Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-04-26
WISE ON MALONE.
A Letter to the Republican Voters
Of Virginia.
K VERY SPICY PAPER.
Compliments TO the Boss Vigorously
Expressed.
PARTY SECRETS DISCUSSED.
A Very Pretty Fight as 1t
Stands.
SOME KINDLY SARCASMS.
The Usual Pleasantrios that Prevail in
Houss Divided Against
Itself.
SOME KINDLY SARCASMS.
RICHMOND, April q, 1883.

have purposely abstained for over
fortnight from replying to publication
recently made by General Malone. l
trusted to time to fortify me IN resolve
not to be provoked by him into a discus
SION Of outside matters, or into the re-
elimination which the unjust, unlIlnd,
and cunningly contrived taunts OF his
statement so aggravstingiy provoke.
can assure the gentleman that the
many bitter, behttling, and almost con-
temptuous things he said are all care
fully noted, ami while each poisoned
word invites a retort in kind, I will for
bear 70 some extent from that style OF
argument for the double reason that 1t ls
not argument and that really do not
feel in any spirit of recrimination with
General Malone. have been SO long
accustomed to look upoO him as my
nearest friend that 1T Is difficult to
realize the change which hisfeelings have
undergone. During the past ten
wears We have had nothing but the
most affectionate intercourse, and
| can truly say that until the ap-
pearance OF his recently-published
statement | never doubted the depth or
strength Of bis attachment. But have
read and reread the published statement
referred to and failed to discover, after
most careful scrutiny. one single express
sion TO indicate lingering trace OF the
friendship | had so long supposed to ex-
list between Us Never having sneered
away a genuine friendship because of an
honest difference OF opInlon-neyer
having repudisted friends disclaimer
OF any personal feeling against me
when We simply differed IN opinion on a
matter Of party policy confess l was
unprepared somewhat for the way IN
which General Malone unceremoniously
Invested himself of all personal kindness
towards me and tossed my friendship IN
my face as he would a worn garment for
which he had no further use. Recalling
the past, consulting my own feeling to-
wards him, aud then taking up has letter,
/ am left not only to admire the nimble-
ness OF his attachments but to study
curiouslv certain peculiarities OF his
mental and emotional makeup which, l
confess do not at present understand.
March Il, 1888, exercising a right
which | supposed to be enjoyed By every
Republican and warned by widespread
discomfort in our party which General
Malone seems unwilling or unable to see,
| endesvored to counsel certain changes
as partial remedy for manifest dissension
and as tending to produce future har-
mopv If in the whole letter there was
an unkind or supplementary alluslon
TO General Malone | have never heard
It suggested 1t is true that proposed to
curtail the absolute power of our chair
man, but my proposal was addressed to
the obnoxious principle OF placing SO
much power in the hands Of one man,
rather than at any use General Ma
hone as chairman had made of that
power. 1t is also true that | antagonl2ed
the unit rule. There had been very lit
Tie public discussion OF that question.
The chief sllusion to the unit rule had
grown ont of the discovery that General
Malone was secretly sending circulars
in " honorable confidence" endeavoring
10 secure its adoption lCithout discus
sion. / pubhcly announced that in fair
field and open advocacy ! would contend
for a change in our plan OF organization
and against the unit rule. And this Is
the head and front Of my offending.
The open and direct way in which |
took my ground was in such favorable
contrast with the methods General Ma
hone had seen fit TO employ that | am
not surprised at his irritation. No gen
eral likes TO be out-maneuyred III the
selection of his battlefield. Losing his
temper, forgetting that we have many
hard fights ahead, in which it is very
desirable that we shall be warm friends
and co-workers, even if we differ as to
these points, General Malone at once
resOrted TO his old tactics of trying to
kill instead Of capture.
HE CALLS ME A DIsoRGANIzER."
"malcontent," a deserter," "weak,
short sighted, unstable, and aspiring
man." a blower Of "ghttering bubbles, "
and finally dismisses my views almost
contemptuously as only worthy Of notice
because through his kindness and with
out any merit of my own presumably l
have occupied nominal, not real, proml-
nence in the party, which lends my " In
considerate statements and sounding
phrases fictitious character that may
impose on the thoughtless. To these
kindly utteranceS, which coming from
anybody else | would pronounce gross
impertinence, he adds not only discus
sion of the points raise, but number
OF entirely volunteer sighting illusions
and erroneous statements of facts, all
tending to exat himself aud TO my pre-
judice. Well may retort us did Cesar
to Mark Anthony:
"Yeu praise yourself
Ey having defects OF judgment TO ma"
The first sixty three lines of General
Mahone's statement were devoted to
criticism and complaint at the pubiica-
ton of my letter in the Dispdtch,
Democratic paper.
My answer is that had no Republi-
can paper in which l could publish my
letter and reach lay constituents, and
that General Malone himself had set
me the example, for he published the
Republican address last fall in this iden-
tical paper. it first appeared stimuli
taneously Ia the Richmond Dis
pGtch, Petersburg Jnder- appeal, and
some northern papers. ! made the ar
rangement with the Dispatch for Gen
eral Malone, we both agreeing that it
was the best medium to give the address
prominence. But how puerile does his
point become when his reply first APP
peared in the Free Lance, an Ryowed
enemy of our organization, and publish
ed by a creature who has poured his
filth upon Malone for years, accusing
him OF every Gin IN the catalogue of
crime.
used the Dispatch merely as a con-
venient news medium. Although bit
terry opposed to me politically, its mana
gers have always been, personally, kind
and courteous.
To argue that because they published
my first letter | am q Democrat or in
sympathy with them puts General Ma.
hone AS political bedtellow with Volt.
OF the Free Lance.
General Malone mistates me when
he sava 1 0puounca1 ,nyooIf N, tol..