Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-03-17

General. we Cut lew epSN4uSAo Vi
the artices-as follows;
1.-The New York Tribune and Bangor
Wing reflect Republican sentiment out
side OF the State There is but one SEN
timent, so far as we have heard or seen
( it expressed, in regard to the circular,
and that is of unmitigated condemnation.
/ The circular is without precedent or a
parallel coming from the chairman Of a
/ State committee. For one Entrusted
with the charge of caring for political
organization TO issue secret circular
recommending a policy designed, and
which would most certainly result, IN
disintegrating the party, destroying Its
[ effective usefulness, and assuring defeat,
[ is the most remarkable exhibition OF Ill
advised and ill-judged purpose We have
| ever known. TO ask that the law of the
party as laid down by the National Con-
vention and the National Committee
shall be disregarded and nullifed in
adopting the unit rule to ask that all
who do not agree with the chairman
shall be read ont of the party
and their fellowship renowned; to
conspire to pack delegation IN
the interest of candidate who is
not favored by one fourth Of the party ;
to indOrse malicious scTeed that is
spurned and denounced by nine tenths
of those who have read it !; to approve a
plan of organization which makes the
people the slaves and puppets of the
chairman, which has brought defeat after
defeat and estranged some OF the ablest
and most influential members of the
party, is going a bowshot beyond any
thing ever attempted IN this or any other
State by one man. 1t is monumental
piece of impudence.
Hon. J. S. WISE agrees with Mr.. YosT
in the following utterance:
"The people are tired of boss rule-a
surfeit of what is called organization and
discipline. What is wanted is an admin
istration that comes down to the people,
consults them, addresses itself to their
feelings and judgment, and recognizes
that they have a little common sense,
some rights, andare interested in Repub-
lican success.
Mr.. YosT tells General MALONE that
his scheme to compel the Virginia dele
cation to Chicago to vote as a unit is In
violation of the plan laid down for elect
ing the delegates to that body. He says:
CAS- to the unit rule, there can be no
such thing, under the rule laid down by
the National Committee, unless the dele
gates from the several districts should
determine to unite upon that mode of
casting their votes The whole matter
is with the District Conventions. The
State Convention may instruct the dele
gates-at-large how and for whom tOvote,
but it has no jurisdiction over the dis
tricts. The object, i'll adopting the rule
providing for district representation,
and denying the right of the State
Convention to instruct the districts,
was to secure. as nearly as possible,
q reflection of popular sentiment in the
nomination of a candidate for President.
The purpose was to place the district del
egates in the same Independent position
that member of Congress is--to repre-
sent his district, and not to be controlled
by the delegates from other districts, who
might differ in the choice of presiden-
tial candidate. For that reason the Ma
tiOnal Committee, at its recent session,
provided that delegates from the districts
shall be appointed in the same manner
that candidates for Congress are chosen
by conventions held within the dis
tricts."
Under the rule of the National Com
mittee the district delegates can be APP
pointed in no other way than by conven-
vention held within the district. ANY
other appointments would be illegal, and
not recognized by the National Conven-
ton if the question were raised, as it
certainly would be.
eff the authorities Of the party should
be remiss III their duty in not calling the
District Conventions within the time pre-
scribed by the National Committee then
it would be perfectly competent for the
Republicans of that district, through
representative men from each county III
the district, to call a convention and pro-
coed to elect delegates. The people can
not be robbed OF their rights by any ar
bitrary action or want of action of those
empowered to proceed in the premises.
The rule Of the National Committee in
this case would be paramount. and if it
should be necessary to proceed IN an IT.
regular way TO enforce and respect that
rule it would be approved by the Ma
tional Convention"
Here is a good hit:
els there any more reason to assume
that district delegate would trade upon
his vote than that the chairman would
trade upon the whole vote if the unit
rule were adopted. There would be at
least as much propriety in suspecting the
one as the other, especially as twenty
four voters would command more infu-
ence than one. We do not entertain the
thought that there will be any trading,
but when it comes to throwing out sus-
picions, it is well enough to look at the
question from both sides. and see where
the greater temptation lies.
IL was TO prevent trading and to Sc
cure popular representation that the
unit rule was disowned and repudiated
by the National Convention in 1880, and
more recently by the National Commit
tee. The unit rule is the boss method.
The independence of the district dele
gates Is the peoples method. The latter
is the law of the party, and to kick
against it will be as Intellectual as the ar
gument adduced in behalf of the unit
rule as fallacious and misleading"
Commenting upon a phrase in General |
MAHoNE's secret circular, Mr.. Yosr
says:
"'Us as party refers to those who
are willing to obey the orders of the
chairman to enter into q secret plot to
assassinate the Republican party, pack a
delegation to Chicago for Sherman, and
AIM. ...,...............l -