Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1864-05-27
WHO SHALL Be OUR NEXT CONGRESSMAN ?

in this district is becoming clearly de-
fined. The choice lies plainly between
Hon. Portus Baxter and Hon. Geo. f.
Edmunds. The district convention to be
holden on the I'd of June at Hydepark
will decide this. In the mean time it
behooves every one t. examine the claims
and fitness of these men, so that when
the time shall come they may act wisely
We have declared ourselves for Hon
Portus Baxter, and have stated our req
sons therefor but we will repeat some
of these reasons and add others.
What are Mr.. Bakers qualifications
for this office He is man of unusual
intelligence close and logical thinker
keen and far-sighted, and eminently
practical. He is 40 earnest worker and
has an influence in Washington such as
few representatives there have. He is
a man of undoubted integrity, and has a
soul all aglow with patriotism and alive
with noble feeling. He has an expert
ence of immense value. He has know
ledge of men and things about the de-
partments and camps and hospitals aboni
Washington that another man could scar
cely get in twelve months. He has the
confidence of bis constituents, of the
Government, of the soldiers, of all with
whom he has come in contact. He has
a record in Congress that he may well be
proud of. There is probably not man
in this district who, if it were fairly bro't
before the people, could control as large
a vote as lie, or who could obtain one
tsnM as many roteS from Tie soldiers from
this district as he, unless it were, perhaps
Gov. Smith. Can we afford, at a time
like this, to overlook all these consider.
ations, and send a man, at least untried,
to supplant him We cannot afford this
We have as yet seen no strong reasons
why Mr. Edmunds should be chosen over
him.
The Times suggests that if we do moi
change we shall lie open to the suspicion
that we have no "riper fruit to send
and urges that we send one (Mr Ed
munds, Of course) who shall stand be-
side Schuyler Colfax and Thad. Stevens,
and ike them "renect honor on his con-
stituents.' We may have ripper fruit,
and, it may be, less sound--and every
true man in this district would rather
ten thousand times rather-that our rep
resentalive would save the life of a single
Vermont soldier than that he made the
Halls of Congress ring with the most
imprisoned eloquenco. These are times
when we are all alive with strong emo
tons, and such arguments are an insult
to our reason and feelings.
There may be men in the district who
can make n pretter speech than he-but
eloquence to-day lies in deeds rather than
words, and the deeds of Portus Baxter
are very eloquent.
We do not want to send man to
Congress at this time simply because be
can make speech" Heaven knows
how terribly Congress and the country
have been cursed with that class of men
already. A worker, rather than speak
er, is what we want. We want man
first, that will labor zealously TO perform
his duties in Congress not to prove that
he is very ripe, or to ''refect honor upon
his constituents" but to serve his coun.
try, and 10 make himself and all else
subservient to this. We want mar
who, these primary duties performed, viii
look after and care for our soldiers, and
who, if your brother or mine is there sick
or suffering, will find it out aud see that
he is cared for, or perhaps insure his re-
turn to home and life. We want a man
who, if we should be called there 10
watch the dying, or gather up the dust
of one dear to US, we would dare ap-
proach and ask his aid in these sad duties.
We want a man who shall forget self and
throw bis whole soul in the great work
in which our all is at stake. Such a man
is Portus Baxter. He has already served
you four years, and mas it not always
been with acceptance? Are there not
pale men in our midst who say they
would not have lived but for him ? Are
there not mothers, and wives and sisters
all around US who thank God with all
their hearts that we sent such q man to
Congress as he? Let not his patriotic
deeds and entire devotion to his country.
far beyond any power of speech ere
feet honor on bis constituents" ST.
Al5ans Messenger.
MINNG.-The Canadian toe ks