National Republican., 1888-05-30
TIE srlRLr nr TIE VALLEY.
MIR. ID. :. Lewis Replies to Col. Wan. &.
ElHtn.


only u few word. to add 'u what you have
said, and shall do II IN no controversial
spirit and certainly with no unkind feeling
fer COL Elan. for whom 7 have the highest
respect, and whusC record US Il Republican Is
highly honorable and useful. Bat this iact, J
drrrcheud, Mr. Editor, gives him no license tp
SiCak IN the a. rOiisigu style he mas chosen TO
adopt on to challenge the Rcpuhlicaui,m ul
thus, Republicans who ave, tu put 10 mildly,
equally H. good Republicans as he l..
TG That rHm Gt his IcttGr. which aiempiIio 10
Justify Gen. MUhurCS arbitrary action IN in
-istiug HAT the district conventions should d"
held at Petersburg outs side of the respective
cunrrt sivnal districts, o"" "w'', ho' "Mf,
."I,it.tioo. rui tusfy cs.rTi., yaH hTf. rp',
iH 'Gt upOi# U,idbil UiU,t"y,
l,uf when col Elan attempts to inform the
renders ut the kErt ELtrAN ihut out o. TN
lfuCtO Republican voters Of the state at leaSl
lHt,u approve Ui the present plan of orgdni.
XHfiui. ht displays utter ignorance ut the >liU.
alton Which + apparent 10 every Republican
n tIiS tate unlG,i Ier,aE IT. be COL EI"ia
II l. my candid belief that ont ui the no..
Go Republican voters Of this state an over.
whCiining majority are ab'ulutcly ana iuecon.
cilnbly opposed tO the present autuCratlc plan
of organization. .Oi the thinking men in out
Iarty M least nmrty.unC out of every lUN
believe that this uutrageuu. plan OF urgdnlLi.
tiUn aud the dcsputic manner In Whirh IN
unlimited powers given by II have been cN-
eTcis,d has caused the present lamentabir
condition ui affairs IN uur PARTY.
But how does col, Elan get NJ his figures
when he boldly assert that 10000 ut our No.
GO voters favor the late plan Of organization,
under which the state chairman can absO.
lutuly control any convention lie chooses tn
control!
lie certainly will not pretend to prove Il by
the fact that In cen Muhuug's convention
delegates pretending tu represent llu,sOO lic.
publican voters cast thcir votes for tins plan,
for he must know tnat this vote, 50 far "a, IL
IretcndS tu represent thlt number oi dele
gates. was Worse thdh lartt. -
This sealed vote was taken long after Wise
~ GO. had Withdrawn. Under this vote the
entire Rcnuhli 'an vote OF the Valley of Nlr.
giIia, embracing more than 1900 voters, was
cast fer ten. Mahuncs plan of organization,
while as a matter OF iact' at least ioqrhiths
Ut these voters are utterly opposed to II.
Take the three counties of Augusta, Rock.
mghan, and SilCnauhOahias illustrations oi
how this aO.calcd vote was taken ana your
readers can under taud how our people were
wholly mi>repreScntCd,
In Augusta, by the arbitrary ruling OF the
chairman, the whole delegation was returned
in favor OF the Malone Itlan. when every in.
tellgtnt man In thCcOmmunity knows that u
large majority OF the Republican voters of
Augusta arc bitterly opposed to that plan vi
organization
thorough comparison of views Il delegated
cunN Cntiun was elected, under Gen. Mlhone's
plan, and after full discussion they instructed
our fifteen delegates tu vote against the Ma
hone plan of organization. and against the
unit rule, mtruCtmg them further to vote for
Gen. AfahunC'S reelection rs chairman, pro-
vidcd the plan of organization was changed
IN accordance with the suggestions which had
been made by Hon John ;. Wise.
But when Gen. MahOues arbitrary aud IN
idir methods had forced very many of the SELF.
respecting delegates tu withdraw from the
Mahuue convention, Il sealed vote was called
for, three or four Ui the delegates who mad
gone ON tu Petersburg from this county a day
or two before the convention, and who seemed
to respect Gen. Mahonc's wishes more than
those Of their constituents, cast all of Rock.
nclam's 1850 votes for the unit rule and for
the Malone plan ui organization, nOtwith-
standing the fact that they had been IN.
~tructCd ny unanimous vote of tine cunven-
tion to vote against that plan and against the
unit rule.
Shenandoah county Is even a more fagrant
instance ui the voice of the peuple being
stiiled, or rather made To speak against its
own wishes.
