Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-06-29
THE TWO WINGS OF THE TIR-
GTNTA PARTY.

THE TWO WINGS OF THE VIR-
GINA PARTY.
There is much speculation about what
the Wise wing and the Malone wing will
do as to single leadership in the pres
ent campaign, and on what basis an agree
ment in ttat respect can be reached.
There is also much speculation about the
two electoral tickets. In coming to a
conclusion it may be well to review the
action of the Chicago convention. That
convention without the slightest heslta'
tion repudiated the Wise State convention
at Petersburg. 1t took no account OF the
delegates large which it appointed, and
promptly seated those appointed by the
Malone convention. So we may take 1t
as conceded that the electoral ticket.
State Committee, State Chairman and the
rest of the party machinery erected by the
Wise bolt, falls to the ground as far as Its
having any connection with the machl-
nery of the National party is concerned.
The Republican party of Virginia proper
il in the hands and under the control OF
VIM. Malone, and as Chairman of the State
Central Committee he will direct its cam
paien. His at-large and district electors
will canvass, supplemented by the district
and county capvassers he may appoint,
and the court-day and other meetings OF
the party will be called by HIM. Ii they
bow to the decision of their supreme party
tribunal, the Chicago convention. the
Wise organization cannot get so much as
! a finger in the Virginia campaign pie this
summer without Mahone's assent.
Where then and in what, did Malone
meet his waterloo" at Chicago, so much
J rejoiced over by the Wise faction? He got
/ it on party law point. and he got it by
that self-willed, Indifferent. arrogant
course that got him out of the Democrat
ic party and will eventually split his own
party. The National party plan laid it
| down plainly that district delegates must
| be elected in their districts. Determined
to have solid Virginia delegation for
Sherman and under his personal control,
and fearing that if left to themselves in
their own districts some Of the Republl-
cans might elect Blaine or other delegates
he, in defiance of the National party plan,
had all brought to Petersburg where the
election could be had under his own eye.
| 1t was on that ground and on that ground
alone that the Chicago Convention turned
him down. It was by that folly that he
lost all voice in appointing Virginia rep
resentatives on the convention commit
tees and the National Committee. and
thereby sustained what to man like him
was most notifying defeat.
But as far as supremacy in the Virginia
Republican party is concerned, be is there.
To him the National Committee will have
to address its communications. and even
j. D. Brady. Mr.. Wise's member of the
National Committee, will have to address
his Virginia communications, if he has
any, to William Malone, Chairman State
Central Committee.
Will the two wings flop together this
campaign? That is question which will
be settled in the Indiana home OF the
nominee and not in Virginia. The nomi-
nee may think Virginia in such desper-
ate case, as far as Republican success is
| concerned, that it would hardly be worth
the trouble to recognize" the Sherman
agent who, to the last, cast what Virginia
vote he controlled, against him. But what
ever ne may decide on, our readers may
feel assured that no arrangement will be
made by Malone, which does not give hin
, the power to help his friends in case o
victory, and which does not smack of the
legend, 'sWe are for Arthur because Ar
thur is for us.'' Nor will Malone consen
to any union of the factions by which h'
is to lose even the shadow, still less thu
substance, of his supremacy in Virginia
It would be far better for him, from his
point of view, that both electoral ticket
in Virginia should be defeated. than thai
one should be elected which was not sub
ject to his control. He is still the Repub
lican Sampson of Virginia and has firm
and dangerous grip on the pillars Of tn
temple.