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

We have given in other places pretty full
reports of the Convention held at MiddIebury
last Thursday, to nominate a candidate to
represent the First Congressional District of
Vermont in the United States House of
Representatives IL r4@s ->s. Ia irnproner TO
briefly allude to the causes leading to the
disafection alleged to exist in the District.
It had been apparent for twoor three weeks
prior to the assembling of the Convention,
that a secret but active and INSCRIPTIONS
Mort was being made to defeat the renomi-
nation of Mr.. WILLARD, the present Repre-
tentative of the District. This opposition
Bprang, without any doubt, from no dis
trust of the integrity and ability of Mr.. VIII
LARD as a statesman and legislator, nor from
want of confidence in him as man; nor did
it arise from any dissatisfaction resulting
from the discharge of his legitimate official
duties in Congress. 1t had its origin and
foundation and all the strength it ever reached,
simply, solely and entirely in the fact that
Mr.. WILLARD had not in his recommendations
of persons for few Offices in the District,
thought proper to advise the retaining of
WIN bAuuB Will al dlLuO5b OGdLu-
like grasp to those places of profit nor to
recommend few others who were extremely
willing to take the emoluments of post
Offices, route agencies, assessorships, etc.
This number of disafected, INSCRIPTIONS
mischief-makers-thisb band of political wire
workers, who had taken it upon themselves to
run the Representative from this District in
their own interests, regardless of the higher
interests Of the people ard the Republic, or
to cheat him out of a renomination-did not
exceed a score of men and of this score of
malcontents, not one had higher i'm
They opposed Mr.. WIZARDS denomination
solely because they or their particular friends
had not received at his hands all the treasury
pap and spoils of Office for which they clam
ored- On this point the proof is abundant
and conclusive. The head and front, the en-
gineers and impelling forces of this movement,
were political soreheads and their personal
sympathizers. This much of the leaders who
sought at Middlebury, last Thursday, to de-
feat Mr.. WILLARD denomination to Congress.
True it is there were other men, worthy and
true Republicans, in that Convention, who
would not at first have voted for Mr. WILLARD
because they had been led into an error in
regard to the facts in the case by the gross
and repeated falsehoods of these disaf-
fected politicians. Many good men were
personally unacquainted with the present
Congressional incumbent, and, other things
being equal, naturally and justly had a
preference for a neighbor or for county
man. We always admire certain degree of
county or home pride. 1t increases our re-
spect for the individuals possessing it, and
when it is held and exercised in no clannish
spirit-with no unfairness or injustice towards
others who also have rights-it Is to be
especially commended. We have no word of
rebuks or criticism for men of this class.
They acted honestly and honorably, with the
light they had before them /; and now they
win be found the frmest friends of the reg
ular Republican nominee of the Convention
of which they were members.
There is one other phase of this opposition
to Mr.. WILLARD, deserving notice. An ex-
member of Congress, and member of the
Washington lobby, was delegate 10 the
Convention, bitterly opposing Mr.. WILLARD's
denomination. We were not surprised at
\this, for that lobby is keen and unscrupulous
Nways in its warfare upon every member Of
ongress It cannot use; and it found very
IN thai it could not. use the present mem
fromthis district. The. lobbyist who can
aa M