The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1884-04-03
Letter from Gen. Wickham.
RICHMOND, VA, Mar. 2Sth. 1884.
Major s.. M. YOst.


Myor S. M. Yost.
Editor VaAey Vngiyaaan,
Dear SIR = In one of the editorials in
your last paper the following paragraph
1.-THE Conventions which created the
State Committees, each of which claims
to be the regular Committee, were both IT.
Irregular in their organization and neither,
''under strict construction, could be con-
''sidered legally the representative of the
s'party. There were defects in both. This
Twas conceded in the Convention of which
''Mr. Lawson's, as well as Maj Dezen-
ssdOrf's Committee, is the offspring, by the
candidates nominated On the State ticket
:. lin 1881 g., declining to accept; One of the
controlling reasons for the declension was
ssthat the Convention was not composed
"of majority of the regularly appointed
delegates. y
You are certainly mistaken in regard to
the reasons which induced me to decline
the nomination of the Republican C0nven-
tion at Lynchburg. I never doubted the
regularity and legitimacy of that Conven-
ton, and it was not from any doubt upon
that subject that declined.
A portion Of the delegates to the Con-
vention bolted from it before the hour for
meeting and united with band of Read
justers in Coalition Convention for the
avowed purpose of destroying the Repub-
lican organization of this State. Less than
a year before had seen the certain success
Garfield presidential election, Converted s ted
into defeat by the action of the very
people who manipulated the pretended
Convention Of the Coalitionists at Lyach-
burg, who under guise Of authority from
the National Republican Committee, en-
deavored to transfer the Republican vote
of the State to the Readjuster Hancock
and English ticket and effected such de-
moralization in the ranks of the Republic
can party as to cause the loss of more
votes than would have been enough to have
given the electoral vote of the State to
Garfield.
If these people were enabled thus to
lose the State to Gen. Garfield, felt that
packed, as they were by some members of
the Government at Washington, / would
be too heavily handicapped TO make win
ming fight, and, therefore, solely upon per-
sonal grounds, declined to make a con-
test which would result in sure defeat
brought about by the detection of those
who ought to have yielded support to the
party.
In regard to the reasons which operated
upon you in declining the nomination for
Lieut.. Governor, it is not my province to
speak, further than to say that had, at
the moment that / declined, assurance
from you that, if would accept the NOM
ination, you would also accept. and to say
further, that your paper Immediately after
wards sustained fully the legitimacy of
our Republican Convention, and has since
from time to time done so. and that your
article of the 9th is the first occasion in
which l have seen you question. in the
slightest degree, the legitimacy of that
Convention.
For myself, can recognize but one Re-
publican party and but one Republican
State Committee, and that is the one of
which the Hon. John F. Dezendorf is
chairman.
1t is through that organization alone, in
my Judgment, that the Republican party
can be led to success in Virginia.
With the Republican party, with its or
ganization intact. and its principles ad- |
hered to and honestly and steadily pursued |
here in this State, we can by steady straight |
forward work achieve victory, and I |
have, and shall continue to labor to that |
end. But with this Coalition attempt to |
strike down the honest and patriotic Re |
publicans who choose to adhere to their |
principles and name, rather than follow |
after what they regard as false leaders, de-
feat will be inevitable and perpetual.
Yours truly, WINS. G. WICKHAM.