Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1889-01-18
Visiting Gen. Harrison.
10 URGE GEN. MAHONE FOR
THE CABINET.
EZ-ColIGCtOr Craig's Account Of the
Interview.

On Sunday afternoon last, number OF
the delegation returning from Indianapo-
lis, where they had been to present Gen.
Malone name to Gen. Harrison for a
Cabinet appointment, arrived in Staun-
ton. Among them were Ex-Collector
VIM. E. Craig of this city. Gen. Mahone's
trusted lieutenant for the Valley; Ex-Au-
ditor s. Brown Allen of this county, and
State Senator DR.. J. B. Webb of Rocking
ham. A representative of the VINDICA-
TOR called on Mr.. Craig to get his
tory of the mission and, if possible, of its
results. Mr.. Craig very kindly gave what
information be felt at liberty to give in re-
ply to the inquiries of the reporter.
ibid your delegation carry any letters
from Fred. Douglas and Senator Sherman
as has been stated?"
mo; we carried NO letters from any
one."
WHO composed your delegation and
when did you leave Washington"
I'VE left Washington city at $50 last
Thursday afternoon, The party was COM
posed of Colonel H. de B. Clay, Newport
News; Hon. Asa Rogers, Petersburg; J.
M. Stubs, Gloucester county; o. D. Eos
ter; Fredericksburg; A. II. Lindsay,
Portsmouth; Judge Edmund Waddill. j.
g. Smith. b. Taylor McCue, and J. S.
Bethel, Richmond; Colonel R. b. Berke-
ley, Farmv1lle; Colonel J. 2. Profit. Floyd
Courthouse; d. II. Pannill, Chatham;
Hon. P. III. McCaull, Salem; Hon. J. B.
Webb, Harrisonburg; Judge J. D. New
man, E. T. Broyles and e. M. Zirkle.
Luray; Hon. D. A. Windsor, Alexandria;
A. M. Dickinson. Marion; Colonel S.
Brown Allen, Augusta county, and my
self.'
ARRIVAL AT INDIANAPOLIS.
We arrived at Indianapolis Friday
night at IL O'CLOCK, land stopped at the New
Denison Hotel. We were Informed by
Gen. Harrison g Private Secretary, tall,
slender, pleasant hammered gentleman,
that we would have an audience with the
General on Saturday at 2. M. We held
q meeting at the hotel that night and Or
ganized by eiecting Judge Waddill, Chair
man. DR.. Webb was selected to present
to Gen. Harrison the memorial of the Re
publican members of the Virginia legisla-
lature, and was selected to represent the
delegation in the interview with Gen. Har-
rison. The memorial advocating Gen. Ma
hone for a cabinet position, was signed by
every Republican member of the legisla-
ture except four, and they could not be
got to with it. We were besieged with
newspaper men on our arrival, but there
was nothing else of interest to mention
that night. The next morning different
committees were delegated to wait upon
various prominent Republicans of India
napolis including Hon. John q. New, and
the Attorney General, and others.
THE INTERVIEW WITH GEN. HAIR
RIsON.
At 1870 P. M. we assembled at the hotel
and went to Gen. Harrison's. We found
him living in plain two-story house with
q mansard roof. with no fencing between
1t aud the street, and hardly any limbs on
the trees around it. We were received in
the private reception room by Gen. Harri-
sons Private Secretary and there met the
General himself. The General is short
man. about Mai. Dorman g height. Hlshead
is large and his body long. but his legs are
short. He looks like man of sixty years,
has iron gray hair and wears a short trim
med gray beard and moustache. His face
is striking one and you at once notice
his broad, prominent forehead. In stating
the mission OF the delegation, spoke
about ten minutes"
Ills the telegraph report of your remarks
that has been published,a correct one?"
''Yes, in the main. except the sentence
before closing paragraph, which was omit
ted and which will SUPPLY
The following is the Associated Press
report of Mr.. Craigs speech:
'fMr. Craig said that they came by authori
ty and appointment of the Republican party Of
Virginia and for the best interest of that par
ty, not as advocates of the personal claims OF
any man; that they asked the appointment OF
Malone to the Cabinet because that was al
most the unanimous desire of the party in
Virginia, and because it would insure Repub
lican success by invigorating the Republicans
and striking terror to their oppon ents; that II
there was Cabinet Office given to the south
ern States, Virginia should have it by reason OF
her past prominent place in the Union and OF
her present position as the foremost State of the
South; that all efforts to break the solid South
had failed and in fact the Republican organ
ization in Virginia was abandoned till il
1879, when William Malone led the Liberia
movement whereby over $4,000 ex-Confeder
ates and their sons united with the faithful
band of Republicans still existing, and, fol-
the first and only time since the war, broke
the solid South for four years, restoring free
suffrage to the people of Virginia, abolishing
the whipping post law, restoring the free
school system and more than doubling iti
efficiency supporting the charitable institu
tlons of the State, and taking from the jails
the lunatics and placing them in institutions;
building an asylum for the colored insane and
collegiate institution for colored youths
and increasing the Republican representation
in Congress from two to six members, an6
electing two United States Senators.
.sMr. Craig urged that when in 1881 the
momentous responsibility was placed upo1
Malone in the United States Senate, he ha(
the courage in spite of Democratic anathe
mas to save that body to the Republican
party of the nation; that Malone was the onl
prominent man in the South who dared tt
lead such q movement; that he now has tn
party at his back, eager and confident of sue
cess; and that his record is without parable
politically IN the United states, where IN s
short time he was followed from one part
to another by 900 men. Such leadershi
alone, said the eloquent speaker, can breal
the solid South; that as in the North the sen
fiment of the Federal soldiery controls politi
cal opinion, SO does the sentiment of the ex
Confederate soldiers control in the South, an
what the South needs is a Malone in ever
southern State.
LAS to the opposition against Malone i
Virginia it practically amounted to nothing
that since the last national convention recoe
nized the regular Republican organization {
the State most of the prominent leaders of tt