The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-03-28
JOHN :. WISE,
ATTOKNfY AT LAW,
RICH HaOSD, Va.
RICHMOND, Va, March 20, 1888.

My Dear Sir,-I send you a copy of
my recent letter as to what we should do
in our nsXt Convention, and want you
TO read it and help me carry out those
views. | am not at all jealous to have
The plan adopted in the shape | have
submitted 1t, and am perfectly willing to
change it as may be found best upon
conference; but we are bound to
abandon the present plan of organization,
which makes the State Chairman abso-
lutte autocrat and leaves nothing to the
people, or our party is irretrieyaby gone
The only prctence on which the present
plan is justified Is that it i necessary In
the Soulhside counties II may be neces
| sary but it has does no good. for we lose
by tremendous maiorities many of those
counties, and while il does no good in
the sections for which it was adopted, il
hurts US incalculably in the other Sec
tions. Besides, my plan places in the
hands of the District Committee power
TO secure US good Chairmen where those
named by the people are unfit or incom
petent That covers the point. Ii is
better the District Committee should
have this power than the State Chairman.
The District Committeeman are on the
ground, understand the pecuiarities OF
the surroundings, and being responsible
directly TO the neighborhOOd are ciroum
spect In consulting the wishes of the
voters as well as in procuring efficiency. |
Taking this power away from the Chair
man makes him stronger. Ii takes him |
out Of all the nasty little local jealousies
The accumulation OF a great number Of
these on his shoulders IS now seriously |
impairng General Mahone's popularity |
AS 10 the unit rule, IL is out of the
question. Nobody that | have seen or
heard of, except General Malone and |
those under his immediate influence,
wants il. To pass it now, after all that
has been said and done, Will split the
party all to pieces.
Now on these two points | am right
and General Malone is wrOi K. You
must help me save our party from them.
do not write as his personal antagonist.
On the contrary you all know that love
General Malone believe that in max
ing this contention ! am doing him real
service by preventing the triumph of his
bad judgment on these points, and ihe
hopeless division of our party.
nave d7Ntu lOl ub d.-lSldutS III Ulth
ing this issue from that class Of NAL
contents known as "kickers," or from
the personal enemies of General Malone,
lest | be classed with them. As true
Republican, and as General Mahone's
friend | appeal to you as q true Repub-
lican and as his friend to unite with me
in stopping him from injuring the party
and himself by the course he is pursuing
Let us, his friends, unite and put our foot
down. Argument seems TO have no ef-
feet with him Let Us stop him by force
OF our firm refusal as his friends to go
his way and then he will 60 our way
am in favor of General Malone being
our Chairman. Nobody else can serve
US half as well But while General Ma.
hone may know more than any one of
US, no man knows more than all of US
al any rate he does not know what we
want better than we do ourselves, and
want the absolute power of our Chair
man curtailed, so that the views of some
body else than himself may have some
weight and that we may not be forced all
he time TO go his way whether we wish 4
10 or not. 1t is as much our party as I
his, and when we do not want to do a
particular thing don't let's do il against {
our feeling and against our judgment |
merely because he wants it. We have
ndulged General Malone in this way
ong enough through false friendship.
Fed thus by our own folly, the result q
$ that he has become more and more
,xacting, until now he thinks it dis
oyalty TO party and to friendship for
my one to oppose him. He does not
nix with the people as we do He does =,
lot know how odious some of the things :
ie proposes are TO the people. And we
iave let friendship make us weak and
fielding until General Malone has in
ured the party and himself. Now let US Il
,e aiiectionate and kind with him, but G
lrm and unyielding in our demands that
hese things be amended. /
Let us demand that he yield some of
his absolute power with which he has /
wound himself about. He has accumu- e
ated TO himself ali the functions of all O
he offices of the party, until he is like a "
itten in q ball Of yarn-spoiling the 81
arm, vet so tying herself up that she a
annot walk. BE firm and kind and true
'ith me, and let us get the party and d
ieneral Malone out Of this mess. Let A
ie hear from you. ?
Yours truly, JouN S. WISE "