. carried at the hea