The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-04-05
Patriot Herald, WytLevllle. Mar. p
What Our PARTY Needs,

One of the great defects in the Republican |
organization in Virginia heretofore has been a
four years more a strong and growing be-
lief that the plan of party organization was
all wrong and that its leadership was not only
arbitrary but painfully unsuccessful. 1T was
the conviction of the thinking men of the party
chine that could be was operated more 10
crafty the wishes and ambition OF one man
than TO further the success of the party. BE
ing so regarded there has been great d1ssatls-
faction all the while with the plan OF organl-
cation. When it was first adopted 1t was COM
batted by numbers of men, who sincerely
Thought il would destroy the party. Regardless
OF their protests it was driven down their
throats by machine means thai can always De
empoyed in conventions when the chairman
and those behind him desire to do such work.
That the people have been ignored and the ma
chine elevated by our party organization no
Republican in Wiz ginia will now deny.
Not only has the organization 5een detee hs
and destructye Dat our and aa srossv
inefficient The chairman has sacr1nced every
thing to his own good and prur1ent amoltlon.
1t has been the boast of Gen. Mahone ana ms
ardent admirers that he was the superior o!
most modern politicians as an organizer ana
that no ole could be found in the Republican
party in Virginia who could lead the party, ex-
cept our present chairman. This poast mas
been constantly made for the purpose OF
creating such belief among the rank and file
of the parry. That it is not true is proved by
the disastrous results of relying upon the su;
periority of the leadership of the Doaster ana
his tooters Gen. Mahone once said that
nothing succeeds like success. ms was
'sthe Napoleon of American politics. This
utterance of his, taken from the great Cor
siean he Affected to initiate. became a frequent
saving with his admirers and strikers. They
are no longer found repeating it. Why? Be-
cause the man VINO would make the remark
and seek to apply 1t to the leadership OF Ma
hone Knows that he would evoke the derision
and contempt of all sensible men. II ever
there was a time when nothing succeeds like
success that time has gone. Now "nothlng
fails Ike failure would be the tfutniui estl-
mate of and application to the WORK Oh zen.
A. nf
But Gen. Malone and his admirers say that
the cause of TAI lure is the work of the KICK
ers that the discord in the party ranks is
produced by the IN. and that he should MOI De
held Responsible for It, When zen. Mano ne
and his friends admit that there are enough
dissatisfied men in the party TO effect so much
is 1t not confession that the leadership MAJ
produces such ali inharmonlous conditlon -
defective and ill-advised? A good ana success
Iul leader VIII not only bring about harmony
but he will keep it in the ranks of the party.
since 1881 there has been no harmony 10 the
Republican rauks in the State. Such as thefe
was be called by no other name IMAM r.
forced harmony III. sc men in the party VINO
doubted the wisdom and justice OF MaAohe
leadership have heretofore, In the man.
Welded to the wishes of others and Kept theif
Views TO themselves. This has been Done WIN
the vain hope mat zen. Malone would elther
..mend his ways or be discreet enough TO fe-
tire from the place which he has persisted IN
retaining \ policy of silence might nave SUN
been continued by those who nan a i3s Mahone
he might still have continued 10 ENJOY tue
questionable honor of leadisg his party TO IN
glorious defeat but his c0nfd initial circular re-
moved every doubt as 10 the true poncy OF the
Virginia Republicans. 1t was manifest that d
man who would prepare and secretly clfcuiate
such document was intellectually ana NOR
ally unfit to longer conduct the fortunes OF our
party. That paper demonstrated beyond
doubt that Maho ne was dismal failure as
political leader. There have been some ne
publican papers in the state that nave GILL.
cised those papers that gave the secret circular
Lo the public and condemned its contents as
well as the author; but there is not one paper
nor one Republican who is not wiling tool
of Malone, that will undertake to defend tne
circular or the conduct of its author Iney
all admit that the thing in itself Is repre-
hensible. We glad to know that tnere
have been SO many Republican papers in Nlr-
gina and so many party men who have
promptly placed the seal of condemnation on
this last great plot OF our ambitious ana lnelIi-
Iitical courage will assert themselves; and VIII
in the future make the Republican party IN
Virginia great and successful.