Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-16
HON. JOHN s. WISE
TO TIE REPUBLICAN VOTERS OF vrR-
GINA.
p,c,,,oyn Va March Is. 1883.

our next State convention Tue very great
dissatisfaction existing in our party adj
monishes me that some one should try
TO save it from the discord with which it
is now threatened, at the moment when
il should be more united than ever be-
fore.
You have honored me with your sup
port in the past, and l feel that as have
fortunately kept aloof from the factional
and personal controversies of late so
frequent in our party may in turn do
il some service now
We have lost enough battles of late
years to satisfy us all, think, that no
man in our party is infallible ; that we
are not to thrive through the possession
OF Mascot that we have no miracle
worker; and that we must win, If we win
at all, by the united and friendly work of
all the voters of Virginia who are opposed
to Democracy. 1t is in the effort to pro-
cure this result that take this step.
After careful study OF our situation |
am satisfied that the deepest-seated
source Of the present dissatisfaction III
our party is feeling among the voters
that the present plan Of organization
does not give them any rights or voice
that it is too military, and that 1t places
too much power IN the hands of the
chairman. This is not the offspring OF a
personal feeling against our chairman
except in a few instances, but is a con-
scientious adherence in the average
mind of any plan which takes away from
voter in Accomack or Lee county any
right to name his own chairman or com
mitteemen for his county and places it
in the hands of a gentleman in
Loudoun, Lynchburg, or Richmond. IL
we had war going on in which We might
conscript soldiers that plan might make
soldiers much more efficient. Bnt being
unable to cOnScriDt rioters, and being de-
pendent upon their approval for their
support, we must govern ourselves by the
wishes OF the masses and not by the
wishes Of their officers. The best ex-
preston Of this idea which | have lately
seen is found in letter of Hon. w. Il.
Chandler in the North american Re
rie,C for March. Speaking of what has
made the Republican party OF New
Hampshire SO successful, he says:
Its merit and success arise from its
completeness and from the soundness
"of the principle on which it is based
"namely, that pOltticdt organization
"ShOuid Begin at the bottom, with the
"voters in their primary meetings, and
"prOcccd upWdra and Sh0uid ncCer be-
"giR atHc top UiM q fer high officers
attempting to secure organization OY
" isSuin0 orders dOlCnOard."
You, gentlemen, know whether this is
true or not. You know, also. whether
or not we have suffered from the invert-
ed pyramid of political organization. |
know that we have, and hope to con
vince you of the fact. Our present plan
Of organization is top-heavy. We have
too much head and too little body. We
are rapidly becoming like a Confede-
rate army, all generals and no privates.
| am not rejecting upon our chairman
or other officers. | am deploring the
fact that our plan of organization is
calculated to drive away and has driven
away the following which under better
plan enabled them to win victories for
themselves
At the last State convention the effort
was made to alter our plan of organiza-
ton. 1t was stihed on the plea that we
had other business 10 attend to then, and
on the further plea OF the suddenness OF
the agitation. then joined in the idea
of pOstponement, and the matter was
deferred but ! felt then that it was a
Just demand OF the majority that ought
not to be ignored.
l now give notice that at the next
State convention to be held in May
| will move to change the present
plan of organization. | submit
herewith the plan / shall urge. You
will oblige me by reading it carefully,
and / shall be glad to know that IT has
your approval-and to amend it if neces-
sarv to meet the views of the majority.
give this notice now so that no one
can plead surprise at this movement
when it is made in the convention. The
radical difference between the plan [
shall propose and the existing plan is
that my plan proposes to take away
boldly the unlimited and absolute power
now lodged in the State chairman under
the name of Executive Committee and
place it where it belongs-to wit, with
the people. The argument on which it
was taken away is not good and is
denial OF their Just rights. If they are
not tit to act for themselves we had bet
ter go into some other party where the
voters have sense enough not to need
guardian.
L believe this plan will restore harmony
to our party, restore the right of localse
government, the loss Of which has sorely
CALLED our voters, and add many thou
sand votes to the Republican party with
out in the least infringing upon any right
or franchise of our party officers. or re-
fleeing upon their ability, loyalty, or
competency.
l beg you to think of this; to COM
pare the plan proposed with that now
existing, and see if all | have said above
is not the true source of most of our
present difficulties.
also give this public notice that in
the approaching convention / shall OPP |
pose the unit rule. The unit rule de-
stroys all freedom of individual action |
and makes of our twenty-four delegates |
to Chicago twenty-three puppets and one |
important man-viz., the chairman OF |
the delegation.
l declined going to Chicago in 1884 |
after | had been elected n delegate at
large because the convention passed the
unit rnle. 1t is gag rule, and contrary /
to the spirit of the Republican National
Convention of 1884 as expressed |
by resolutions. 1t may be desira-
bic, as is urged, to hsve a united
but if that is to be Sc
cured by dividing the party, submit
It is an expensive unity. The great ma
ority of our voters are opposed to the
unit rule. They do not believe it is ne
cessary to secure the honesty of their
delegates. They do not see why
q State should be a unit. 1t is not
3 unit. The vote is not taken
IN the convention by States as such but
by congressional districts, and only four
IF our twenty-four delegates represent
The State in any sense. Then why sub
ordinate the will of the chosen represen-
atives of the Third or the Second dis
met TO those of the Ninth, Tenth, and
Eighth ? There is no conceivable benefit
rom the unit rule except that it aggran-
7t..c l.. ~. al