National Republican., 1888-05-26
THE VIRGINIA CONVENTION
From the Standpoint of a Disinte-
rested Spectator.

From the Standpoint of Disinte-
rested Spectator.
EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN: This Is the
first moment find to give you my impres.
slons of the Republican convention at Peters
burg. have never seen similar gathering,
and have attended most of the conventions
since the days of reconstruction.
The first thing to attract attention was a
huge banner across the street, on which
Headquarters of Those Opposed to the Unit
Rule was conspicuous.
Many prominent members arrived on Tues.
day and were closeted most of the night with
their chief at Mahone's headquarters. Early
on wednesday delegates came pouring in
sional district delegations were marshalled
and marched to headquarters to receive their
Instructions, Drifting into the presence of the
little general with the delegation from the
eighth district, | observed that after introduce
tiOns were over, Gen. Malone, with flushed
face, cigar In mouth, sat down with his hat on,
and in conversational way addressed the
delegation, saying he was glad they had paid
no attention to the call of Mr.. Burke, chair
man OF the congressional district committee,
with his CALI He said, II have had tickets
issued TO all delegates certified by the chair
men of committees that recognize, and you
can get your tickets and 60 into convention,
and after have given you a temporary or
ganzation recess will be taken, when you
can retire TO the place have designated tor
you and elect your delegates to Chicago, and
then, gentlemen, want you to adopt the unit
rule &c.
The instructions We're given in about the
manner of an overseer setting gang Of labor
ers TO work, and as the delegates passed out
to the street many expressions of Indignation
and disgust were heard IL was apparent
that the breach was widening. similar in
structions were given to other, delegations,
which were usually approved by those who
had been recipients of place at the hands of
Malone, by the more recent accessions from
me democratic party, and by some of the col
ored delegates. Conspicuous among those de-
Tending and praising his course We're some
| colored men who hold places in Washington
Later in the evening the mutterings Of the
coming storm eliminated In the Anti.Unit
Rule Hall, where Senator Riddleberger made
q naudlin address to 500 people, many of them
delegates. Incoherent as much of his address
was, he made some telling points against his
| former colleague, among other things declar-
| ing that he wrote Mahone's famous reply to
| Ben Hill, got the proof from the REPUBLICAN
ohiee, and long after midnight carried 1t to
| Malone
The arrival of John S. Wise was the occa.
| sion for the widest enthusiasm. He followed
| Riddleberger In moderate and eloquent ad'
dress bristling with telling points against the
| unit dlile, but he uttered no word against
Malone, and emphatically declared that he
| did not anticipate split In the convention,
but belieyed such concessions would be made
by Gen. Malone as would enable all Republi
| cans to stand together and fight the common
enemy with united front.
The effect Of this speech was perceptibe
| and for time the next morning II seemed
that harmony would prevail. But when dele
gates who had been regularly elected arrived
| al the hall and found dOOrkeeper only ad
mitting those with Mahone's tickets, thus eN
| Guiding many genuine delegates and admit
| ting fraudulent ones before their cases had
been heard, II began to look ominous. Sena
tQr Riddleberger stood at the door presenting
| his credentials and demanding admittance a
delegate from Shenandoah county, but wa
| refused. Congressman Yost was excluded
although he held a proxy To. cast the vote %
| Tazewell county and was also a cOntestip,
| delegate from his own county.
| OF the many stupid blunders flis Ys.S the
/ worst. Delegates who had been :afily chosen
by their constituents 10 represcnS them in a
| state convention of their party found them
| selves on the outside, Wholesome obscure citi
zen chosen at a secret meeting in an irregular
way armed with Mahgne's ticket marched IL
| In triumph For instance, four hundred Re
| pub'i"ana, ill street compliance with Mahonei
| call, assembled in Shenandoah county on the
2}d of April, and elected delegation headed
e ON the t OF May yMsia Malone ae res %R
Kellar, the regular county chairman, and
appointed Robert Walker who had voted tn,
Democratic. ticket at the last election, VIII
! called another convention. Under his cal
hye Republicans and six Democrats assem-
/ bled, and sent Il delegation, which was ad
In Alexandria city convention was callet
by notice in the newspapers signed by Chair
man Dearborn, and when the delegates electe,
assembled Chairman Dearborn refused to cal
| them TO order and retired to an obscure place
and five men sent delegation to PetCrsbur,
which was admitted, while the regular dele
gates elected by the convention, called b.
himself, were excluded In this delegation
were such old and tried Republicans as tn
Hon, Lewis Mckenzie and l.. w. Corbett, VIII
last fall was elected to the house of delegate
over Speaker Stuart.
II was clear that the machine had been a
work, and would not Scruple at any measur
to carry out its plans, The excitement be
came intense, Inside and outside of the hal
cussion Again and again 1t was said III
wants us to beg for his tickets now, but /
tilis goes on he Will have 70 beg. for votes a
Yielding and seemed determined to test il
own strength rather than relieve the strain
Hardly had Gen. Malone called the cOnven
ton TO order before the clamor began over tn,
exclusion of Congressman YOst. After man,
Interruptions Malone closed his address am
appointed Col Lamb, Of Norfolk, tempOrar
tanned motion TO admit IOst. This motion
was clearly lost, but, with more tact than hi
chief; the chair decided II was carried and ol
dered him admitted.
This gave quiet for motion for a recess t,
be adopted, to enable Congres siOnal distric
! conventions to organize and elect delegate
70 Chicago. This was the signal for dividing
| the wrangling into numerous subdivisions
| The opponents of the unit rule In the second
sixth, and tenth districts had already bel,
conventions within their districts and elected
delegates, and now those who had ObeyeC
| Malone 5 circular not to participate In con
ventions within their district proceeded /,
| elect another set Of delegates and adOpt the
unit rule, in spite Of the protests Of those op
! posed,
In the eighth district about one third of tht
| delegates opposed the unit rule, and were tolt
| In speech by VIM, q. Elan, MahOne's co
| member Of executive committee, that gen
| tlemen might obey the wishes of their con
| stituents without instructions, but sroundrel
| and rascals must be tied aud, therefore the,
| must pass the unit rule, which they proceeded
| to do. In this delegation Il motion was mad,
| TO return to the district and hold convention
| ~ accordance with the true intent of the ma
tional call and an attempt was made to reat
| letter from member Of the national com
mittee 10 show that intent, but this wa
| promptly ruled out Of order, and II was ap
| parent th0t the programme of Malone anC
Elan was TO be put through, right or wrong
| on the assembling of the convention JOIN
| wise came 10 the platform and announced
| mat the fraudulent delegation gotten up In
| ms district had been admitted ON an equality
| VIII his own, notwithstanding forty.iiYe oul
| OF the SiNty'siS We're opposed TO II, and that
| nc would not longer submit TO such outrages
| ana after a brief and blistering speech upor
! the methods employed, he called upon all who
/ were opposed 10 the unit rule and the present
' Ilun Of organization to 20 out with him. The