The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-01-23
THROWING OVER A "DEAD
WEIGHT,

board, not, however, by strict party action,
but in spite of it. Chandler has received
his political quietus at the hands of the
Michigan Legislature, unless, indeed he
should be sent to Russia, that asylum for
defeated statesmen What a pity it is
that the Russian mission cannot be kept
open till March 4th! When Cameron was
dismissed in disgrace from the cabinet and
censured by Congress, he was healed by
Russia salve and now its effect might be
soothing to "Zack." And then, too, like
Cameron, he might, after alternating
awhile amid the SHOWS and frosts of that
inhospitable region, return again to find the
fates more propitious. Perhaps Henry
Wilson had Michigan and Chandler, as well
as Massachusetts and Ben Butler in view,
when he said that we cannot "recover what
is lost by the "impertinent informed
ding of ofllce-holders in nominations and
elections" and that these ofiice-holders
could serve the republican party best " by
leaving the people to manage their primary
meetings and elections in their own way,
without official interference, while
they simply" performed their official duties
with scrupulous fidelity" But whether or
not he had this state and senator in his
minds eye, he, nevertheless, hit Chandler
and Michigan oilicc-holders hard blow,
and the blow told. Having packed the
primaries in due season, the whole horde OF
land office officials, custoin-house officers,
deputy marshals and postmasters HE'D
themselves TO Lansing. forced caucus
and attempted to whip in the anti-Chan-
der republicans. They reckoned, how
ever, without their host. These true men,
these honest republicans could not be
bought, brlbed, buillied, driven or discip-
lined into the support of Chandler. They
could see, If the majority of their colleagues
could not, to what result the bearing of
this ''dead weight was tending. They
could see that like tue old man of the sea,
he would not release This hold of the party
so long as life remained, unless he was
kicked off, and that his embrace was poll
tical death. They did not need to be told
this, the wayfaring man, though a fool
could not err therein. 1t was plainly evil
dent from the most cursory examination
and comparison of the votes at the last two
elections. AT the first of these cleo
tons, Bagley. republican for governor,
had majority of 57,0S8 with
a republican majority of one hundred and
twenty in the legislature on Joint ballot (;
while at the last election, Bagley's majority
was only 2 .O32, with republican majority
in the legislature Of ten. Yet in spite of
these notorious facts, in spite of the de-
mand to throw over "dead weights" and
notwithstanding Henry Wilson says that
''neither selfshness nor stupidity could fail
to understand" the lessons of November's
disasters" or "could. mislnterpret their
import, the majority of Michigan's repub-
lcan legislators gave Chandler causus
nomination, and thought they could secure
his election "by the whip of party disci'
pline' but found, as Wilson said they
would, ''they could not thus reach
and control the thoughtful and Independent
men who struck the lash from the hands OF
the slave masters" So being either more
selfish or more stupid than Wilson gave
them credit for, sixty-three Legislators
'stuck" to Chandler, and, sticking, los
their patron and leader. Chandler out o.
the Senate and Isaac p. Christancy in
What contrast, what change! Al
honor to the true, honest republicans, wht
were neither selfish or stupid, and 81
brought about this suspicious result. AL
honor to those democrats who preferred thu
good name of the state to party success
and so contributed to this result. Oh
Chandler, hail and farewell, unless you
too, should have predictions for Russian
climate.