Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-26
THIS BEING PALPABLE,


have received but Y out of 262.
THIS BEING PALPABLE,
what does General Malone mean when
he says l must reverse lay argument as
to the majority ruling in organization IL
order to oppose the unit rule
l do say the majority ought not to rule
IN the deleGaHOn from Virginia. Why?
Because our delegation is but part of q
whole. If it was the deciding and final
body the majority ought to rule. But it
is only part of whole-and that whole
composed of SO many delegates. The
convention is not an electoral college in
which States are the integral units.
The National Convention of the Republi-
can party repudiated that theory when
it refused to recognize the unit rule in
1884. 1t in effect declared that to vote
States under the unit rule was TO
use a false integral in body the true
integral of which is the vote
OF each delegate. The reason Of
this decision Was two-fold. The first
was one of policy, growing out OF the
fact that oOssism in the great States Of
New York and Pennsylvania gave their
tremendous vote into the hands Of the
party msnipulatOrs, and enabled them,
welding their votes as a unit, TO count
out and override the candidates support
ed by the smaller States and the other
reason was one OF principle-yiz., that
the Republican party naturally preferred
the Federal idea wherein the unit WAS
the individual delegate, TO the States
rights idea as represented in the electo-
raj or unit rule. For this reason the
National Convention of 1884 required
district delegates to be elected by district
conventions, and only permitted State con-
vestions to elect four delegates at large.
We will have from Virginia twenty-four
delegates, it is true, but they will be
elected 10y eleven distinct conventions,
four by the State Convention, and TWEEN
~ by ten district conventions, who elect
two each. Eleven distinct constituencies
are thus represented by these delegates.
Yet General Malone, ignoring the policy
enuncisted by the National Convention,
wants them all TO pool their issues, and
all be bound to do whatever thirteen Of
the twenty-four may decide, although
when they have decided how they will
vote they have still decided nothing,
for the vote of the Virginia delega-
ton must still be cast in the conyen-
ton which is the deciding body. |
say that such a proceeding is absurd.
The eleven bodies creating these dele
gates were entirely distinct. The body
to which they are sent is the true place
where their votes should be cast, and
counted as cast, in determining result.
10 meet with other delegates elected by
other constituents ; to pool issues "
with them and form a wheel in a wheel !;
to risk being in minority in this side
show, and thereby risk ones vote being
counted exactly opposite to his con-
yictions in the body to which he
wgs sent to vote. seems to me
the height of folly in delegate.
General Mahone's argument about the
power which the unit rule gives by put
ting in the twenty-four votes together
has no weight with me. Virginia. with
her twenty-four votes, would cut no more
figure beside New York, Pennsylvania.
Ohio, and other States than General Ma
hone would walking 10y the side Of the
Cardiff giant And to begin playing at
the game is an invitation TO them to play
1t also, and beat us very badly. AS TO
General Mshone's argument that the
unit rule is protection against dele
gates who wish to sell out, it is on the
same line as his reasoning about his
appointing chairmen. General Mahone's
sollcitude for the honesty of the Repub-
llcan party must keep him awake o'nights.
He, however, proceeds In all his plans on
the rather uncomplimentary theory that
ho has great many rsscals or otherwise
unreliable parties to deal with. Surely
the men sent from our districts do not
have 10 be coralIed 10 prevent their
selling out? Yet this was in substance
the argument OF General Mshone in IA
vor OF the unit rule in that unfor-lbeg
pardonl that LITTER in which the adop-
ton OF the unit rule was urged by him.
The truth Ia the General has been wet