Show I It L- L L JUS JUST 1 II Who were the when was the party formed and what figure did they cut In the cat cal world This was a question asked by a Salt Laker leaker In a group of ot men who were talking politics I IThe The had their organization in Virginia a in 1878 1818 Its head was William Mahone a native of ot the Old Dominion st state te and a not not- clan He served in the confederate ate army and was famous as a fighter reaching the rank of ot major major major ma ma- jor general After Atter the war he be became became became be- be came a a prominent factor in Virginia VIrginia Virginia Vir VIr- ginia po politics He was sm small ll in stature and weighed less than pounds but h he was a fighter tighter and his fighting propensities were conspicuous in the political world as he was in war w and he was was' on one of ot the most unique and striking characters of his time He was wealthy making his his' money in constructing constructing con con- railroads railroads- in in the the- South Originally he wits was a De Democrat He opposed Bourbon rule in his state and Mine came me o out t in open pen revolt against it lt divided his party on the question of the debt of ot the state of or Virginia and on this question he was charged with seeking the re repudiation repudiation re- re of or the debt a charge which he vigorously denied When he lie organized the Readjust Readjust- ers era the movement was regarded as having nothing In n view other than local ocal designs but the leading Republicans Republicans Republicans Re Re- publicans of ot the country saw a way they believed in in the move to break the solid South The South was solid for the Democrat party and this solid soUd phalanx with the aid of ot the three states of ot In Indiana Indiana Indiana In- In diana New Jersey Jersy and New York Tork at that time all Democrat states could bring about the election ot of ota ofa a D mat Democrat m at for president RAPID PROGRESS General Mahone made rapid progress progress progress pro pro- gress in the organization of ot his party and andes as Gs the Republican RepUblic n party part wa vas wag then In a hopeless minority in itt Virginia he publicly invited an alliance and In the platform of ot the i placed a a plank which advocated tree free schools for the blackman blackman black blackman man man manana and ana a a. full tull enforcement t of or national national national na na- na- na laws touching their civil rights When the ballots ballot were counted count count- ed on the night of ot the presidential lection Mahone had bat w wOn n the legislatUre legislature legislature legis legis- lature and on December 16 ing he was elected to the tha th United States tates senate to suca succeed ed S Senator Robert E E. Withers the latter had been elected as a eons cons conservative rv and took I his seat seat March 4 1875 HeI Ho He served the full tuIl ulI term r retiring in 1881 I In the presidential campaign of or 1880 the supported Gene General al WInfield Wintield Scott Hancock but on a separate ticket while the Republicans supported Garfield on onan onan onan an electoral ticket of ot their own but there was vas an understanding between the leaders of ot the two parties which did not as the Democrat When Mahone s con- con was In session it signified I a willingness to support General Grant should the Chicago convention con en tion tion name him as the Republican candidate Friends of or General Grant made much over this promise promise prom prom- ise and they used it in pushing the campaign for Grant declaring that the action of ot tho the Mahone followers the R adjusters demonstrated that Grant would carry a number of ot southern states TAKES NEW TACK President Hayes made every ef effort et- et fort tOrt to break the solid saUd south The MahOne movement wils was encouraged after atter conciliatory speeches were made but the more radical part of ot the Republicans believed the addresses ad ad- dresses to conciliatory so much so that a division in the party came near being carried out and nud a a. new tack was taken Hayes Hayes- Placed place David M M. M Key of Tennessee in the cabinet as postmaster general gener gener- al who it was believed would the old Whig element in the but It likewise failed tailed T Then en In the fall fallo of or 1879 1878 sena ex-sena- tor Simon Cameron of ot Pennsylvania was sent by President Hayes on a tour of t f the south his real mission being td to E confer conCer with General Mahone Mahone Maw Ma Ma- u hone the leading Readjust rs and w with leading Republicans in the south and Ti and after several conferences had be been uen-r n held eld it ll was determined tha that the and the south national issues and objects Later Late General Mahone and Senator Senator Sena Sena- tor J 3 J. J Don Cameron held several conferences and new combinations were devised to break the solid sou south in In the tho state campaign General Mahone learned that tHere were a large number of ot blackmen who were likely their to be disfranchised Owing to inability to pay taxes the state o of Virginia Imposed d upon them and this disfranchisement meant the defeat of the anti D anti Bour u bon candidate for go ej E. E William Willlam Cameron who was a Re Re- adjuster I CAMERON ELECTED General Mahone th then n n. n appealed ledo for tor aid from the north Elaine Blame op on- posed granting of ot aid but G Garfield and most of his cabinet favored ex extending ex- ex tending help heip and the r final al result was t that at Senator S. S J J. D Donald Car Cam Carn eron engaged in New w York raIsing funds Jo to meet the taxes of ot the tho blackmen and th s insure their elec elec- tive franchise and finally the revenue revenue rev rev- forces of ot the country were ware I called upon upon for tor aid the response I being practically universal so that on the eve of the election the taxes needed had been raised and paid and when on the day following followings the battle of ot the ballots ballots' was f fought it in the election of ot the Re- Re adjuster candidate for governor William Cameron by majority while the remainder of oZ the state offices was divided between the Re- Re adjusters and the Republicans The l legislature was also carried by the combination Before the term of ot General Mahone Mahone Ma Ma- hone expired the P party had dissolved and disappeared He died In 1895 There was a memorable scene in the senate when Mahone took the oath of ot of office rIca and cast his hh vote with the the- Republicans when Senator Hill of ot Georgia in ip an address address ad ad- dress denounced the actions of ot the the- Virginian who likewise was bitter i in n his reply |