Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-10-31
Address to the Democratic Vet
ers of Vermont.

You will soon be called upon to exer-
else the right and duty of casting your
ballot for electors. Three tickets are
before you. Your choice must be O'Con-
or, Grant or Greeley.
We ask your votes for O'Conor and
Adams. 1t is simple justice to say that
they are among the best, the purest
and the ablest men of the times. No
man ever doubted their honesty or ca
pacity. Our candidate for President
was the man to whom the good men OF
all parties turned to rescue the city OF
his residence from the thieves and plum
derers who had obtained control OF its
government, and were enriching them
selves by robbery, under the forms OF
law. At this time, when corruption IN
every form is sapping the foundations
of private virtue and public morality, 1t
behooves every good citizen to see to 1t
that he who asks his suffrage is honest,
capable and untainted.
The political integrity of our candi-
dates is as unsullied as their personal
characters. They have ever been in
flexible in their devotion to the princi-
niles of constitutional liberty. They
have stedfastly supported the measures
and men of the democratic party, when
worthy of the support OF honest voters.
They have refused to consent that the
democratic masses shall be sold like
sheep in the SHAMELESS, at the behest OF
politicians to Horace Greeley, the life
long enemy of the Democratic party, its
measures and its men. These consider
ations entitle them to the support OF
every democrat who loves his country
and his principles better than tempo
rary success, gained by the sacrifice of
principle and honor.
Brother Democrats, why should you
vote for Greeley? Is it because he is
the nominee of the Baltimore COnyen-
ton? When that convention nominated
man who never cast a democratic vote,
or advocated a democratic measure, it
absolved you from any allegiance as a
party man. You are at liberty to vote
as you please. AS free man you are
bound by no party tie so strong as your
duty to your country. How can you
vote for Greeley without self-stultifica-
ton? BY voting for him you admit that
you have all along been wrong in OppO-
sing those measures and doctrines of
which he has been the champion and adj
voCate. Do you say that the issues of
the past are settled They are if settled
75qHt, if not they will eventually become
issues Of moment. But if finally settled
2or0ng, why vote for him who had most
to do in accomplishing the wrong?
Do you say that there is no hope of
electing our candidate? But is that a
reason for emitting to vote as your con-
science dictates? Is success SO much a
duty that YOU would obtain it by sac
ritice Of principles or of self respect !:
To us it seems plain that it is better in
the interest of political morality that
Grant should be elected by republican
votes. than that Greeley should by the
votes of democrats.
We have not supposed that any demo
crat could seriously contemplate voting
for Grant. As a candidate for president
he has been fully tried and found want
ing. The better part of the Republican
party would have preferred some other
candidate The Buffers. Camerons,
MortOns. and other political soldiers of
fortune. captured its organization. com
Dellpd the denomination of Grant. and
are now leading it on to inevitable diSas-
ter and ruin. We do not deem it neccs-
sary to ask YOU not to vote for Grant,
but with a firm conviction that we are
right, and with the hope that the right
may sometime triumph. we again ask
you to vote for O'ConOr and Adams.
White River Junction, oct. %, 1872.
CuAs. n. DAVENPORT,
GILES HARRINGToN.
john r. GATES,
T. = PARTRIDGE