Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1870-08-24


Mr.. WILLARD desired ne 1nfairness, and he
was not disposed to take any advantage Of
the parliamentary blandsrs Of the gentleman
from Bennington. He would therefore re-
quest that two votes be stricken from the
negative side, which was. done. Mr..
Bond from Mt. Tabor, who had not yet pre-
scented his credentials, was now brought in
by Mr.. Dunton Of Rutland, to vote "aye,"
and the WILLARD men allowed him to vote
without objection. Still there was majority
against the amendment, and the Chair an
nounced it lost by majority of four. Mr.
Park declared the vote wrong and insisted
upon a new roll-call. Mr.. Wilder of Ru-
pert moved that the vote be retaken; and the
WILLARD men and the Chair good naturally
humored this new within. The vote being
retakon resulted as follows yeas 90; nays
1O2-and the amendment was rejected The
original resolution offered by Mr.. Marsh was
then carried by large majority, and there
upon the Chair appointed the committee on
credentials.
During the contest over DR.. Newman .
amendment. little episode occurred, occa-
stoned by fiery passage-at-arms between Mr..
Woodbridge of Vergennes and Judge Smith
of New Haven, which thrilled the House
like an electric shock, and despite the bitter
and powerful rejoinder of the gentleman
from Vergennes, placed the Convention in
full sympathy with the impulsive and fear
less New Havener. Mr.. Woodbridge had
been declaiming with fiery words against I'M
fairness and injustice, and demanding that
the dear people should select the committees
for themselves, rather than allow their chair
man to do it for them. The Judge sprang to
his feet and exclaimed: A" All yes, gentlemen
Mr.. Woodbridge is very honest man, per-
feet pink of fairness and honor He has al
ready sprung trap upon the delegates from
Addison county. He this morning called a
meeting, and ere his trick was discovered
succeeded in getting himself appointed upon
this proposed committee of credentials,
against the wishes of majority of the dele
gates That accounts for the milk in this
coooanut. And now if that very honest and
just gentleman can persuade the Convention
to adopt this amendment, and prevent us
from making a new selection, he is all right,
and ripe for new treachsry. But, sir, : imme-
diately afterwards added Judge Smith, % the
people of Addison county know c. W. Will
LARD. They remember how, four years ago,
this same honest gentleman from Vergennes
imported Stoddard B. Colby from Andrew
Johnson's Treasury Department to spout
Johnsonism and eulogize Andy and hi.
treason before our people. 1t so happened, -
continued the Judge, " Hon. C. W. WILLARD
CHANGED TO be present at that Convention. and
he just wiped out Colby and Woodbridge
and Johnsonism at one sweep, and gave uf
the gospel of true Republicanism and to-
day, sir, the people of old Addison propose
to wipe out the opposers of Dir. WILLARD, al
he wiped out Johnsonism on that occasion"
After the appointment of the committee
on credentials, it being now half past three
O'Clock, the Convention adjourned till five
O'Clock, and the committee on credentials
Immediately commenced its session.
The hearing in the cases of the Monkton
and Cabot delegations was but brief, and a
several delegations were all in favor of Mr..
1 WmLARD's denomination, and the objections
to either was based solely on the regularity
of their election.
/ In the Bennington imbroglio, the committee
found Abnre-r.t work 20 do, ana "a large stock
Of patience was Indispensable Every inch oil
ground was contested by both parties with q
lin ep;r;t ord determination doserviner
even if it failed TO win, success. 1t was
again the old Park and Gardner quarrel
which we have so often encountered in the
Legislature, in State conventions and else
where. For seven long, weary hours the
committee and the Convention-which was
a tedious mass of evidence, alike confiic.
ting and contradictory, or corroborative and
con6rmatory, as to which set Of delegates
was entitled to seats in the Convention. Mr..
Park conducted the case for the delegation
headed by himself, and Mr.. Gardner that Of
the delegation of which he was a member
and any vantage ground gained by either
party was won only,,by the shrewdest strategy
and the sharpest and most persistent warfare
The facts, as elicted by the evidence anC
the statements of members of the committee
on credentials, we will endeavor to give il
the fewest words possible. The caucus wal
regularly called and organized. The chair
man was chosen without dissent, and tn
secretary elected without objection until at
ter he had entered upon the discharge o
his duties. Some four hundred were presen
in the hall, and it was conceded there wa
much noise and considerable confusion. Oh
an amendment to resolution prescribing
the manner of appointing the delegates, dis
sension arose, and there was a vote by raising o
hands which was unsatisfactory, and a coun
was ordered, some claiming that tellers wer
called for, &C. The Chair finally, on motion
divided the house, and the secretary wa
directed to take the count. On what wa
called the Gardner side of the hall, 1875 wer
counted by the secretary, and on the Par
side Us were numbered.
The Park men then claimed they wer,
outnumbered by Democratic voters, and ami
considerable confusion and excited appeals Il
the chair, prominent Park Republican re
quested all good Republicans to retire t.
another place where they could be unmolest
ed. Thereupon the Park men went out, fol
lowed by such Democrats as chose to go will
them, and proceeded to another building
where separate caucus was organized b.
them. The regularly-called caucus remained
in the hall with its organization intact, chos
its delegates, and completed the business fol
which it came together without further dis
turbance or irregularity. The Park Repub
licans also elected delegates, passed resolu