Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1872-07-24
The Second District.

The Second District.
Me,sr,. Editors i have 80 long taken your
Journal and it has so wide a circulation in this
county. that feel at liberty to trouble you with
a few words about political affairs in the Second
Congressional District. You have doubtless
learned that b. II. Steele, ESD, of llartand, has
undertaken to secure the nomination in this dis
rict for the next Congress. am not very Ia
miar with the modus operdHd' in politics, but II
seems to be this. When an ambitious man thinks
that A. Or b has served his country long enough
or that he has qualities fitted to make shining
mnrk in the halls Of the National Legislature, he
begins 10 manipulate the district to secure the
succession for himself lie goes about the towns
and feels Of the managing politicians, and after a
few months of careful exploration and .fnesse, he
announces himself, or gets himself announced
as a candidate for Congress. lie has secured his
friends and few papers, and organized a party
within the party to go for him. When all j.
ready the hue and cry is raised, the old and cx-
perienccd member is hustled of the stage and the
new man steps to the front. We, the people
have nothing to do about il, no voice even IN the
nomination, md are expected only to register our
votes for the man who has been successful in un
dermining a friend and iois;ing himself upon Us
as oar candidate
Now this strikes me M a very poor method oil
choosing congressman. It leaves us. mean Tie
people. pretty much in the hands of smart, polit
icnl adventures, who can descend to the manage
ment Of caucuses and the working Of rings, and
who have got brass enough to psf themselves ~
"A better qualified fJr Office than the able and ex
perienced men who have held it to the satisfaction
Of the people 1t gives the vain and aspiring
men the control over our votes by the fact tina
they can intrigue nomination for themselves
We the voters, lie helpless, and have to vote 70
the man who has managed, by craft or otherwise
to get possession Of the nominating convention.
Now, have nothing against Mr.. Steele, II
Is quite Young man and thinks himself fit 70
Congress. better fitted even than Mr.. Poland o
any other man in this district lie undoubiedl
wants to have the best man nominated, and i
ready IN submit to all the sacrifices which bcnl
the best man requires of him. In this recog
nize both his high appreciation Of himself an
his large public spirit. Then he has been iudg
Of the Supreme Court, and an attorney, and leci
urcd Mt fairs and commenccments with moderat
acceptance. | have never heard that his ahilit
was more marked and eminent than score {
other attorneys in this district who have no ser
Gus aspiration for Congress. Thus far his onl
qualifications seem to he his own sense Of his f
ness for the place, and his utter inexperence
FL public life lie never has been to Congress, an
he thinks be is the best man in our district to
there These two are his qualifications.
Now do not wish to dArken his prospect
e lie certainly is young enough to have hope Of y
election if he should not go to Washington e
8 ten years yet. lie might be ADLER in that tin
T. and equally modest, so that the suggestion
IL his going to Congress might then come from Il
u the people, rather than from himself But win
r he practically puts himself forward for the su
II ce,sion, it is well enough for to ask ourSey
z whether we want 70 have any successor 10 N
10 Poland other than himself has Mr.. p. bccoi
a. disqualified for bis place BY his experience
T. his large acquaintance with public men and pu
J. lie affairs by his ever increasing ability to do
'e work Of the Office and represent ably and not
his district, that we should drop him, and put
r young man in his place who has no experier
Sc and whose greatest drawback is his preiensiun
OF the place now occupied By one Of the ahlest IL
5 who has represented Vermont at Washington.
think, Mr. Editor, that we Nermonters know
ed rsellv valuable AM user,l nubIic servant wi
n, v.c have the l,ck +, Iigbt nn,n him We ON,
ss 10 know our own interest well enough not TO p
with such n servant if We can help ii If Prl
oil dence should remove or di-qualily him We sho
M yield tteopesti,n lint why .bould me snrren
~ an nble and ,ccomnli.bed and invaluable mi
nd servant who has DISTINGUISHED botb himself Z
90 his constituency in Congress. at tho call O
'r- v,,,ng man oven of Admired natnrolabilty. y
lis wants hi. nlace INIT win, il nntried and ,sbo
Re- ,,sl ,lr,td IN vai, ten mr. even twenty wears IN
lul or FIR the nsi,i,, no Il now &, ombitnus IN
Try There * an obyious ininstice as well AZ absu
we i,v in casting aside an honorable. disting,tis
ost and successful renre.cntotive G,ra new man u
tly ut.,oor liz Qualifications is ,ot vl,i, snne
by >, ,h, ,ro, le ,v,ld disnlace and certainly Is
;,,,-i.. l., ov,.r;o-., and leo,i.l,t;ye and ;,di
,vn .,,.r,,ii-h,,or,s Thero ave a ,re,t MANY nj
ole II, ,til di.,ri., Mr. editor WIN would lik. r,
s Il r.. Co,,,r,ss We bove been at home lony emu
,us nat s,rno.e that we arc sne .i,llv enti
the D., 90 We ,bi,k we conld do onrselycs and
nee country bon,r at WASHINGTON bpt we knovv
nan Mr. p,iond has eouolled the hes, representa-
cir ,h,t Vermont Inn. sent IN Congress and holds
sh- erst nl,cs anong his canals there and is va,
Ms, If tho continued confidence If bis cons,i,n
ent and If their constant bonor WIN should
all t.o, 80, % much o,rselyes into he r,s;,ior
ion "'o" Wy 20 pu'" ou'N''', NV, i'' lr,S''''
aw well fills ? No we will hold our amhitio
allegiance to our country's call. If our dis
cod wants us 10 take ms place. It w''l let us XII
its ""v We W." wa. r'','' d,o . .',s ,ro :;
ed district We found man nearly twenty y
OF since whom we liked, who was faithful to ou