The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-06-07
Virginia Repu blican Address.

appoint ed to prepare and issue an address
to the Republican voters of Virginia. In
fulfllment of that order, the following is
submitted. as embodying some of the
causes which lead to a reorganization of
the Republican party. as distinguished
from the Malone fac, ion, aud Iefircting the
sentiments aid convictions of The great
lody of the intelligent Republican voters
of the State:
To the Republican Voters of Virginia:
at the Republican State and District
Conventions. assembled May 18th. 1883. IN
Petersburg, Virginia. the concerto course
pursued by the delegates who upheld the
unit rule and the present plan of organi-
cation was such that those delegates Oh
posed thereto were forced to retire, for
lf-prOtecLiOn, both from the State and
District Conventions. When the with
drawal of these delegates first occurred, it
was for the purpose of conference as 10 the
proper course to be pursued, and the con-
ference was held in Library Hall, at
Petersburg. while those who remained
continued in session at the Opera House.
Upon converting at Library Hall, the
retiring delegates selected Gen. " D.
Groner, of Norfolk, to preside, and Mr..
&C. Clark of Petersburg, to act as secre.
tary After full conference. it was unan.
imously resolved that the body of delegates
thus withdrawing would not return TO
participate in the proceedings at the Opera
House, and the undersigned were APP
pointed a committee TO set forth in tie
form of an address the reasons for our
course of action. 1t was further deter
mined to establish Il distinct Republican
limit lon, md mt r..
plan of organization hereto attached was
unanimously adopted. The meeting then
proceeded to elect delegates at large to
| Chicago and electors at large for the State:
| to elect State chairman and-a state com
mittee; to put on foot a Republican organ
| iZaticn in all the counties and cities of
| Virginia pursuant to the plan adopted land
| to declare that the platform to be adopted
| by the Republican party at the National
! Convention in Chicago, to be assembled
June 10Th, 1883, shall be the platform of
our party thus organized Hon. d. F.
Houston. of Roanoke, was unanimously
elected State chairman; and State COM
mittee was elected by the representatives
| from the Congressional districts.
And having announced what was done
at said meeting at Library Hall, we now
| proceed to state. as required to do by the
| terms of our appointment. the reasons for
| this action upon our part and to invite the
hearty cooperation of all true Republicans
in Virginia with our pans and purposes.
Ever SINCE its adoption it has been APP
parent that the plan Of organization. under
which the Republican party of this state
has been conducted since 1884 is such as
| to render it capable of great abuse. and to
place it in the power Of the State chairman
| Of the party to ignore the will CT the PEG
pie in selecting county and city chairmen
and committees. A wide spread feeling
has existed in our party ever since the
the plan was adopted that with this power
of appointment and removal in his hands
chairman, who might choose to do so,
could not only use those chairmen and
committee in their character as such. but
selecting them Thoroughly in accord with
him, and subject to his will, he could
through them so manipulate the time.
place. and circumstances of the meetings
of our party, as TO procure endorsement of
his views against and in spite of the will
of the majority of the people.
Many things done since 1884 have dem
onstrated to our voters not only the posi-
bility of such a course, but that the temp
tation to those entrusted with such power
was too strong to be resisted. Other
powers vested in the State chairman under
the thin disguise of a grant to an executive
committee composed Of himself and two
others, and the power vested in him to Or
ganiZe all State conventions and name
their temporary chairmen, have really
placed our party for years completely in
the hands and power of Its chairman
whenever he might see fit to exercise all
the functions with which he was invested.
1t would be idle to review the history of
the Republican party in Virginia for the
past four years with view to showing
whether the chairman has or has not
brought into full play the extraordinary
powers conferred on him by that plan of
organization SO as to manipulate party
action according to his will. Every voter
Of the Republican party has at one time or
another realized by something that has
happened in his own neighbOrhOod, that
the power of the State chairman was
greater than the power of the people, and
the will of the State chairman backed by
the State machinery of organization
stronger than than the will of any number
of the people. District and county con
ventions have been called or adjourned;
have been reconvened or dissolved; have
acted, reassembled. nullifed their former
action or reversed it. Candidates have
been put in the field. retired. supplanted,
substituted, or slaughtered in the most
surprising way Chairman and commit
tees have appeared, disappeared. reap
peared, and whence they came or whittier
they went has been an enigma to the PEG
pie who do the voting. But all these ap
parent mysteries from which, at one time
or another, no section of our State has
been free, were eXplicahle from the fact
that our plan of organization has teen such
since 1884 that the State chairman, has
under the powers vested in him. become
the party and used it TO carry out bis will;
whereas, in theory at least, he was it's ser
want to carry out its will.
While this course has been submitted to
heretofore without open revolt it has not
been without disastrous results. A deep
seated and widespread feeling of servtule
has CALLED the Republican masses. Crow
ing discomfort, not only among the leaders
but among the masses, has undoubtedly ex-
istei. A feeling that in party politics and
management the general will was not con-
suited or expressed. while the merely per-
s)nal IT ftrenc and plans of the chairman
were carried out. These things have all con-
tributed to show the dangers and injustice
of the plan of party organization under
which our party has been acting.
The PRONUNCIATION of secret circular,
sent out by the chairman of our party in
the month of January last. brought all
these growigg discontents more distinctly
to head than ever before, and displayed
more glarlngly IMAM ever DeloIe W CHo
Republicans of Virginia The dangers to
the popular will from the abuse of the
powers entrusted under orr plan of organi
cation To Its chairman. This circular had
been sent out lin honorable confidence ~ to
few trusted friends. 1t came to the
light of day by chance. 1t showed to the
Republican voters of Virginia that while
they had been awaiting the time when
they should meet and confer and choose
delegates to Chicago. to vote for the can
didate of their choice, the chairman of
the party had been secretly arranging to
secure delegates to Chicago to vote for the
candidate of HIS choice. That lie would
use the full powers of his party machinery
to accomplish this result was not only ap-
parent from his past management, but
from what he actually counselled in this
secret circular. 1t named the candidate
of his choice and sked assistance for him.
And lest there should be a failure to Sc
, cure all the delegates by this method. it
counseled the adoption of the unit rule. so
that even with one more than half the del
egation, he might force all the delegation
to vote for his choice, and finally it fur
nished the form of resolution prasng
the plan of organization and has oun ad-
ministratiCn thereof.
1t is difficult to exaggerate the effect of
the publication OF this secret circular upon