St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1877-03-09

OF Mr.. Hayes, and he would ask Rev.
Mr.. Jones to offer a prayer.
After the prayer, there was appro-
pirate music by the Glee Club, the
members of which are Messrs. Herrick,
Haskell, May, Kinney, Lee, Clark and
Dodge. After the singing, the presi-
dent of the evening then said, substan-
TALLY, that after four long months of
waiting and doubt, the Presidential
question was settled, and settled legal
ly, by Commission formed by vote
of Congress. 1t was now the duty of
every good citizen to acquiesce heartily
in the result, and endeavor to make the
first administration of the new century
of this government, even better than
the first administration of the first CEN
tury. He then called upon A. j. Will
lard, ESQ.,, to address the meeting.
Mr.. Willard said he came before this
audience not as party man, but as an
American citizen. He wished all might
comprehend the full meaning of that
expression. He remembered that dur
ing the war he did not feel satisfied
with the way in which the government
was trying to put down the Rebellion.
He thought it was endeavOring to quell
rebellion and still save slavery. But
he came at last to the feeling to leave
it in the hands of Providence, and there
he rested. When the Electoral Com
mission was formed he made the pre-
diction that it would result in the cleo
ton of Hayes-an overruling Provi-
lieved we had come to a new era in the
history of our country. He then re-
ferred to Hayes letter of acceptance as
being a better platform than that adopt
ed by the party it was platform of
progress and reform. He believed that
there was a great future before our
country. 1t is in the power of Presi-
dent Hayes to so direct in the councils
of the nation as to bring about an era
of good feeling in the South, and he be-
| lieved he would do it. The speaker
then referred to the proceedings OF
Congress, where leading men of the
South had shown such marked good
sense in comparison with some from the
North the belief that President Hayes
would draw about him the best men fol
council his position in regard to office
holding which was civil service reform
in its best sense, not office to party re.
gardless of fitness. The speaker ther
went into some personal history which
went to show that an American either
should be bold and fearless in his ad
vocacy of the right whether it fully
agreed with party or not. He believed
that every candidate for Office should
be supported simply because of hi
qualifications and fitness for the Office
not because he belonged to the domi
nant party.
H. c. Ide, Esq, was the next speaker
He supposed this audience came to
gether not as lot of Office seekers, hu
us American citizens, to rejoice tOgethe
over the election of Rutherford b
Hayes. He rejoiced, first, that it hat
been done peacefully. The threats o
violence and the Inauguration of Mr.
Tilden by force, had ceased. Second
he rejOiced because it was done legal!
/ and ,inbt1x- To chnNu what Ua n
have escaped by this method of decid
ing the contest, he quoted so higI
authority as Chief Justice Church o
, New York. Third, he rejOiced as
patriotic citizen, because the Demo
cratic party had not gone into power
, 1t was too soon after they had tried t.
) destroy the government; too soon afte
: they had in national convention declaI
} ed the "war a failure; ;" too soon afte
leading men in the rebellion had Oh tn
floors of Congress dictated terms to til
= country. The speaker then referred t
the pretended refC rm of the De nOcrati
party, with the purchase of CrOnin, til
100000 for a Louisiana returnin
board, ard $4,000 for South Carolin
; electOI. He briefly reviewed the Re
publican party's acts from 81 to 7t
claiming that it was the only party tina
had patriotic idea and high purpos
-, running clear through it. Fourth, h
reioiced that Mr.. Tilden was not Pres
dent and then referred to his trick
and crafty ways, and his many ques
tionable acts as illustrated in the cal
:, vass. Fifth, he rejOiced because Nj
Hayes is president. Our candidate ha
- shown that he is mightier than he VIII
Where is there another man who cOul
have so borne himself during all thes
, months of trial and suspense ? In clos
- ing, Mr.. Ide paid deserved tribute t
-. President Grant.
The next speaker was Walter ]
. Smith, Esq, who felt that as citizens
. St. Johnsbury and vicinity, we shoul
; come together and express our gratif
; cation at a result so suspicious as I'll
:, termination of the Presidential cOntes
We owed much to our good govern
ment. A citizen told him only the oil
d er day that our government was so GOO
that he fairly ached every day-fro
e wounds received in the defense of
= The speaker alluded to the fact that