Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1888-04-02
Elan, on Wise.
5TREyILIAN's Va, Match 26 Is

II FTcS LuNCC.
Dear Colonel, II have just returned home
from biief Absence, and Itake the earliest
opportunity TO reply to yaar request, that l
viii give you my opinion of the Wise ad-
dress, whether is meanse real fighter not, &c.
Haven't the remotest idea that either
Capt. Wise or Gan. Malone would lend him
self to the sham which the Free Lance has
suggested as the true key to the course the
former has taken. Capt. Wise ia generally
too much in earnest in 81! be does. and there
is no reasonable doubt that he is now as
Jealous and enthusiastic in kicking out OF
the traces as he ever was in working IN
them, especially as he is known to have
natural aversion to harness. His address
means all it says, and implies much more.
1t is break with the chairman, the or.
ganization and the present managerial poll.
CIV of the party, made upon asuddenim impulse
which has taken all of Capt, W!se's ffienc.,
personal and political, by surprise. although
there is reason to believe that his former en-
emies democrats and their allies had at
least come notice OF " hat he was about 10
do He is not accustomed TO deliberatlon
and reticence, and he could not have long
meditated what he had done, else he either
would have abandoned. it altogether, or
widely advertised his intention. He has
acted under sudden heat, without malice
aforethought, although his deed is irrevoca-
BILE, with consequences not to be stayed by
consideration that mayipalliate his ra5hness'
| 1t hes been rumored for some lime thai
Captain Wise was going "out OF poltics, or
going back TO the democratic party and
even in this recent address he openly sug
geete, as an alternative for himself ana other
dissatisfied republicans, that they may go
into some other party" But this unexpect-
ed somersault into the ranks of dlssension
and disorgan'zation goes bow-shot beyond
ANYTHING supposed to be within the bounds
| of probability, and grieves all true republic
cans and ali Captain Wise's true friends
! much more than if he had really renounced
political life, or even returned to the EN-.
braces of that democratic ''tar-baby' from
which he tore himself away in 1880. But
this
"Ths was the most unkndest cut OF all y
What private griefs Captain Wise has had
| to make him do this thing, l know not. Yet
be ia an honorable man, and perhaps ha can
show how the present organization and man
a2ement of the party have unduly tramnel-
ed his will-have thwarted his laudable am
bition-have crippled his professonsl adj
yancement-have impoverished his purse
and store-haye denied him adequate recog-
milton. Or, perhaps, hecan plead that those
with whom he now consorts have undergone
these ills, and that in noble sympathy with
them hestrikes his blow. What! Rank them,
and look at theml Every man of them wax
ed fat through successful and generous pur-
veyance of the organization and manage
ment they kick against; and nearly every
one of them overwhelmed with honor, place
and pelf before his maiden sW ord had flesh
ed itself 10 battle! before bis aspirations had
grown a beard!
Capt. Wise, indeed, declares that it is for
the people that he speaks; yet it is we'll
known that the people have aeper sympa-
| tiled with the talk headopts. nor the course
he pursues. Self assumed leaders," "gen-
erals, :" Officers" &c., have Time and again
essayed to rally the people tho way Capt
| Wee had taken; but in every case cur
voters have steadily turned from them.
Year by year our voting strength has in
creased. In 1879. only $1,000 strong, we
cast $4,000 in 1881 $4,000 in 1883, and
IA, 900 in 1884 and II in 1882 and 1850 @e
fell back in numbers. while the enemy held
their own, or Increased in force (as largely
in 1851 those were the years when Capt.
| Wise led us, and whose results he Is on
record az having attributed 10 everything
else rather than TO any daiecte.in Our organ
ization and management. 1t is true that IN
| 1856 and 1857 we received only 12l 900 and
100 600 votes; but in the former year we
carried the State by over 1000 majority,
defeating seven out of ten democratic Domi
nees for Congress; and our majority last
year was 1000, at least; demonstrations
that our decreased votes were not assignable
to the causes now imagined By Capt. Wise
and his new allies, but to general causes
| which affected oil the people of both parties
alike.
But we want to know how it will all end.
Just as other similar efforts to rend the par
ty have ended. The party itself stands like
stone '0a!t and can never be Gisintegrated
cave by division of its people on some
fulse and suicidal line. Against any such
division the existing organization and man
agement have been perfect safeguard. This
| is welL understood The masses will never
consent to policy that will lead to inter
| necine and fatal struggles, founded only in
| prejudice and passion, and which can only
subserve the inordinate ambition OF few
temporarily, to the final destruction OF us
all. as q party, in our common hopes for
right and betterment. We all know-how
ardently the demo Gratis desire us to he de.
Iuded into this policy but 30 far the wis-
dom of our party has. provided against it,
backed by an answering majority, and it
cannot be doubted that this majority will
still remain steadfast. The majority must
and will rule, and ought to rule, no matter how
flercely and loudly the minority may cry out and
find reverberating echoes in all the democratic
and mugwump press. If there is tyranny in the
party, it is that of majority. and if anybody
feels it, he is among that minority which would
usurp power that all republican theory and
practice deny.
Captain Wise is genius an orator, "a jolly
good fellow with popular manners much wit
and humor and other attractive traits; but think
sill will agree that he lacks sobriety of judgment
ard steadiness OF character, while his record as
boss" at Richmond does not commend his present
professions of regard for popular rule, certify
his capacity to conduct party discreetly to VIC
tory. W. c. ELAN
SCARLET FEyER.-Rev. John r. Pe1ton's