Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1888-05-25
THE PETERSBURG CONVENTION.


is but just that our friends should
know the causes which impelled the
action of a large body of true and
tried Republicans who left the Pc.
tersburg convention. The result
was not altogether unexpected by
those who knew the character of
the present chairman Of our party.
Every effort that could hOnorably
be made before the convention met
to secure n reform was met by the
denunciatiOn of every one propOs-
ing it as kickers, and then every
means was used TO secure the local
defeat of such men as YOst, Fra
zier, Wise, Riddleberger, Lewis,
Brady, Gov. Cameron-indced, ev-
cry outspoKen opponent OF "Our
managerial policy" BY ways that
are dark they succeeded IN part,
for Brady and Cameron were not
even permitted to enter the ball.
By sham contests Wise and Rid
dlebergcr were assailed. and 10y a
vote contested delegations were
not allowed to vote. and thus they
proposed to push over all Opposi.
ton.
Oar county and district COnven-
tiOns, unanimously resolved against
the unit rule, and while unneccssar-
lily expressing preference for Blaine
we did not instruct our delegates.
Our decision was to try and avoid
bolt, yet it our brethren in other
counties were unfairly unseated to
60 ont with them.
The Shenandoah county case was
so fragrant that we, our county,
made that test case. 1t was thus:
a convention of 100 MASSEY, all
white) Republicans named eleven
delegates. a squad Of five Repub-
Leans under a chairman specially
appointed by Malone after the call
was made, REINFORCED by a few
Democrats (the highest claim Of all
being eleven met the same day sent
a full contesting delegation OF elev-
en-.
The effort was to unseat Riddle.
berger's delegation, aud reverse the
action of our district convention.
1t was no fight of leaders, no con-
test between Wise and Malone,
and no contest between Riddleber-
ger and Malone that the people
took mp. 1t was their own rights
they were defending. The fight is
not now one for leadership and has
not been. 1t is for the life OF the
party.
John s Wise, able and brilliant
as he is, is a private only. lie re-
fused the craftsmanship, twice of.
tered. We could not, with self-rc-
spect, fail to protect IN the only et-
fective way by leaving tho conyen
ton.
We appealed to the fairness of
the convention to avoid such rank I.
injustice as the seating Ofthe Shen-
andOah contesting delegates, and
warned them that they could not |
afford to lose the heart of the body |
there collected that we were not |
klckers nor boilers, but If the great
body of Shenandoah Republicans
were to be DISTINGUISHED by such
unfair means, many other counties
would withdraw with them from
the convention. We were not
needed.
John S. Wise had forty.fve fairly
elected delegates out of siXty.six
mot twenty-five as your correspOn-
dent says, and yet his delegation
was contested. Malone tried his
best to defeat him-the man who
bad brought up the vote from $500
to $500 in his county. What kind
Of q chairman is it who seeks to
break down every able man in his
partyi 1t is only one kind that can
be named, the one we now have
the wOuld-be autOcrat of all Vir-
ginia.
Fully two.6fths of the delegates
accredited left the hall and organ
Ized Republican party upon a Re
publican basis. An address will
'oon be issued to the Republicans
If the state and country. In the
we appeal to the good
Republicans to whom our past ser
vices and devotion to Republican
principles is known for suspen-
non OF Judgment,
"ALBEMARLE.D
CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA, May 10,
1888.