Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-05
THE OLD DOMINION
Trouble Coming in the Republican
State Committee.
OPPOSITION TO MAHONE'S REFLECTION
His DictatoriaI Manner Has Alien
ated the Leaders.
WHAT HIS FRIENDS SAY


There are evidences that before the next
national campaign is begun in Virginia
light will be made in the state republican
committee of the old dominion which may
result in change of leaders.
Gen. VIM. Malone for a number of years
has been chairman of the republican state
and executive committees of Virginia, and
in that capacity has been the recognized
dictator of his party. The state commit
tee will meet next spring to elect new OIL
GERS and there Is a considerable feeling of
antagoniSm on the part of many of the
members against Gen. Mahone's reelection.
1t is claimed that Gen. Mahone's recent
utterances in favor of an aggressive cam
paign in Virginia in 1896 Is in opposition to
his course in the past and is adopted simply
to help himself to a reelection in view of
the opposition which he is encountering
within his own party. On the other hand.
the friends of Gen. Malone assert that the
course Of inacton which he has counseled
during the past four years was for the best
interests of the party and that now the
time for active party work has arrived 1t
Is recognized by Gen. Malone, and he pro-
poses to do what at no other time could
have been accomplished.
Opposition to Malone.
A member of the state republican COM
mittee of Virginia who is arrayed in oppo-
sition. to Gen. Malone to a Star reporter
today outlined the situation in the repub
lican party of the old dominion and gave
his reasons for believing that the political
reign of the chairman of the committee is
nearing its close.
1.-The dictatorial policy of Gen. Mahone,"
he said, has been pursued with the re-
suit that nearly every republican leader of
the state has been estranged from him, and
the sentiment is almost unanimous against
his further control OF the party machin-
cry.
II will mention ex-Congressmen James
D. Brady, Benjamin Hooper Jacob Yost
and George E. Bowden as men who have
been treated in such a way by Den. Ma
hone that they have forever thrown of
his influence and will oppose him. This
feeling toward Gen. Malone has been
brought about because of not only his die
tatorial policy, but because he has sys-
tematically opposed any effort to line the
party up in fight with the democrats for
the last four years. In 1892 at the meet
ing of the state committee Gen: Malone
advised against putting congressional cam
didates in the field against the democrats.
He argued that that being a presidential
year the party would arouse the democracy
to degree that would injure our chances
from a national point OF view. He had his
way ard no nominations were made. He
told us to wait for an off year. when we
would meet less opposition and no ill-eTects
could follow our campaign
Ignoring the State Committee.
again In 1894 the state committee met
and expected TO take steps looking to the
nomination Of republican candidates for
Congress. We had been told to wait for
an off year, and thought that at last our
chance had arrv ed. Tc surprise Gen.
MaEcne reversed his argument made two
years previously. He told us that that be-
ing an off year that our fight would mean
nothing, and that Il would be better to wait
until 1896, when the presidential election
would help us. But the sentiment of the
committee was largely in favor of placing
candidates in the field, and We presen ted
resoluticn to that effect. There We're pres
ent representatives of forty-fve of the fifty
members of the committee and the resolu-
ton was carried by vote of thirty-five of
the members. Gen. Malone then assumed
the character of dictator, and, ignoring the
action of the committee, gave to the press
associations statement that the commit
tee had decided not to place candidates III
the field. That action aroused the members
who had voted for the resolution, and eff
forts We're nude TO correct the report, with
but partial success. The executive commit
tee is composed of but three members
They are Gel. Mahone Stth Boiling and
Alva Martin, the after two following Gen
Malone in everything he decides upon In
this way the executive committee could do
much to defeat the wishes of the state
committee.
Tried to Defeat Republican Candf-
dates.
I'm order to defeat the wishes of the
state committee Gen. Malone wrote to
some of his friends to do what they could
to prevent nominations for Congressman
and in the event that they could not pre-
vent the nominations to work to defeat the
candidates. He even went so far as to
ask Representative Babcock, chairman Of
the national congressional committee, to do
nothing to assist the republican candida ties
in Virginia. Later he did take an interest
in the election of Representative-elect
Walker.
'In view of this record the members of
the state committee think it strange that
Gen. Malone should come out for an ag-
gressive campaign in Virginia, and we
look upon that move as one simply to Sc
cure strength for the chairman in 1896,
he feels that his unpopularity with the
committee is SO great that he cannot again
be elected to that position in 1896 for at
our next meeting We will elect his sue
cessor"
What Mahone's Friends Say.
Gen. Mahone's friends claim that the
members of the committee who oppose
him do him injustice in thinking that ne
has not acted for the best interests of the
republican party in Virginia. They say
that the last two congressional elections
were not favorable to success for the re-
pubicans, and that the chairman of the
state committee saw this plainly. They
say that now Gen. Malone believes that
the opportunity for his party has come
and that he is alert to see that such ac-
ton is taken to secure as great success as
possible in 1896.
A Coal Schooner Ashore.
NEWBURYPORT, Mass. July 5.-The