Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-08-26
Montpelier Correspondence boston Journal.
Bolts and Boiling.

MONTPELIER, August 10, 1874
have in this correspondence refrained from /
any illusions to the "little unpleasantness 80
which manifested itself in the Republican Dis |
irict Convention at White River junction the |
other day. after the nomination Of Judge P0- /
land for Congress, and then went away and or
ganized itself into a bolt have thought it |
short-lived affair, hardly Of consequence enough |
to be digniied with the name oi bolt, or to |
claim a notice in your columns. But it tran |
spires that now, a week after the Convention, |
the divergence is as wide as ever and apparently |
no nearer to a healing. As yet, to be sure the |
seceders are without a candidate, but they may /
be able 10 find one, if they mean business. and |
they probably do. All advices from the disaf- |
fected districts are to the effect that they are |
still rebellous toward Judge Poland and are |
ready and anxious to be organized against him |
They seem determined to fight him, though it |
be without purpose and without q reward.
After Judge Poland was nominated YOU will |
remember, the thrty-eght or forty gentlemen
who unsupported the leading candidate against |
him withdrew and nominated Hon. ID. G. Den |
nison as an independent candidate Mr.. d. is |
an intelligent, sensible gentleman, and what |
ever may be his aspirations for Congressional |
honOrs, is a man of too much good sense and |
kindly feeling to organize bolts or lead the |
boilers lie is perfectly competent to see that
abiding the results Of regular nominations and
supporting the regular nominees. II may he
these views, and it may not, which influenced |
him in his consideration of the hOlters' nom- !
nation. AT any rate he made short work Of their |
proposition and washed his hands clean Of it |
They are therefore without candidate
1t doesn't seem probable, therefore, that the |
bolt will make much headway It's leading |
men have pluck enough and spirit enough, but
they have not been among the leading political
organizers Of our State, and therefore cannot |
bring 10 their work the experience which an |
other class Of men have had. II is, therefore, |
quite likely that through their inexperience,
and through lack Of bold and skilled standard
bearer, one who is in hearty accord with them,
they will make a poor show even as a bolt.
Compared with two years ago, their prospects
certainly are not lattering The Convention
then was held at the end Of a canvass Vt almost
unparalleled spirit and yigor, in which Judges
Poland and Steele were the contestants Tor the
nomination. To say nothing Of Judge Poland
here, Judge Steele was powerful competitor
Tor him. lie was young, brilliant and artful.
lie was perhaps the ablest man Of his years
then in Vermont lie had wide acQuaiut-
ance and attached men-e-peoially young men
to himself lie was splendid organizer,
and was followed by as earnest and true a set
Of men ns ever followed leader. The canvass
ended in the nomination of Judge Poland, and
that as was supposed, was the end of the cam
paign. But as election day developed the
Steele men did not end their work with this
Convention. They maintained their organiza
ton and continued their earnest labors for the
success of their candidate. Not until the last
ballot was cast and the boxes had been turned
did they yield the contest. 1t was at the end
Of such a campaign, with such leader as the
result of such bolt, that the Steele men found
that they had cast two thousand two hundred
and twenty-five votes only, against eleven
thousand one hundred and forty votes for Judge
Poland To come at the point, then, at
which have been aiming, II such a bolt, 50
ably organized, so skilllully managed, and 80
nobly led, could only succeed in throwing one
vote to five cast for Judge Poland, why, 1t il
not probable that he and his party have much
occasion to fear the result Of the bit this year.
good many Of the foremost men of YER
mont have sprung from humble homes, sur
rounded in their childhood and youth by any
| thing but luxury and ease. Few men know
these priyations better than Mr. Poland lie
desired the time for study which he could not
command, and craved an education when there
| was none % give him Much Of the education
which Others have obtained in the schools he
secured by dint of his own single handed en-
deayors in evenings and at other spare hours,
vet so successful was he that at the age Of
twenty lone he had finished the study OF his
| profession and was admitted to the bar.
state this because 10 the uncaled-for criticism
which some have made upon him, he has been
charged among other things with being "purse-
proud" Speaking of Grangers-ior there
was a Granger candidate against him in the
last Convention-he knows what II is 90 dig
and delye as a laborer in the primitive times
and By the primitive methods before the days
of moving machines and reapers and cheese
factories. Nor has he forgotten those days,
though his ASSISTANTS for political purposes
would have your readers think he had lie Is
a democrat in the broadcast sense, true man
and friend, and deserves well at the hands Of
all men.
Judge Poland has been in public life con-
stanty for more than twenty tive years At
the age Of thiriy-three he was elected by the
Legislature as Assistant Justice OF the Supreme
Court, and after that remained on the bench
until the death Of Senator Colamer, in 1865,
when he was appointed by Gov. Dillingham;
to ill out Mr.. COllamer's unoXpirod term.
Through a number Of his later years on the
bench he was Chief Justice In 1866 he was
elected to Congress, and has remained there
ever since In whatever sphere Judge Poland
has acted, he has filled his position well On
going 10 Washington, he at once took rank AS
one Of the abest men in and about the Capital.
lie has for nearly ten years been the associate
and companion Of the foremost men there. No
memDts IN eltnef House from Vermont efeI
took higher rank there than he lie is con-
suited and his opinions sought upon the
grayest questions affecting the nation. His
positions IN regular committees have always
been good and desirable, while on special com
mittees he has been charged with the most re-
sponsble duties as in the " ku Klux inyes-
tigation, the " Credit Mobiler affair, and in
the revision Of the United States laws. lie Is,
/ therefore, one OF the men Of whom Vermont is
justly proud, and one who they are very glad u
have remain in the national capital, unless
some better reason for removing him shall be
urged than that somebody else wants his place
lie is now iity-eight years of age and is In
/ the very strength OF bis years. lilo is serving
his fourth term in the House Of represents
tives, and will be elected to his fifth term on
} the first Tuesday Of next month by handsome
majority. DENIso.