The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-05-31
Mahoue's Methods and his hump
Convention.

MahOue'S MetnoQs dHo lib LUMP ,
Convention.
In Mahone's Rump Convention recently
,eld in Petersburg. it was formally re-
,orsed that on scale vote, the present
,Iau of organization. Mahone's admins
ration under it. and the unit rule, as APP
,lied to the vote of the State in the Ma
tional Convention. were approved by ABOUT
no 600 to about 1000. BY this false and
INDIGENOUS showing Gen. Malone WISHES
to convey the impression to hepuolicahs
outside of Virginia, and to those INSIDE
who might be ignorant of the real facts'
that his plans, his purposes, MS aohlh's
tration and himself were all the rehecllon
of the practically unanimous sentiment vi
the R epubicans of the State. Like every |
thing else political that comes from him.
this scaled report was made from raise
premises and made to deceive. IL VIII re-
uuire very little investigation toexpose this
and uncover his audacious despotlSm ana
corrupt perversion of the power entrusted
with him. Under his plan OF nrganlza-
t,on he is supreme. He is practically the
Executive Committee and.the Executive
Committee has unlimited power under the
terms Of the plan of organization, drawn
I'D by himself and designed to make nm
antocrat, When it was adopted, the state
was in a whirl of political excitement
the party had no reason TO believe thaV
there was behind it deep laid scheme
u1rr1rr=rru --.- einhAs which he
poll ,ieal methods. emancipate the people
from political thraldom, and inaugurate
reforms and condemn abuses in the inter-
est of popular government. by de-
grees. however. this deluSion was dissl-
pated. 1T soon became apparent that be
intended to absorb into himself all power
-disdan the rights of the people, and
make himself the party, invested with I'M
challenged power to do as he pleased. in
different to all things else.
This was Illustrated in the recent cam
vas for delegates to the State Convention.
AS preliminary to it he issued his mid
night personal and confidential letter.
a dressed to those whom he drought
would slavishly obey his orders He planned
to assassinate the party; to renOunce the
fellowship of all who would not wear his
colar-to read cut every one that could
not lie used to carry out his nefarious plot,
and to reduce the Republican force of
Virginia to his personal following. Under
his plan of organization this was possible.
He had the power there conferred to re
move at will county, city and precinct
chairmen, and to appoint others who
would be subServient to his will, without
consulting the people, or in the least de
ferring to their wishes. He issued his or
ders from bis home in Petersburg. There
was no one to challenge his right or ques
ton the wisdom Of his action. In The
name of the Executive Committee and
without consulting those who composed il
although selected by himself-he afbi
trarly dismissed chairmen who were moi
ready to carry out his plans, and substi
tuted willing tools, who conformed to his
orders and were prepared to enter into his
plots.
His call for he recent convention wa:
the perfection of diabollsm. With thu
county, city and precinct chairmen choseI
under the power the plan of organization
gave him, his imperative instructions wels
that each precinct delegate, where pre-
cinct primaries might be held, were frs
to be certified by the precinct Chairman
aid then certified by the county chairman
before he could be recognized in his rep
resentative capacity. Where mass count,
conventions we're held. the county chair
man s certificate was essential to the full
recognition of a delegate chosen by the
people. 1t mattered not by what popular
vote the delegate might be selected, unles.
his credentials bore the signature of tht
county chairman, he could not be recog
nized. I here would have been nothing
unusual in this formality, had the purpose
been to secure an expression of popular
sentiment and a reflection of the people &
will. But under the plan of organization
it was an insidious contrivance to divest
the people of all power-to rob them Of
their rights, and pack convention, re
gardless of what the people wanted, tC
carry out the plot.of the chairman.
To illustrate. In Shenandoah county
the chairman, who had acceptably served
before the County Convention assembled
which had been called in conformity to
the call for the State Convention, and for
no other reason than that he could not be
used. Another was appointed, who had
proved traitor to the party last fall work
ing against the regular nominee for State
Senator, because he was not for Malone
for United States Senator. This new APP
pointee, under instructions from Malone
called another mass convention to meet on
the same day as that called by the regular
chairman. The two conventions met. One
was represented by about 400 sterling Re
publicans-the other by ,f0e. The dele
gates were certified by their respective
chairmen. and the latter recognized by
Malone as The proper representatives to
cast the $500 Republican votes of Shen.
andoah in the State Convention. Only one
of them appeared at Petersburg, and he
the bogus chairman. certified by himself
and assuming and permitted to speak for
the whole county.
In Rockingham county, where the dele
gated county convention had instructed
against the unit rule and the present plan
of organization by a twO-thirds vote, an
alternate was allowed to cast the $50 Re.
publican votes of that county for the plan
and for the unit rule.
In Augusta county, where mass con-
vention was held. at least two thirds of
the Republicans present were against the
unit rule and the present plan. But by
the revolutionary action of the County
Chairman and concocted plot with 9TH
ers, the will of the people was denied ex-
preston through the delegates certified to
Petersburg. The purpose was that Ma
hone 8 plot had to be carried out, if to do
so, means had to be resorted to. of which
the movers and manipulators would be
ashamed of afterwards. AS result per-
sons were certified as delegates who were
not elected and did not represent the SEN
timent of the Republicans of the county.
In Richmond, where three fourths of
the delegates in the convention were