Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-11-20
INDEPENDENT POLITICS.

movement will fail-because God is with it.
INDEPENDENT POLITICS.
The Boston Journal inquiries what has
become of the labor question, the prohi-
btion question, and the farmers movement.
1t notices that the labor reform candidate
for governor in Massachusetts received only
100 votes this year, whereas they once poll
ed $4,000; in those states where temper
ance candidates were run their vote was
trifing, compared with the same vote in
previous years and "the great Western po-
litical outbreak which threatened few
years ago to overthrow both the old politi-
cal parties" has dropped out of the cleo
tions entirely" and asks "Are we to in-
fer, then, that it is all over with the ques-
tions relating to temperance, labor, trans
portation, corporate rights and the like, and
that they will never hereafter come up for
action at the polls?" And the Journal pro-
ceeds to answer its own questions thus
Not at all. The questions are inherent in
American society; and while they may be
social or Industrial to u large extent, yet SO
far rs they appeal to legislative action, they
are political and will have to be voted upon.
The only question IN this respect is, whether
they will answer to found political parties
upon. Here the answer derived from this
years elections is in the negative, and we
think it will prove to be permanent. These
issues, in fact, are not broad enough, they
do not command the sympathies of suili-
GENTLY large masses of people, and they are
to so great IN extent amenable to treatment
other than pOlilical-that is, moral, social,
educational or industrial-that they never
can become anything more than adjuncts to
political movements. They must be put in
such II shape that republicans and democrats
can vote upon them without interfering with
their regular party standing. That can be
DONE and it will probably prove in the end
for the advantage of the issues themselves
as well rs for the parties.
We rather guess that the Journal, as
well as organs Of the opposite party, will
see these "sde issues" presenting them
selves and taking front seats quite as soon
as they are prepared for such sight. The
course which affairs have taken in this dis
trict is analogous to the overturnings in
other sections of country. The laborng
people of this dstrict-at least good many
Of them-think they have a right to be rep
resented in the national and state govern
ments, and propose to vote for some candi-
date who is not lawyer nor professional
politician. They have been told that no.
body but lawyer was capable to represent
them-therc were no farmers, or black
smiths, or shoemakers, or other laborers,
who were capable of holding a seat in Con-
gross. These classes now propose to make
the trial, and they are hardly less prepared
for it than their brethren in the West, while
oranges and councils are being formed al
most daily, which will bring them together
often and cannot fail to result in a more
general spirit Of intelligence. The trouble
here as elsewhere is that they have been
hesitating lest they strike prematurely. But
they have already most emphaticalIy set
| the seal Of their condemnation upon the
corruptions Of the party in power. The
first great aim in this district was to break
the power of the Poland ring, aud it has
been done. To do it another lawyer has
been elected to Congress, but he is a man
against whom not fault has been urged.
He did not seek Office, and could not be in.
duced TO do 50, and we believe he will faith
fully discharge his trust as our representa-
tive in Congress.
But when it comes to choosing his sue
cessor we should be less surprised to see the
choice fall upon plain farmer or mechanic
than we should to see a lawyer chosen.
We do not object to lawyers in Congress ;
We would not raise any spirit of class dis
tinction; but we would see that spirit Of
class distinction done away with which has
been in vogue. Place the different branch
es Of society on an equal footing in political
matters.
Two years ago this independent spirit
was manifested at the West by independent
voting, This year the corruption and the
arrogance Of the party in power had be-
come so great that the independents in many
instances joined hands with the democrats
the purer because the weaker party of the
two-and caused an overturniug which sur
prised the yictors as much as it did those
defeated.
But "the popular wave rolls onward,
and the day of the workiugman will come
The Journal talks as though the reform
movement were defunct, and reitorates its
old cry that the two parties-democrat'
and republicans-must be kept intact, witt