The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1886-11-25
LetteE frem Hon. Jno, S. Wise.

Fr4v<
20 Congressional elections are over
and we have had a glorious Republican
victory in the State. For all this | feel
most profoundly thankful. | feel more
pride III the result in the Third Congress
sional District than in any IN the State.
notwithstanding we were defeated. 1t is
TO correct some manifest misapprehen-
Slons on your part touching the nature Of
our contest here that | wish to write to
yogi because, while think we understood
tourTYn affairs and managed them to our
best advantage, and. while all our Repub-
lican friends in this district feel as / Go
about that point, still have seen a good
deal OF comment in your paper and else
where as If we might have managed better
and might have coalesced with ths Mullen.
ties. / esteem your paper most highly as
one of the attest opponents of Republican
ism IN this State. | prize it's good opinion
and approval. 1t is this feeling which
prompts me to state the circumstances
attending our contest here. I think the
statement will convince you that we acted
in the only way we could act to preserve
the unity OF our party, and that we seized
upon the only chance we could by any pos
sibiiity have had to defeat the Democratic
nominee.
The pretence that Mullen ever had any
encouragement from the leaders of our
party to run in the way he attempted to
run IS mere after-thought Of his. 1t is
true that in the spring, after the May
elections, when the Republicans of this
city had elected by their votes reform
council. had interviews with several of
the reform leaders. | told them all
that the Republicans of this city were re-
jOiced at their success had very few de-
ynondC RI r, o I>o vyi1Iino
they should have all the offices, save city
attorney. for which they had no candidate
qualified, and one or two insignificant
places and added that if they treated us
fairly had no doubt we could SO arrange
qpon conference acith the Republicans of
the district as that one of their own num-
Der might receive the endorsement of our
party for Congress. The persons to whom
thus talked were Mr.. Henry L. Garter,
Mr., Jos. shelton, Mr. Mullen, Mr.. Dun
can and Mr.. Trimble. OF these Mr.. Null
len declared most emphatically. in the
presence of witnesses, that he would not
run for Congress under any circumstances.
Otherwise he was very non-committal.
Thus ended these interviews. Now for
the sequel. The reform members of
the council met in caucus. They nomi-
mated regularly, in their caucus, officers
for every office in Richmond by votes
sufficient to elect them in the council 1
recall particularly the nomination of Mr..
Robert Hubbard for city attorney. He re-
ceived, IN the caucus. enough votes for the
nomination, to elect him in the council.
After thus solemnly pledging themselves
In caucus these "ref0rmers" went to
the meeting of the council, utterly disre-
garded their caucus nominations and
pledges. and elected Democrats to every
office in this city. Not content with this
qualification of themselves they amused
themselves abusing the Republican party
and its leaders in most outrageous man.
ner, and seemed to delight in denying
them any recognition for the victory they
had won for them.
You will observe that the talk I had
with these people was before this action
of the Performers. - If it was binding in
favor of Mullen it was equally so in favor
of the others. Yet Carter, Shelton and
Trimble are now Democratic office holders
and one of Mullen's chief causes of COM
plant against Mr.. Geo. d. Wise, in the
late canvass, was that he was an migrate
because he had not given him (Mullen) an
Office. After the betrayal Of the Republi-
cans by the reform council Mullen never
had another interview with me or with
any other representative Republican that
know Of or ever heard of. He took no
step to establish relations with our
party. He had no conference with any of
our leaders and made no overture for our
support and no pledge of any kind to pro-
pitlate the Republicans. The Republi-
cans deferred their nomination, doubtless
expecting something like an invitation to
cooperation or conference. None came.
About the first of September rumors be-.
came rife that the knights of Labor
would shortly appoint committee of con-
ference. The various assemblies of the
district did choose delegates to assemble
and to confer as to arhat course they should
pursue. lam reliably Informed by many
participants in that gathering that it was
not selected for the purpose of nominating
a candidate for Congress, and that they
went to it with no notion that it would do
more, or that it had the power to do more,
than recommend course ofaction. When
that conference met it assembled in secret
session, and the name of Mullen was pre-
sented and rushed through to a nOmina
tion, without any representation on the
part of the Republican party. without any
attempt at ascertaining whether he was
acceptable, and, indeed, in such way as to
antagonize a great many Republicans who
might have been propitiated and gained
to his support by proper management of
proceedings to nominate. l saw it stated
frequently in Mullen's paper during the
canvass that my name was before the body
that nominated him and that my course
afterwards was from pique that if had
been nominated would have been salts
| fled, &c. My answer to that is simply
| that was 1900 miles away when his con-
| ference met, and did no. even know ii was
| to be held. That no human being had a
right to use my name in that connection.
That do not know until this day who
Itook such a liberty, if it was taken, and
that I would not have accepted the nomi-
! nation from his party and my own com.
| bined if it had been unanimously rendered
| "a fact well known to many friends be-
| fore his meeting occurred. | returned
| home two days after Mullen s nomination.
It was great surprise to every one. The
Knights of Labor themselves were pro-
| testing against it loudly as a snap judg-
ment, declaring that the body which NOM
| mated him was not selected for more than
conference. The Republicans, who had
been awaiting some sort OF conference
with the Knights of Labor, were indignant
| that they should be expected, a second
time. after their recent experience, to sup
port a man in whose nomination they had
no part or lot: who was under no pledges
to them and whose own followers did not
approve him. am sure that the first day
after my return met twenty leading Re
publicans of this city who boldly pro-
claimed that sooner than support Mullen,
nominated as he had been, they would
vote for the Democratic nominee The
wide spread feeling here among the Re-
publicans was that the deliberate purpose
of Mullen and his little band of followers
was to steal away the Republicans from
| the old organization and leaders by means