New-York tribune., 1876-09-01
THE VERMONT ELECTION.
A THOROUGH CANVASS BY BOTH PARTIES.


IFRoM A STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBUsE1
MoNTpEIIER VT, Aug. 30.-Vermont is the only
one of the older States which, since it began to
choose electors by q popular vote has never once
been carried by Democratic candidate for the
Presidency Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, Nevada
and West Virginia States which were born into the
Union simultaneously with the first great triumph
Of the Republican party, or, during the war, under
its guardianship and protection have thus Tar never
wavered in their support OF the Repuphcah
cause in a Presidential year. but thc oiuest
of them has participated in national elections
but four times, and one at least, perhaps two OF
them may drop out of the Republican column next
November But the record of Vermont is unbroken;
for full half century it has been uneompromising
In its opposition TO Democracy. In 1873 u gave
John Quincy Adams three votes to one cast for An
drew Jackson; it supported Clay in 1882, Harrison
in 1885 and 1910, Clay again in 1914, Taylor In
IS4s, Scott in 1852, Lincoln in 1850 and 1864, and
Grant in 1868 and 1872. As the State has grown IN
population the Republican or anti-Democratic por-
ton of it's vote has nearly maintained its relative
strength SO that while it cast tEreefourths OF the
entire vote of the State for Adams in 1928, it WILL
IN 1876, give three times as many votes for Hayes
and Wheeler as to Tilden and Hendricks.
With such record and such prospects, the cam
paign which has been in progress here during the
past two weeks may well be looked upon with sur
prise. Why is it that State which left to itself
without single campaign speech on either SIDE,
without the sending forth of single document and
without the expenditure OF dollar for any purpose
would certainly give the Republican candidate Tor
Governor Mr.. Fairbanks, 10000 majority, next
Tuesday-why is ii that this State has been overrun
with political orators Of both parties Why is 1t
that Messye Bristow and Jewell have been carried
in triumph from one end Of the State to the other
exhortlng the Republicans to come out in their
strength and do their whole dutyf Why Is 1t that
the Democrats have sent their orators into every
town and hamlet, and beth parties are flooding the
State with campaign documentsf Do the Repub-
licans fear division in their ranks or that they are
losing their hold upon the peopei Not at all that
party was never more free from disscnsions the
Liberal Republicans, who in 1872 voted for Mr.
Greeley have almost all returned to the Republican
fold. and there ia no more danger that Vermont Re
publcans will be converted TO the support of Gov.
Tilden than that the leopard will change his spots.
Do the Democrats hope gain anything by the agi-
tationf Certainly not. Tho larger the vote polled,
the larger the Republican majority will be, and the
Democratic leaders know it perfectly well when
the total vote in s72 was 5s,559 the Republican
majority was 2J333, but when the vote in 1874 fell
of TO 4G $50 the Republican majority also dropped
to 20,325.
The explanation of this extraordinary canvass is,
believe two-fold First, the party leaders on both
sides desire to do what they can to assist ana ell
courage their friends i'll other States and secondly
the people of Vermont wish to have hand in this
Centennial contest Col. lngcrsol tells the people
OF Maine chat each voter in that state casts two bal
lots on the 1lth OF septcmber-one which will be
counted az home aud that viii be counted in In
diana in October The people Of Vermont believe
that they too may have hand in the Indiana elec-
tiou and through that in the greater contest in
New-Yorh and in the nation at large IN November,
and thus exert aDluauence greater than that of their
FIVE votes in the Electoral College
The custom of making an actual, vigorous contest
in this state in September Of the Presidential year,
IL q oomparatyoly recent one. In lsiO Vermont
was thoroughly aroused, every other State IL
the Union and the people turned ont by thousands
10 listen 20 the political orators OF that day. but
when the election over the citizens OF the Green
Mountain State were found TO have voted about az
they had been accustomed to vote in previous years,
and Vermont although she cast her vote for Harri-
son. had no part in tue political revolution OF that
memorable year. The libcrty-lovng people of this
State wcro again profoundly moved by The events
which occurred in Kansas aud Nebraska four years
before the war aud in 1856 entered with grent
spirt into the Presidential contest OF that year. but
the recortiit made on election day not essen
tially different from that If quicter times With
these two exceptions those of 1910 and lSoO) the
people of this State hardly knew what political
campaign was before 1868.
In that year both parties made canvass prior to
the September election. Ii could not be called
thorough or vigorous One few speakers were sent
by each party INTO of the larger towns during
the last two weeks Of the campaign few docn-
ments were distributed, and some effort made to get
out the vote. The Republicans were rewarded by
majority of about 27,O00 on the State ticket, tho
LARGEST thoy ever had at September election. This
encouraged them to make greater effort four years
ago and the Democrats, of course, followed their
example; the Republican majority was more than
%. COO. This year the canvass on both sides has
been moro animated as well as more thorough and
gystematic than ever before and the result, proba-
BLY, win not differ much from that Of four years ago.
of its details shall treat in another letter.
The speeches made IN this State during the past
two weeks have not been essentially different iron
those to which the voters of Maine have listened.
Messrs Brstow and Jewell discussed the questions
of tine dav i'm an able and statesmanlike manner and
not entirely lke political partisans. They were
everywhere received by large crowds OF people, not
Inv any means az large as reporters unaccus0med to
ace great meetings rupposcd, but large enough to
show IN what estimation the people OF Vermont hold
these two men who did so much to Gen. Grants
Administration from even deeper disgrace than that
into which 1t has fallen, and are now rewarded by
the abuse of the Administration Ring. These
speakers did not wave the bloody shirt !" but the
Republicans Of smaller caber, who have been going
| No and down the State have made that cory gar
ment the princlpa theme of their discourse. The
Democrats retort with the cry of hard times, bust
ness interests destroyed by unwise legislation In