The Republicans Of Shenandoah county are
practically unanimous In their opposition tu
the llan of organization under which the Re
publican party has been carried tn defeat
after defeat for the last five or six years.
only three days before the Republic con-
veution of Shenandoah met Gen. Malone, cX.
ercisng the powers given him by the obnOX.
i"u> plan Of organization, removed the chair.
man. Mr. John J.. Keller, a good Republican,
and apl uintvd Mr. Robert j. Walker, who for
year or more has not been cooperating with
Tie Republican party. Walker attempted To
was no pretense that the meeting called by
Kelles was not legally called.
The consequence was the Republicans TO
the number of about four hundred attended
the meeting which had been called by Keller,
while scarcely Il half dozen Republicans at
tended Walkers pretended Republican meet
ing. but the delegates chosen by the great
body Of the Republicans of Shenandoah We're
excluded, and Mr.. Bob Walker, sc,f.ap-
pointed delegate, was admitted TO Gen. Ma.
homes convention, and cast all of the 2aOJ
Republican votes for Gen. Malone and his pet
| Dlan of organization.
These three counties are samples Oi the
manner In which the pretended vote of llO,SOt
| IN favor Of the unit rule plan OF organization
| and GEN. Mahonc'S reelection as chairman
was obtained.
II is said that over a hundred legally elected
delegates We're excluded from Gen MahOne'-
convention by his rulings, which he was en.
! abled tu make and enforce under the plan OF
organization as II existed when the convcn
| tiOn met
Let US see how the plan works. Under II
| the executive committee, composed of the
| chairman Of the state central committee and
| two members selected by him tthe chairman,
| Gen. Malone then being chairman, Is vil.
| tually the executive committee, and all cOun.
ty ChurneR are removable Mt the pleasure OF
the executive committee, l. e.. at his Gen.
Mahone'S) pleasure. Under his call fOr the
late conventiOn,nO delegate could be put upon
the roll OF delegates, or obtain admission to
the convention, unless his credentials We're
cOunterSgncd by the county chairman (all re-
movable by MahOne). In numerous instances
cuuntersign these credentials, and the legally
elected delegates We're thus excluded from the
convention.
You can, therefore, see how tits next TO i'm,
possible TO get an expression of the true Will OF
the people IN a sOcalled Republican cOnven
ton in Virginia, provided Gen. Malone and
! his chailmCn are opposed to their will.
will further say that the split in Virginia
| Is, | fear, serious Although, perhaps, less
| than ,one'tird of the delegates in Gen. Ma.
80 | "a m ni.,Iit ~ al
| our voters sympathi2c with his movement
| IN behalf OF fair conventions.
=, While 4 few, q rIH .top, Intelligent Repub'
! Leans still adhere to Gen. Malone, yet IL |,
well known that a large prcpondcrance ul
| intelligence, as well as of numbers, are un
/ alterably opposed to the plan of Organlza.
| ttOn under which lie has So HrbitraIiiy but
| 50 unsuccGssinly, attempted to run the Re
publican party.
] will not not attempt TO give You all the
| names of those who sympathize with this
EONemunt IN behalf of business and freedom
! but when mention only few OF the inhucn.
| tial men who take this view, you, sir, who
| know something about Virginia politics will
| sentative or not. When mention such names
| rs Gen. GrOner Hon, John 5, Wise, oX'GOv
| WIN. Il. Cameron, senator II, ii. ltiddeberger,
! ex-senator John +. Lewis, eX.COnHessmaIi
! brady Congressman YOst Hon Harry Libby,
hon. Edgar Allen, capt. II. A. Paul, Hons. d.
NJ, and Robert Norton, You WILL know, I'M
| dCrStand that this Is no movement by kick
trs,' but isa genuine movement Of and IRON
| tie people.
Aid now one word about my friend Col
| Elan, believe he Is n good Republican and
| believe lie has deluded himself with the idea
! that hU i acting in the interest OF Rcpubli
| canism, but say TO him In all fraukncss that
| when Inc attempts To- iTpugn the Republican
! l-m Of such 4 man d. the lion. John f. Lewis
! he Will inevitably lead many 10 believe that
| hIs own Republicanlsm is TO say the least, ~
| n s.g p"rt,0r kinN.
J l"Iinyea Rcpuhlicm who has only been
| Sucn lur four years or even for one year can
| he j. = It ; good u onu rs one who has been a
| NE long Republican, Just as believe Christ,
| Christian ds one who has been such fuI
| many years, But. ! ask cob Elan himself
| what he would think Of Il so.called Christian
who had only been uummuniCant for 4 few
| months attempting 10 kick from the cOmmu,
mi, La 4 /.