Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-07

no prac,lced the doctrines 81 victory no now pro-
pounds. disaster bcfeii his weii-laid schemes
although he was 40 sure OF success thnt nc
actually demonstrated II 70 tne enemy IN so-
vance. bv disclosing his whole plan OF operations
and the forces he relied on And yet this gentle
man, with his self-con1dence not one whit apated
by nisfortunes that should have taught him TO
temper zeal with discretion ana 70 LOOK WIN
mapinulatlon, turns his back ON his reverses In
his attempts 20 rule ward and city politics. and
rushes 20 the front TO criticise the management
az the state marty and direct its future policyl
Our majority in the state In 1886 was 1900 on
the popular vote, aud last year IL was at least
600 on tho same vote, according 20 tho Demo-
cratic returns. II IA truo mat IN 1850 our wnoie
vote was reported at only $4,000, and that in
Iss7 our vote reached but le2 600; but the honest
and Intelligent observer win note that the de-
creased votes IN these years, 20 far from being
due 10 our plan Of organization or 10 any fault In
i,s administration, were wholly attributable TO
causes which operated upon all the voters with
out regard TO party. What becomes Of
oArTAIN wIsE's ASSERTION
that our party has become ell officers and no
mon? Can that assertion stand for moment
before the fact that In six years under our pres
ont plan Of organization our voting strength has
increased from 5000 70 lA.000. and when within
the last nine years we have received a popular
majority in the State ai least fve II not six
tmcs3 On the contrary, as our "frGders, hdce
dipiinishcd BY assertion and repot, our RANK ana
Re hare grorn.
Ills remarkable that Captain Wise states posi-
lively that az the next state Convention OF inc
party he tsiH more 10 change the present plan OF
organization and urge tho adoption OF announcer
plan, which he prints Why dd he not add that
he would also adopt or pass this plan OF his7 Is
be permanent or
LIFE DELEGATEf
II not, then he has no more right 70 say that he
will move or urge anything than he has 10 say
that he will adopt Is or have II passed. But more
remarkable still Is his expressed Willingness 10
amend his plan 10 meet the rit'rs y INC noloylg,
when Il Is Ia evidence that his plan ia proposed
TO meet the views Of minority, ami Wneh the
present plan, originally adopted by MAJORITY
hns been defended and sustained through vari-
Gus State Conventions by uudmlnished MAORI
ties. IT, rs Captain Wise says. the majority here
tofOre has been actuated by insufficient reasons,
still he must admit, on his own logic, that II IS
the lri Of the majority and not its argument mat
is 10 rule Nevertheless 1t is
GOOD POLICY
10 let well enough alone. and the damage may
be irreparable, II, 20 escnpe tho ills and imper-
feciiOns Of the present plan, we fan on others OF
a much worse kind.
II occurs to me that II would have been wiser
10 have left tho matter Of party organization, IFS
defects, II you please, 20 the calm consideration
Of the convention, where every view OF II may DC
iniclligenuy discussed by committee OF the
most thoughtful and prudent men Of the party,
selected for the purpose, avoiding an appear 10
the thOughtless praiudices OF color aud the low
ambition of persons who make trade OF thelr p0-
ltiCal influence, aud without amusing our du-
versary with our own diSscutions and inspiring
him 20 promote them. .
Tho moment is NOT = felicitous nor propilious
one for an experiment 81 this extra haEaruous
nature. The white demRgogue ard the man who
follows his race and color as profession are
lying eagerly in wait for an opportunity Ike
that 70 which Captain Wise would invite them:
in seveniy-two counties, and in oil the cities OF
this BourbOn-ridden Commonwealth, the con-
siituent elements OF our strength, now co-opera-
ting in almost perfect harmony FOR the
common good, are TO ne tempted, pro-
voked, and betrayed by mistaken
step into all the perils and evils OF an Internal
contest along line which has always been the
chief difficulty Of Republican growth and sue,
cess IN this section OF the Union, and when, II
not oOltcrated, Is AZ least but family visible
under our present plan. We are asked 10 take
the very course In this matter when our enemies
advise and urge. and which our wisdom ana
skill have 40 far avoided shall We walk open
eyed into this pit yaWning before us? woe TO
the party-woe 20 all Of us--il We shall De so
reckless, so hOrt-sighted, so blindl
However, tho well-ascertained viii or the peo-
ple in state Convention will decide this matter
definitely and dehnitively for me, nOtwithstand-
inc what or any minority may think about II.
Ii IS not for Captain Wise nor any individual TO
dictate plan for the party. That Is for its con-
vent0n acting upon the report and reeomnen'
dation OF H. authorized committee. Until the
18Th DAY Of March 1855, Captain Wise himself IL
a. accountable for the existing plan and admin
istraiion a any body else, aud know OF nobody
who has prOnted more by them.
II is, however, not alone with the plan OF or
canization that our Richmond refOrmer Is dis
satisfied. Having begun