New-York tribune., 1876-09-04
CAMPAIGN ISSUES IN VERMONT.

~
CHARGES AGAINST Mr. FAIRBANKS UNFoUNDED-
rur ESTIMATED REPUBLICAN MAJORITY.
trpow STAFF CORRESPONDENT OF TIE TRIBuNEl
Montpelier, VT. Sept. 2.-The Republican ma
ioritv in Vermont next Tuesday will undoubtedly De
abont o. 600 In total vote OF upward OF 60,OOo.
canvass made by the Republican State Committee
but only partially completed indicates more 1aVor
able result even than this but as the conntes YET 10
no heard from contain some OF the larger towns OF
the state. in which the Democrats expect to make
sains it is hardly safe to predict larger majority
than that gwen Gov Converse in the state eiecuoh
four years ago. If this was not PRESIDENTIAL year
there would be nothing TO arouse interest III the con-
tsst here Both parties have made excellent noml-
nations and all the interests of the State would DO
..fo in fine hands either of Mr. Fairbanks of MIR.
Bingham as Governor. Indeed, Vermont Is one Oh
those fortunate States that need but little govern
ment. It's Legislature meets only biennially, ana
completes its la5ors in six weeks or two months.
When the Legislature adjoums the Governor goes
home and attends to his private business like any
otber good citizen and the only State officers who
as;de at the capital are the Auditor and Treasurer
The neople of many another State in the Union
would think the political millennium had surely
come if the problem of self-government could De
smplifcd in similar degree among them.
Rnt while either of the two candidates would
make good Governor of Vermont, there are some
ouesons beside those of national politics which the
people of this State are discussing in the present
eampa;Vn and which may have a slight influence on
the Republican majority next week One OF inc
most important of these has been raised by the
action of Congress OH the proposed Public schooi
amendment 70 the Constitution OF the United States
The forgn population of this State, which is also TO
some De gree floating" population, dependent
largely upon the prosperity of certain large manu-
faeturing industries, is composed of Irish and
French Canadian immigrants. Both classes are
generally Roman Catholics bat the jealousy which
has always existed between them, growing out OF
national prejudiees has generally prevented them
from acting in concert politically. majority OF
the Irish have voted with the Democrats, while the
Repnbhcaus have secured a considerable portion OF
the French Canadians. The agitation of the schooi
question by President Grant, the position assumed
in regard to it by the Republican party at Clhcl-
natl and more than oil the discussion of it IN the
United States Senate just before the adjournment OF
Congress-. seem TO have alarmed the Catholics of
this State and 70 have carried them body, with
out regard to nationality into the Democratic party
of course the Democrats have done everything in
their power to encourage this movement and have
circulated very freely among the Catholics OF the
State extracts from one of Senator Edmundss
speeches on the Blaine amendment the tone OF
which was not such as to conciate this element OF
the population.
How great loss the Republicans will suffer from
shis cause it is impossible to say. II is likely to be
proportionately greater here In Montpelier than
anywhere else IN the State because the increase OF
French Canadian voters has been relatively greater
here than in any other city, and their deserion OF
the Republican party here has been almost unani-
nous. In other places the Republicans hope to hold
q part of their Catholic vote. Ii would not DC
strange if the Republican majority in the whole
State should be reduced at least thousand, by
this cause, from what it would otherwise be.
About seven-oighths of the Liberal Republicans
who in 1872 voted for Mr. Greeley are now acting
again with their old party associates, and the Re
publlcans of this State hope that this fact VIII
materially augment Mr.. Fairbanks's majority COM
pared with that given by the Republicans in the
State election in 1872 This hope is not entirely un-
founded and yet the gain may not be great al the
strength of the Liberal Republican movement here
four years ago might to indicate. Some of the
latter-uamed class voted for the Republican candi
date for Governor IN September, 1872 and as il is
impossible TO ascertain with any exactness how
many of these there were 1t is equally difficult TO
say what effect their votes will have upon the
majority this year.
Itis almost impossible to find of sufficient
political prominence 10 secure him an important
nomination against whom some political opponent
will not find ground Of criticism. 1t is not strange,
therefore that the Democrats should accuse Mr..
Horace Fairbanks, the Republican candidate for the
Goyernorshp of this State, Of being tax dodger,"
and Of inducing religious and educational institu-
tios 10 invest their funds in the securities OF rail-
roads ia which he interested, but which have
turned out to be of very little value. The first of
Al Z. fofn oil hN faCfc ha
firm of Fairbanks & Co, the richest and best known
manufacturing establishment in the State, desired
at the Last session of the Legislature to obtain
act of incorporation by means of which the stock OF
the company could be kept in the hands Of that
brarAh of tho family which now owns it, This was
matter Of their private business and of course no
one could make any objection. But, by State law,
oil stock of any company held by resident OF Yer
mont was taxable here whether the property II
represented was IN the State or not. Fairbanks &
Co have branch houses in nearly all the principal
cities of the Union, and in each have always on
hand a large amount of manufactured goods, on
which they are obliged 10 pay taxes in the localities
where the goods are. They therefore desired to be
released from taxation in this State stock which
represented property taxed elsewhere, aud intro
dnced into their act Of incorporation provision to
that effect
Gov. Peck vetoed the BILL not because 1t proposed
anything which was In itself wrong, but because he
wasOpposed to the principle Of special legislation The
bill was afterward amended and became law, and
The matter Of taxation provided for IN general
BILL This as far as learn, is All there il in this
matter There was 40 attempt to egade just taxes,
but al effort to escape the payment of taxes twice
on the same property which was successful through
.ne passage Of "a general act.
a. hot IN Euir La'Qp p0u wi