The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1868-07-14
The District Convention.

We publish to-day, the call for a Re-
publican District Convention to nomi-
nate Representative for the First Dis
trict OF Vermont In Congress. 1t Is q
delegate convention and the delegates
are to be elected at primary meetings
held In the several towns. The num-
Der of delegates to which each town Is
entitled Is named in the call. Unless
the towns have themselves elected town
committees to supersede those appoint
ed by the County Committee last fall,
the responsibility of calling caucuses
rests with these appointees.
The system of caucuses and nomina-
ting Conventions is In some respects a
faulty one, and is worse than it would
otherwise be, through the usages into
which we have fallen. We have fire.
quently known the primary meetings,
at which the most weighty matters
were substantially decided, to be attend
ed by less than dozen men and those
such as were personally interested IN
schemes of their own. We believe 1t
to be the duty of every citizen TO cast
his vote and use his influence to elect,
to responsible positions, such men and
only such, as reflect their honest con-
victions Of right. To foam and fret be.
cause things have not gone according to
our wishes after everything is settled
hpVn111 IL coll nd
farcieal. We must attend the primary
meetings and do what we can to put
things right in the first place. If we
fail to do this, the responsibility of the
failure is upon us. If the people will
themselves decide the matter, we shah
be satisfied. Their true instincts, I'M
fettered by the meshes of favors re-
ceived or hoped for will settle the ques-
bushes upon the face of honesty and
true manhood, if the real will of the
people can find expression. But this
cannot be, if our better men reason that
their individual presence and vote are
of no particular consequence, or if they
become disguised with the low tTickeIy
of politics and refuse TO participate in
the election, thereby suffering the
ringn to carry its point without pro-
test 1t may not be the duty of every
citizen to think "a we do upon measures
of public policy, or agree with us az to
the fitness of candidates for positions of
responsibility and trust. But it is their
duty 10 form opinions, and to endeavor
to secure true, competent, sober-minded
cry officer and member of the churches,
every man of business, every lover of
good order and just laws, every patriotic
citizen who willingly fails to exercise
his high privilege of having a voice in
the government, is untrue TO his trusts
is guilty of gross neglect of duty to
himself, his fellow men and his God,
We have had but little to say upon
the question which is now agitatine
this district, with regard to the merits
of the different aspirants for the honor
of representing this district i'm Congress,
ana we sIIitII say nut lIttlr to-uuy.
There is however, no uncertainty in
our opinions and We shall venture to
express them, Notwithstanding the
threats of political ostraci4m which are
held over us by the ring of petty poll.
ticians, and other Interested persons,
because we refuse to shout " Great is Di-
ana of the Ephesians." We have care
fully weighed the official acts and pub
lie utterances of our present member.
We have observed his habits Of thought,
his bearing before the people, and to
some extent his private life. Our per-
-onal relations with him have never
been otherwise than pleasant. We have
been the recipient of courtesies. Our
feelings are entirely friendly. But
when principle and duty make demands
upon MS, friendship should be Ignored.
We should be untrue To our convictions
did we not say that ii is our deliberate
opinion that Mr. Woodbridge has not
that weight Of character, those qualifi-
cations, intellectual or moral, which the
people should demand irtheir represen-
tAtive upon the floor of Congress. If
the people do not think as we do, let
them express their sentiments. But
don't let half a dozen men who have no
opinions further than some personal
consideration, fix things beforehand,
ruio the caucus and then assume that
they represent public sentiment.
The Democratic Nominations.
The Democratic National Convention
at New York, nominated IIoratio Scy.
monr of New York, for President, and