Democratic Sentinel, Volume 5, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 March 1881 — MAHONE. [ARTICLE]

MAHONE.

Ben Hill’s Parting Salute to tbe Little Virginia Renegade. Never before has there been such an exhibition iu the Senate, where a gentleman shows his Democracy by going over to the Republicans. I will not defend Virginia; shd needs no defense; she has given to the country, and world, and humanity some of the proudest names in history. She holds in her bosom today the ashos of some of the noblest and greatest men that ever illustrated the glories of any country; and I say to the Senator from Virginia that neither Jefferson, nor Madison, nor Henry, nor Washington, nor Lee, nor Tucker, nor any of the long list of great men whom Virginia produced ever accepted a commission to represent one party and came here and represented another party. (Addressing himself to the Republicans.) I commend him to you. Is there any man on that side of the chamber who dcubts the honorable Senator was sent to this body as a Democrat V Is there a man in this va-t audience who doubts? Is there a man in Virginia who doubts it? The gentleman himself will not deny it. Up to this hour it was not known on this side* the chamber or in the country how the gentleman would vote. The Senator from New York (Mr. Conkiing) seemed to have information that somebody who had been elected as a Democrat would vote with the Republicans, and I wanted to find out who that was. It seems I have uncovered him. The Senator (Mr. Mahone) will not rise and say he could have been elected to this Senate as a Republican or if he had given notice that in the organization of this body he would have voted with the Republicans. I have no objection to the gentleman remaining oucside tho caucus; Shave no objection to the gentleman be inn inependent ; l have no objection to a man taking every side to a question ; but I do object to anybody coming into this high council, sent here by one sentiment, commissioned by one party, professing to be a Democrat, and after he gets here acting with the other party. If the gentleman, as he has very broadly hinted, changed his opinions and lvs party affiliation (as he had a right to do), he should have gone to the people of Virginia and said : “You believed me to be Democratic when you gave me this pos tion, but I now feel it my duty to cooperate with the Republican party, and I return you the commissiou you gave me.” If the gentleman had done that he could have asked the people of Virginia to renew his commission* and he would have had a claim to tbe title of manhood to which he pronounced himself entitled here in such theatrical style. I have done what the newspapers could not do. what both parties could not do, what the whole country could not do ; I have brought out the Senator from Virginia. But now, in tho kindest spirit, I make a last appeal to the honorable Senator, whatever other fate befall him, to be true to (he tiust which the people of Virginia gave him. Whoever else may be disappointed, whoever else may be deceived, I appeal to the gentleman to be true to the people and sentiment of the party which have kindly comissioned him to a seat in this body.