Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-18
OUR LOCAL AFFAIRS.
THE MALONE KISSING.
seme Newspaper Descriptions OF h and OF
the HuEging.

the HuHgtngs
The hugging and kissing OF Riddle
berger by Malone at the recent Repuo-
lican Convention, by which the latter
silenced the former and won him to bis
side after repeated Kisses and howls
had failed to do it, was a stroke OF
strategy which the newspaper para
graphists and the caricurists are ein-
balming for the use Of the campaign
and posterity.
Nearly all the northern newspaper
correspondents who were present tele-
graphed racy accounts Of it. The kiss
ing part of it is said to have been un-
precedented in the annals OF political
conventions. There have been hugs
before, but not kisses.
1t all occurred on the stage: the
hugging in the presence of thousand
people; the kissing as the two turned
from the footlights to take their seats
on the rear Of the stage.
MAHoNE TO THE FRONT.
,Correspondence Philadelphia Times.l
The stage was crowded and the whole
Convention in an uproar. In the midst
of this Malone pushed his way to the
front Of the stage. lie called IN tue
loudest tones for order, and when quiet
was partially restored placed his hand
upon Riddleberger and appealed to him
to permit the Convention quietly to
proceed with its business. Riddle
berger appeared to be touched by this
appeal and extended his hand to Malone.
A reconciliation was then and there ei-
fected amid a storm OF the widest
cheering in all parts of the house. The
two senator's retired together to the
back of the stage, where they en-
braced each other. Malone kissed
Riddleberger twice on the cheek. The
reconciliation prevented what is be.
lieyed would have resulted in discord
between the two senators. Attorney
General Blair joined the two Senator's
and engaged in the hugging.
AS TO THE HUGGING.
Especial in New York Times Of yesterday.
Up sprang the leaders in the front
row of the stage, crowded in an instant
by those at the back. The reporters
at the side and the occupants Of the
boxes were standing upon chairs look
ing at throng that swayed wildly
about in the space that was clear but a
moment before. The footlights cast a
bright light upon the struggling mass.
Beyond the lights the excited Conven-
ton, now in an uproar, was ready for a
rush across the seats and upon the
stage. Had one man fired shot at that
moment the hitherto orderly body would
have become one of. bloody rioters in
the twinkle of an eye.
This was Mahone's opportunity, and
he saw it. Beating his way through
the crowd that was trying to keep Gro
ner and Wilson from coming to blows,
he stood in the glare Of the footlights,
appealing in a piercing voice for order.
The machine responded with yell for
its master. lie had subdued it with a
word. Before anybody could tell just
how it happened he had sub
dued an incipient riot, He had
cowed the turbulent Rlddlebcr-
ger, and presently the two stood.
with arms about each others shoul-
ders, like ill-assorted twins Of lowell
ness and peace. Riddleberger, who had
come to the stage full of anger and
fight, seemed to be only too glad to
have got out of a bad box at any price.
He promised to let the Convention 60
on. and, still with Mahone's arms thrown
about him in loving embrace, "the
gamecock of the Valley" declared to
the Convention Gentlemen, am
not conscious OF having done anything
wrong, but in your judgment, if you
think / have, charge it to Malone. He
can stand it better than | can
The cheers for Malone and Riddle
berger that followed this shutting out
of Riddleberger served good purpose
in Kidding the Convention Of Riddleber-
GERS presence. He had added one
more incident to his record that Will fill
a companion page to that occupied by
the story Of his attack in the Senate
upon Bayard.
KISSING MATCH