Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1858-05-14
STATE CONVENTION
May 18th, 1858.

REPUBLICAN STATE CONVENTION.
A rumor got a(loat some time ago that the
Republican State Committee were to call the
State Convention for the nomination of Gov
ernor, Lieut.. Governor and Treasurer on the
10th Of June. That the itcm-gatherers in
the neighboring States should alter the ru-
NOR into positive announcement was per-
haps not very wonderful, and statement to
that effect is on its rounds about the Union.
The call, it will be seen, is officially made fc-
Tuesday, the Goth of June, at Montpelier.
Congress will probably not adjourn before
the 18th of June. The day set will enable
our Vermont Delegation to be present, which
will be very agreeable to their fellow Repub-
licans.
SO far as our Judgment is concerned we
should have been pleased if the Committee
had called a proper delegate convention, be-
lieving that the only fair way of making up
convention for the purpose of nominating
public officers. Had they done 50, we think
the voters generally would have approved of
it. From the frequent remarks we have heard
on the subject, we believe the people of the
State are getting tired of the utterly irrcs-
ponsiblo character of tho nominating conven-
tions which have been in practice for long
time A convention, to which nobody is
appointed to go,-to which nobody feels
obliged to go,--in which whoever pleases to
90 may act rs memh,r,-and which as a
matter of course, is mainly composed Of the
people who live near to the place of
mccting,-in which, for the sake of
nominal fairness to the State at
large. the business is turned over to nom
mating committee appointed on the spot by
thor 80 are there one man sometimes
fixing the entire nominating vote for whole
County-is us untitled for the purpose as any
arrangement well couldbc. Such a Convention
may do right. and it may not Its result may
come from mere chance, or from the private
management OF few who are present to ef-
feet their own ends. Moreover, such prac
tice operates steadily to induce among the
voters generally, habit of neglect about the
important political business of the State ,--and
under the plea of attending to their own pri
vate concerns, to leave the management o.
their public ones to whoever shall please tt
attend to them
But with delegate Convention, the mem.
bers chosen publicly by the voters at home
with full knowledge of their opinions
as to candidates,-choscn in fair proportion
to the voters WI. are to uphold its dongs,-
in which the whole State is thus fairly repre-.
sented, in which there is an open and frank
discussion, every member giving his own vote
and no other, and holding himself ready to
account to those who appointed him for his
action, the case is entirely different A gen
eral and fair representation of the votes of the
State is thus secured, and there is moral
weight both at home and abroad, in the do
ings Of such convention, which is of great
importance.
If, besides the ordinary business of the State
Convention, of June Goth, it shall determine
to have future State Conventions made up
of delegates properly chosen on iair basis by
the voters in the different towns, it will do a
good thing and the practice will DO quite
sure to be followed in County and District
Conventions throu phout tho State