Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-09-17
Massachusetts Republican COnyen-
ton.

The convention at Worcester on the 10th
was attended by about eleven hundred del
egates and large crowd of lockers on.
Tuesday the cases of contested delegations
were heard by the State Committee, and their
decision seems to have satisfied the two
parties ia the main. The most careful est-
mate of the strength of the two wings finally
gives Washburn Gil, Butler 453, with II
of the State Committee, presided in the first
organization, and the list of officers, with ex-
Gov. Alexa der H. Bullock as President of
the Convention, which " as presented by the
State committee, wasadoptedo on Gen. Buffers
motion. Gov. Bullock was escorted to the
chair by Gen. Butler, Mr.. W. w. Rice and
Speaker Sanford The speech of Gov. Bull
lock we give in full, as it contains timely
counsel and excellent advice:
Gentlemen of the convention: You will
accept my thanks for the honor you confer
upon me, and | accept the Office, knowing
that IN representative convention of Mas
sachusetts men it should not be difficult
duty of the presiding officer to interpret and
apply the rules OF order and courtesy which
ing from the personal honor and self
respect OF the members.
My words shall be few. You have assem-
bltd, the chosen representatives Of the repub-
licans of the state, when discussions and
events which may be beard In the country
admonish wisdom and circumspecton here.
Il 10 he SncooeI an election nj
president thai men feel the strings of party
loosening from their limbs, exercise more
freely their own choice and Judgment, and
organize within their own minds ideas as 10
persons and policies and administrations.
What shall happen at the next quadrennal
election depends much upon what is promul-
gated, and more upon what is done Ia the H.
terval by authorized and official public agents.
While this is in a degree true Immediately
alter any Inauguration of the president, it is
especially aud significantly true at this
time. The republican party came out of the
last canvass with very large majorlties, plrt-
ly because of the absence of a united and
homogeneous opposing party, IN part because
OF more general belief OF their promises
made by their opponents, partly because OF
the power OF public patronage which has
been unduly exercised by every sdminstra-
ton since tuas of John Quincy Adams, in
part because practical aud commercial peo-
pie are slow to change their government in
IA period OF material prosperity, and above
all, apprehend, because of the confidence
which the cou ntry had in the plain, modest,
robust character of the president. The ex-
plration of the present term will complete
period of sixteen years of what may call
continuous administration, which has not
once been extended, and only once has been
equalcd by continuity of administration in
all the political contests since the days OF
Washington.
II would almost be strange and not accord
ing to human nature under the conditions oil
American politics, alter such lapse of time
and under a system of government which ex-
tends its patronage, opportunities and tempta-
tions over territory OF imperial limits, and
amo pg classes that learn only too quickly
the ways OF official thrift, If scandalous IL
regularlties and immorallties had not sprung
up in the public service, at first denied, next
connved at and aiterward condoned under
the pressure of impending elections. If
speak OF that which might occur, speak as
we'll OF that which IN common belief has &C.
Cured. And these things have gone as far as
the good name of any party or the public
sense can bear. The fears of the early found
ers were spent in the wrong direction the
peril to the purity of the government lies not
IN high ambitions but in low dishOnesties, it
comes not from men who think of doing
great things for glory, but from men who
think OF dong mean things for profit Our
party, then, which is strong IL its recent
ma)orities, strong in the memories of the
heroic tune SO lately passed, strong in many
a senator and representative who bears about
him no odor of suspicion, and strong in it's
president who stands the hard test remark
ably we'll, has the weakness which comes
rom its prolonged years, from many of its
former issues now recedlng, from vices first
nursed unwittngly, and then tolerated I'M
Willingly, from the possibilities OF diversions
in general curiosity for new agitatlons and
new departures, from the suspicious cherish
ed by stern and just people that where
there is so much smoke OF investigate there
must be some fire of truth. And now is the
hour, nor one hour too soon, to arrest the ten
denotes, and correct the abuses, wherever
they may be found. Let us not be found in
the same order of time with the great cardi-
nal, who, alter the discovery of his decep-
tions upon his sovereign aud his misuse of the
public moneys, and after his own downfall,
bitterly exclaimed that corruption wins
not more than honesty"
And now, fellow-citIzens and repu bllcans,
are there no signs IF the times, IRON Cali
fornia, from new names and new organiza-
tions in the West, from the reports which
come to us from our own instincts and ill.,
buttons as to what is going on in distant
fields OF canvasslng.- there no signs vIsi-
bic to the republicans of this state and OF
all the states, that, if we would continue our
power for public good, we must rise to the
exigency of the occasion? [ sllude to no
technical method of clvIl-service reform, so
called. for in my humble opinion it is but a
doubtful, certainly only partial remedy
good enough for a political promise by an
other party, in presidential election, good
enough for a commission to sit upon, but
limited at best, liable to evasions, and made
ouate for a national disease. Ii relates to
capacity more than to fitness. Education
furnishes capacity, but integrity must be
added Tor fitness. No, the Conscience, the
determination, the action of the party must
rise to general and unqualified demand for
publication in all the officers and in all the
practices of the government service. We
must not be behind Germany, or France, or
Great Britain, in each Of which, during the
year, whole empire has been in commotion
over single instance ofaccusation of undue
personal gain from public trust. Our Mt
cessity is greater than theirs, for the life of a
republican government is in its adminissra-
tlon according to virtue. The country will
scarcely be satisfied by convention resolu-
tions-things which have been and must be.
The people of the country, the republicans
of the country, will receive the resolutions as
they 90 forth from one convention after an
other, with something like the poets greet
ing
f'Tis well said again.
And tbs kind Of good deed TO say well,
And yet words are no deeds"
Let US rather inaugurate an era of conduct
and action and of persistent insistence ior
official singleness and purity of every man
with the government. high or low,
~ Far as ne can he loIlowed The ueopie