Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-08-08
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
The Conventions To-day.

hhC Osuays
This afternoon, at the Town Hal
building, will be presented one of tn,
most extraordinary political sights eve
witnessed in Rutland In the sam,
building, at the same hour, assemble.
two political conventions, each repre-
senting different political party, sus
tanning the same candinates for Nationa
and State officers, and each processing
to stand upon, or endorse, the same plat
form of principles Yet, if we judge
from their separate action in Nationa
and State conventions, they profess tc
belong to different political organiza,
tons, intend to retain and continue dis.
tinct party affiliations. The professed
object or, to be more exact, the avowed
and undoubted object of the assembling
Of these two conventions, at one and the
same time and place, is to agree upon
and support the same candidates for
county officers, and, hereafter, through
similar instrumentalities, to sustain and
support the same candidates for town
officers. They cannot, they do not, eX-
pect or hope to succeed at the coming
State election in Vermont. 1t is doubt
full whether they now have any such
hope or expectation in National affairs.
What then is their object in thus assem-
bling, and, more especially, in maintain
ing and keeping alive distinct party or
CARNATIONS The intention and aim of
the old Democratic party is plain and
readily understood. With them, any
political action that looks to, no matter
how remote may be its accomplishment
or how futile its present chance of sue
cess, the breaking up and defeat of the
Republican party, is now, and always
has been, leading axiom of their polit-
ical faith. Their political morality al
lows of any separate or combined &C
tion-even to the sacrifice of professed
principles-to gain votes and achieve
success. This axiom and this morality
is illustrated by their battle cry, during
the present campaign. Anything to
beat Grant" They do not intend, they
have not intended, to disband their
party organization. Their separate con-
ventions are held, National, State,
County and other committees are ap-
pointed This will continue to be their
course. No other course of action
would be consistent with their past
history. Without such a course they
could never expect to realize and take
advantage of their hopes, anticipations
and aspirations in the future.
But how about our Liberal Republic
an friends 3? They, too, are maintaining
separate and distinct party organizations
They appoint National, State, County
and Town committees. They hold sep
arate conventions and primary meetings.
TO one, unacquainted with American
politics, it would look as if they intend
ed to affiliate with the Democrats, only
during the present campaign. But this
cannot be so. Otherwise they would
not enter into local politics. Their al
lance would be confined to the election
of President and Vice President, and
local organizations would be unneces-
sary. Why then do they ''go back on"
their old party friends, and aid in the
election of their political enemies But
two answers can be given and on one or
the other horn of the dilemma they must
hang. Either they intend to go over, in
body, to the Democratic party here
after and, therefore, keep up their sep
arate organizations, "as blind" to lure
on the timid and unsuspecting or they
are controlled by an Unsuitable desire for
office. Either proposition affords a
satisfactory solution of the problem.
Some men there are, no doubt, who
honestly object to Gen. Grant, but who
would utterly abhor the return of the
Democratic party to power. Yet they
must see that the success of this, so
called, liberal movement must inevitably
end in this If this is not their object,
and they must be supposed TO intend it,
as it is the necessary consequence of
their acts, then they must be led and
controlled by their ambition for office.
This they design to achieve, hereafter,
by maintaining then their third party
organization, with the hope, in many
instances, of holding the balance of
power and thus compelling the recog-
milton of their claims, to a certain eX-
tent. This propos ition, the other being
denied, is so evident that argument is
useless. Repub Leans and especially
Liberal Republic ans, examine this mat
ter for yourselves. Choose ye this day,
with whom your lot shall be cast. Shall
it be with the Democratic party or the
glorious old Republican party ?