National Republican., 1888-05-23
The Petersburg Convention.


EDITOR NATIONAL REPUBLICAN,: II Is
hut just that our friends should know the
causes which impelled the action Of large
body Of true and tried Republicans who left
the Petersburg convention. The result was
not altogether unexpected by those who
knew the character Of the present chairman
OF our party. Every effort that could hon
OraDly he made before the convention met
To secure reform was met by the deuuncia-
tion Of every one proposing 1t as kickers,
and then every means was used to secure
the local defeat of such men Us YOst, Frazier.
Wise, Riddlcbergcr, Lewis, Brady, GOv.
CamcrOn-indeed, every Outspoien oppO-
ncnt of "our managerial policy BY ways
that are dark they succeeded In part, for
Brady and Cameron We're not even per-
mittcd TO enter the hall.
BY sham contests Wise and Riddleberger
We're assailcd, ami by vote contested dele
cations We're not allowed to vote, and thus
they proposed TO push over all opposition.
Our cOuntyand district conventions unan-
imously resolved against the unit rule, and
while unnecessarily expressing preference
for Blaine we lid not instruct our delegates.
Our decision was 10 try aud avoid bolt.
yet If our brethren in other counties were
unfairly unscated 10 20 out with them.
The Shenandoah county case was s.
iagrart that We, our county, made that a
test ease, II was thus
convention Of 100 Massey, all white
Republicans named eleven delegates. \
squad of five Republicans under a chair
man specially appointed by Malone after
the call was made, re-cnforced hy a few
Democrats the highest claim Of all being
eleven met the same day and sent full
contcsting delegation Of eleven.
he effort MAS To uuSpnt Riddle glnrDpr' =
delegation, and reverse the action Of our
district convention.
II was no fight Of leaders, no contest
between Wise and Malone, and no contest
between ldddleberger aud Malone that the
people took up. IL was their own rights
they We're defending. The fight is not now
one for leadership and has not been. II Is
Tor the life of the party.
John ;, Wise, able and brilliant as he Is,
Is private only. lie refused the chair
manship, twice offered. We could not,
with self-rcspCCt, fail To protect IN the only
effective way 10y lcavin" the convention.
We appealed TO the fairness Of the CON,
Nontion 10 avoid such rank injustice as the
seating of tile Shenandoah cOhtrstug dele
gates, ana warned them that they could not
NilOrl TO lose the heart Of the body there
collected; that We 'werc not kickcrs nor
lOllcrs, but if the great body Of Shenandoah
Republicans were to be disfTmchiscd by
such unfair means, many other counties
would withdraw with them from the con-
vcntiOn. We We're not needed.
John :, Wise had furty-ivc fairly elected
delegates out Of siXty-siN mot twenty-five
rs your correspondent ~aysl, amt yet his
delegation wa, contested, Malone tried
his best To defeat him the man who had
brought up the vote from $500 to $500 in
his county What Kind Of chairman Is IL
who seeks 10 break down every able man in
his partyY II is only one Kind that can he
named, the one we now have-thc wOuld-bc
autOcrat of all Virginia.
Fully two-iliths Of the delegates accrcd-
tied left the hall and organized Itepubll-
can party upon Republican basis An ad-
dress will soon he issued 10 the Republicans
Of the state and country. In the mean
time we appeal lO the good Republicans to
whom our past services and devotion to Re
publican prnciplcsis known for suspension
of judgment "ALBERuARfE.n
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, May 10, lSsS,