Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-07-21
The Late Senatorial Convention.

no difference OF opinion upon tue homn"uo"s
made--and we do so now with extreme reluc-
tanec. The Wings have great political battle
to fight, and we should exhibit little discretion
in stopping by the way to engage in petty bIek-
erings and quarrels among ourselves; and be-
Sides il is question in which we have taken no
part and looking upon it as of no great practi-
cal consequence, have felt little interest in II.
But as laborcd attempt is making, by low
appeals to the passions Of some, and the preju-
diccs of o,hcrs, to create Jealousy and hostility
between the towns-io array men of different
pursuits and conditions in society against each
other, aud thus excite and bring out opposition
to the Senatorial candidates as unfairly nomina-
ted, it is perhaps proper that we should recur TO
the question in dispute, aud give a plain state
ment Of tic facts out Of which this attempt Vt
disorganifation has sprung.
In doing this, We shall not deem il necessary
to reply to, far less to initiate, the disgusting ex-
hibitbn Of personal scurriliiy, blackguar,lism
and misrepresentation contained in last weeks
Beloes Falls Gazette. II, as seems to be the
case tue Editor of that paper has a natural &C.
nirs for bingsgatc and negro buGoonery, he
may enjoy his propensi,ies unmolested. The
POISON that carries with it its own antido,c, may
be safely dcspised.
We shall confne ourself to the examination,
as briefly as possible, Of the questions in dispute
with full conviction that, once understood, there
will be no difference Of opinion upon them.
II was recommended by last years Conycn.
ton, that the Wings of the county, thereafter, be
represented in nominating Convention, by dele
gaies--each town to be entitled to two, and one
in addition for every 20 Wing votes cast at the
previous STATE election. A majority of he Con.
reniion recommended this proposition, and so iar
as they represented truly their constituents, it
was the Recommendation of the Wigs Of be
county.
Two objections arc made to this mode Of rep
resentation. LIST. To the whole delegate system
on the ground that every elecior Of the county
who chooses ought to be permitted to attend
and vote for candidates. I'd. That il the dele.
gate system be adopted, every town, without re-
ference to number Of Wing electors, should be
entitled to an equal number Of delegates
The fSi objection addresses itself to the con-
venienee and common sense Of the Wings Of the
county. The proper object Of nominating Con
sention, is to express the choice Of majority Of
all the electors and that mode Of constituting il
is best, which most nearly ensures this result. II
all the Wing electors could assemble in a Mas
County Convention, the choice Of a majority
could be readily asceriained; but who does no,
know the impractcabiliiy, not 10 say impossible
ity Of such an cvent2 The customary place Of
holding Convention being at Fayetteville, it Is
doubtless quite easy for Wings Of Newfane, and
perhaps two or three adjoining towns, to attend
the Convention there. !, is at their door, and
it requires but little time and no expense for all
Of them, II they choose, TO attend But low i
it with the Wings Of Halifax, Londonderry, Som
erset, Stratton, whi,ipkham. Vernon, windhsm
Jamaica, Rockinghan5 and other towns, at a dis
;ancef The Wings who reside in them arr
business men, farmers, mechanics, and lAborers
many Of them without the means of travelling
except OH foot, and who cannot afford the time
and expense of journey of 10, 20, and for
some even so miles, 10 attend the Convention
1t would be great and most unequal tax for
them to do so, i it were not, Us it is, in fact
practical mpossihiliiy. Yet every one of these
Whigs--;he humblcst and poorest laiorcr among
them-has an opinion Of his own, has prefer.
enee among the candidates proposed, and it i,
his right to have an opportunity to express il
Ills right is as strong as that of the Wing elector
living in the village Of Fayetteville. who step.
from his door into the Convention, and record.
his vote without labor or expense; while the
former, under tue Mass Convention" system
cannot exercise the same right, except at the
trouble and expense of long journey.
To this tax, erery Wing clector in the distant
towns must submit, under the Mass Convention
system, or he deprived of his right TO vote foi
the candidate of his choice. OF course, very
few submit to it, The personal attendance OF
the great mass of the Wing electors is out of the
ques,on-is utterly impossible--for who expect.
ever to see the 5000 Wing electors Of the coun.
ty leaving their occupations and performing q
journey to Fayetteville, to attend a nominating
Convention! No one ever expects TO see II, or
will see it. The consequence il, that but few
Wings attend from the distant towns, and fire.
quently none. Some come, induced by their
duty as citizens; some to get Offices for them
selves or friends but each expressing his indi-
vidual sentiments only. A Convention so con-
stituted, expresses the sentiments of none but
those that compose it. Farther than that, il docs
not in any sense truly represent the choice Of
the Wings of the county, and as the nominating
Convention of the county does not usually aver
age, in number attending, more than one hun
drcd, it follows that not more than one Mi1ieh
part ofMe Wig electors Of Me county hare any
roice in the nominations. Docs not system
which leads inevitably to such results, in fact
disjranchise the mass of the Wings, and virtually
deprige them of their right and privilege to vote
for Senatorial and other candidates?
But this is not all, nor the worst consequence
of the Mass Convention 1t puts it in the now
er of the Wings, residing in the towns near to
the place Of the Convention, always to control
the nominations; because, while it IL not possible
10 get general attendance from the distant
towns, it is always easy for a candidate in whom
the Whias of Newiane and its neiehbborhood