Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-03-30
Mr.. WlSE'S LETTER.
OPINIONS CONCERNING TT FROM
THE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF
THE VIRGINIA DELEGATION IN
CONGREs

] OGlNiONO NONtEhNlNb II hhO1i
THE REPUBLICAN MEMBERS OF
THE VIRGINIA DELEGATION IN
CONGREs
The Fredericksburg Free Lance
in it's last weeks issue prints inter
views with Senator Riddleberger
and other Republican congressman
from this state concerning the re
cent letter of Hon. John s. Wise to
the Republicans of Virginia, as fol.
lows:
Reporter: Now that you have
read Mr.. Wise's address, Mr.. Sen.
ator, do yOu think it means a rup
ture with Malone; or is it a meth.
cd, adopted by those two, who
believe, have been intimate friends,
to let Malone down easily after his
late unfortunate secret circular and
to pro, ide way to restore him to
the control OF the party, he MA.
hone) to make certain concessions ~
Senator r.: al do not think il
means arupture in personal sense,
or even in political sense. In some
respects the letter Is a little remark.
able to me. In our last state con.
ventiOn | tried to inauguTate the
very thing now suggested by Mr..
Wise, and | had no assistance from
any quarter, notwithstanding the
well known tact that Gen. Malone
sent into the galleries for the two
or three cOlored speakers to assail
me, which they did with all the
venom and brutality that has been
lnstilled into them. It was by this
method that the endeavOr to make
our party republican instead of per.
sonal was choked of. | am glad
to see that Mr.. Wise is now as de.
termined as | was then, and that
he has put his purpose before the
people in words that cannot be
misunderstood. | hope Mr.. Wise's
determination will last through the
May convention, and that no ap.
peals will sway him from his course,
as he intimates was done in our
last convention. If we would have
harmony and party unity we must
secure them by the very line which
he marks out. If we would keep
up our factional contests we can
do so by yielding to the existing
condition of affairs after the dele.
gates begin to assemble. / remem.
Der how it was resolved by 102 del
egates to our last convention, all
from the valley and southwest, to
do what MIR. Wise now outlines,
and | have not outgrown my sur.
prise and chagrin when several of
the most prOminet of these were on
the platform aggressively advocat-
ing everything suggested by Gen.
Malone. The advantage of the
general in that convention was OBJ.
tained in the organization, by his
selection of Col. Lamb for chair.
man. Capt. Wise, Gen. Malone
and myself had some experience
with him, as a presiding officer in
1873. Gen. Malone was smart
enough TO seem to forget the past,
and avail himself of his knowledge
of Col. Lambs peculiar and gu.
perior qualifications as chairman
of the convention. However | have
not quite answered the direct ques.
ton as to the rupture. 1t is diff
cult for me to even guess at what
may make a rupture with Gen. Ma.
hone. For nearly three years he
has tried to snub me, and since
1888, he has not, as chairman, ask
ed me to participate in a canvass,
whereas, before that, | could not
do enough to satisfy him. [ can
not conceive of any reason for the
beginning of this. OF course, since
then. | have gwen abundant cause
for the continuance of the break in
our relations. The letter which |
wrote about his vote and conduct
on the Blair bill no doubt widened
the chasm. | mention this rather
by way of illustration. If he shall
treat Wise as he did me, there will
be Il personal rupture, unless Wise
shall pursue line OF policy differ
ent from that which l have .pur.
sued, and ever will pursue, toward
any man."
Reporter "N no is your choice
for president and what candidate
do you consider the strongest with
the Republican party Of Virginia 7
What effect will Sherman's nomi.
nation have in Virginia and what
are your views of the unit rule 7"
Senator r.: | have no choice for
president among the many Repnb-
licans named. don't want Mr..
Sherman for president for reasons
which you can find in most Of the
Republican journals of the country.
He has made himself specially OBJ
noxious to the Pacific coast people
as you will see by reading Senator
Stewards speech to the entire for.
eign element, to the surviving sol.
diers of the union, to the south,
and to all but the bankers and
brokers of the north, east and west.
1t is not worth while to discuss
him in this connection. He can
not be nominated. Though his
boom appears to be going on, it IS
merely a boom. 1t will end in a
boom. Allison, Farwell, Harrison,
Blair and a number of others have
better chances.
Reporter How about Hawley 7
Senator: No chance Whatever
He opposed the Blair bill, was for
the British treaty, and Repnbli.
cans have no idea of bestowlng a
complimentary nomination 10 make
a Democratic president.
AS to the effect of Sherman's
nomination in Virginia, you know
as we'll as 7. If you want my opin.
ION, it would be thai Virginia
would give an overwhelming ma
jority against him.
believe Virginia, on the issue
of protection, with fairly accepta.
BILE man, will go Republican,
Blame only lost the state by about
1000, and this was entirely due to
abuse by the Richmond Wing be.
fore the convention which nomi.
mated him.
1t Is scarcely necessary to say
mama than that I xrao ,,r~o,tI,- -