Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1870-06-23
From the Rutland independent
CORRESPONDENCE.
C. w. willard.

CIV. willard.
MEssRs. EDITORS Before entering upon dis
QUESTION under the above title, will prelude, by
way OF introduction these positive and truthful
statements; that am no candidate for office OF
any kind that have animosity to crafty ;
that 1 am as friendly to the subject fof my theme
socially, as to any man In the State; that l am
citizen of the State, and profoundly interested
in its representation at Washington; and that
do not respect any individual so much, but that,
if he offers himself to the people as candidate
for a position of confidence and honor, shall
dare to raise the glass to my eye and, robbing
him of the enchantment of his distance, critically
analyze the quality of his substance, and help
myself to determine whether he is entitled to ask
my suffrage in favsr Of his exalted aspiration.
Indeed it is a part of the price which every
ofice-seeker pays for his publicity, that he be
turned over from side to side and carefully ex-
amined by the people to whom he presents him
self; and he need not be embarrassed at this; for
he has solicited gift more or less important,
and 1t is clearly privilege of the giver to ascer-
tain fthe donee be worthy.
The article which / am writing, therefore, be-
Ieve, is not impelled by any bad motive, but is
the tulflment of duty.
There is no question as to the existence of
very strong opposition to the denomination of c.
w. Willard for the second term in Congress and
that opposition, 1 take the liberty to say, is not
the offspring of any alleged malfeasanee Of the
Honorable Gentleman during his probationary
service Of two years in the halls of the national
legislature.
1t is based upon a consciousness of the demand
of the District for representative of high natu-
raj and acquired powers, and the equal con-
sciousness of the entire inability of Mr.. Willard
to satisfy that demand. 1t commenced few
weeks after his nomination in 1868 when, to con-
vince his future constituency of the wisdom of
their choice, he took the platform and spoke to
various assemblies in the First Congressional
District. Those speeches the friends of Mr.. Will
lard may justly esteem the great erTata of his
political life; and am in no danger of becom-
ing involved in controversy when L say they
would by no means render him the proper SUBJ
ject of the eulogy from the great Macaulay. twere
he living which that celebrated man pronounced
upon the distinguished Edmund Burke. It was
the fortune of the writer to hear his effort in
Rutland. lie saw the very large audience that
collected in the old Town Hall that evening and
he also saw the hundreds that left before the
speaker was half through. Numerous speeches
had been delivered in the Hall during the fall
and none, L believe, were so effectual in wearyng
the hearers as the one from Mr.. Willard.
make no hesitation in affirming what hun
dreds have said before me, that the Honorable
Gentleman in that campaign succeeded most ad-
mirably in demonstrating to his electors that he
was a very weak man, and one that would lose
by contrast with any Of two hundred individuals
that might be enumerated in the District. Sure
", then, said the people, we have not followed
the precepts of political economy and nominated
the best man for the best place. Mr.. Willard
having proved to his constituency that he was
the wrong person, and that a mistake had been
made has been forced to behold the dIssatisfac-
ton which at first arose, settle into chronic
state, until now it threatens in unequivocal
manner his deposition. Nor has the Representa-
tive subsequently, in his experience at the capital
of the nation, accomplished more than to give
additional testimony of his unhtness. For what
has he done Has he improved the opportunity
in his possession to make himself felt IN the
IIo.aae OF eminent parts, and thus con-
fer a dignity on the State that has honored him
One of our journals tells me that 'Mr. Willard
spoke upon the Cuba question" He did speak
upon the Cuba question for few moments; but
he did not so identify himself by those incident
al remarks as to become known otherwise to the
Der from the rural districts" He may have been
on the right side when he said word on that sub
iect; but an individual of very mean intellect
may speak on the right side. Very different is it
to enter learnedly and with signal ability into the
pending question; which Mr.. Willard has not
done, and which we have yet to be convinced that
he can do.
Another paper, evidently under some obliga-
lions to the Honorable Gentleman, Jeus That
he rebuked General Butler. This abstractedly
proves nothing. A man of the most ordinary I'M
derstand ing may rebuke the wisest of men; but
this can reflect no great credit save that commu
nicated by coming in contact with the more |
ponderous body. 1t certainly does not prove the |
qualification of the representative to confer honor
upon his constituency. Mr.. Willard, like the |
rest of the magpies of Congress, has hoped to get
some reputation by espying out and attacking |
the faults of ono of the most remarkable States
men America has ever produced. Such is the |
common resort of all common men, who, being |
unable to take position as bright luminaries in
large deliberative assembly, and being protected
by their own unimportance, seek to obtain some
little attention by annoying the great intellects
which they are in no wise able to initiate.
A representative should do more than this He
should dchieUs in the highest and noblest sense of
the word and if his powers aren not ample enough,
be should take place adapted to the quality of
his mind.
Again I say in all kindness, Mr. Willard is
unfit. He is inadequate to the demand of the
District; and as there are those among us who
are able to answer the demand, let one be select
ed to take, for the next term, the place of the
present incumbent.
1t is unnecessary to delineate the proceedings
Of the convention of 6S,--of the contest between
Mr.. Veazey and MIR. Woodbridge, and the fual
reluctant acceptance of Mr.. Willard twho was
almost unknown)-to show that he was not the
Tree choice of that convention. 1t is essentially
sufficient to say, that in obtaining the nomination
ne was truly the victim of circumstances.
The First Congressional District has become
Inder no obligation to its representative, for he
las done nothing for it except to imperl its dig
lity. Let us then pick from our citizens man
If calibre and worth. Let MS in making the Sc
ection throw aside all petty jealousies and ami
nosities. Let us be uninfuenced by prejudice.
And with an eye single to the weight of our little
State in the great council of the Federal Union,
ct US place statesman in the position of the rep
elect and through him win honor and
,loIy for ourselves, the State and the nation.
IS"
BASE BALL MATCH.-The following is
he score of the base ball game between
,he Ondawa club of Manchester and the
Star of Pawlet, which came off at the
former Mace on SATURDAY. the 18th inst |