Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1867-06-13
The State Convention.

We print elsewhere, copied from the
Burlington Free Press, a full report OF
the Republican State Convention held
here last Thursday. No convention ever
held in the State was attended by bet
ter body OF men, and We never saw the
State so generally represented. The
delegate system has proved its excellence
at the very outset. Even its opponents
are compelled to give it hearty praise.
The results at which the convention
arrived speak for themselves. The nomi-
| nations were expected yet we think few
nominations heretofore made were less
the result Of previous caucusing, or the
work of any "Ring." We have noticed
| intmations from several papers, in and
out of the State, that everything was
fixed" beforehand, and the convention
would only meet to ratify nominations
already made by cliques of politicians,
| but we are satisfied that the people Of
| Vermont never gave freer expression
| of opinion In a convention than was
| given through their. delegates last Thurs
day in nominating John B. Page, Stephen
Thomas and John A. Page. There had
been some opposition to Mr.. John B.
Page, not at all personal, but only
reasonable objection to putting in i'm
portant executive office men largely in
terested and actively engaged in the
management of railroads in this State
| and if Mr.. Page had been a less popular
man, or had not shown in his past off,
cial conduct, that his connection with
railroads was kept entirely separate from
his official duties as an officer of the
State government, this dislike of putting
railroad officials into State offices would
have defeated him as candidate before
the convention. AS it was, the action Of
the convention is all the more to Mr..
Pages honor, as he was put at the head
of the ticket, not because of his position
as an officer in an important railroad,
but in spite of it; for he lost undoubt-
eddy two votes by reason of that where
he gained one. And we are not sorry
to see the votes given by delegates for
Mr.. Gardner and others, because they
show that the jealousy of the political
influence of railroad interests in this
State is so strong as to make protest
on that account alone, against the nomi-
nation of a gentleman against whom no
criticism could be brought, except that
he was an influential manager of large
railroad interest in the State. Vermont
| is in no immediate danger Of being in
the political control of railroads, judg-
ing from the convention last Thursday.
| We have already expressed our opinion
Of the gentlemen put in nomination, and
need not repeat it here. They are able,
sound and honest, and fair representa-
tives of the "wisdom and virtue" of the
State. Under their administration the
interests and honor of the common
wealth will be in safe keeping. The
| ticket has the merit, we believe, of being
equal, in executive ability, political sa-
gacity and prudence, and financial ex-
perlence, foresight and integrity, to any
ever presented to the people of the State,
and merits a majority large enough to
strike the key note for the Presidential
campaign of next year.-Freeman.
LBTTBRs.-The Postmaster General has
written a letter to prominent railroad
company declaring that the transporta-
ton of letters by railroad companies
outside the mails, from officers to their
gents, is illegal. He quotes tho severe
laws pertaining to the subject anu IRA -
the conclusion that the companies s..
late the law. He adds that the lnLeL-
ton of Congress is not to confer the
franking privilege upon railroad COM
panies, as there is no reason why they
should be exempt more than other cor
porations. He is of the opinion that 1t
| is his "duty to compel all officers and
employees of railroad corporations, as
well as other mail contractors, to pay
on all letters not relating to freight OF
cargo, st the time conveyed, the same