Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-05-17

1HE RUTLAND CAUCUS. - AT inc nut
land Republican caucus, Tuesday even
ing, Merrill delegates were declared chosen
to the State Convention by a vote Of 297, to
273 for the Proctor ticket. Protest was en-
tered, however. against issuing credentials
to the delegates elected, and their seats will
be contested in the convention. The Mer-
rill ticket was as follows: John B. Page,
John N. Baxter. John w. Cramton, VIM.
NJ. Field, Henry Clark, Charles Woodbouse,
| S. NJ Dorr, z. v. X. Wilson, j E. Manly,
James NJ. Putnam, E. d. Reyes, George E
Graycs. The Proctor ticket was NJ. G.
Everts. John A. Sheldon, ii. Ii. Dyer. l..
G. Kingsley, B. X. Greene, N. P. Simonds
Ii. c. futile, r. X. Mead, Ches. Clement,
E. c. Fish. Jr.. Franklin Billings, c. W.
Mussey. Tho Herald says.
1t was not a Republican
caucus. The Republican town committee
were informed. yesterday afternoon, that
the friends of Geo. A. Merrill had made
arrangements for train of cars to run from
West Rutland to bring voters to the caucus.
and that prominent local Democratic poll
ticians, Col. Merrill's son-in-law. l.. W.
Redington, among the number. were very
active in rallying Democratic voters to go
to the caucus, especially from West Rutland.
The committee tbereupon decided to admit
| no one to the meeting but Republicans,
and to issue tickets of admission at the door;
| but when the train arrived from West Rut-
land. loaded down with Irish Democrats,
they presented themselves and claimed to be
Republicans, and very large number of
tickets were Issued to them as the committee
did not know they were not Republicans.
Large numbers are said to have got in
through the room in the town hall building,
occupied by John Cain as an Office Gains
politics are well known, and ne has been
one of the Democrats who has been en-
gagged in the scheme to defeat Co.. Proctor.
Others still got III through windows.
George A. Merrill, who was the first man
to debauch the politics OF this town by in
augursting, soon after he came here rs
superintendent OF the Rutland railroad, the
practice of packing a Republican caucus
with Democratic voters, went down to the
door, after the moderator had given notice
that the box would be turned In two min
utes, and called the crowd of Irish Demo-
Gratis, standing near the door, in to vote for
himself. A rush was made and nearly
hundred got by the police officers at the
door, and came in and deposited their votes
before it was known how they got in. In
this way Rutland was cheated out of hold
ing Republican caucus or getting fair ex
preston of Republican preference for COVER
nor. Col. Proctor and his friends have in their
employment probably q ma Ority of all the
Irlshmen in town, and might have packed
the caucus to almost any extent with that
class OF voters. but they refused to go into
any such contemplate business. When the
evening train from the north came through
Sutherland Falls, where Col. Proctor has
several hundred men in his employment,
mostly Democrats, none but Republicans
got aboard the train. and they about twenty
in number, all paid their own fair but
when the train arrived at Humphrey
Cove, where the Columbian quarry is
located, the train was stopped by
arrangement Of Colonel Merrill or his
friends, although there is no station at this
place, and twenty-iour Democrats got
aboard, all having had tickets previously
furnished them. Tickets were also furnish
ed free to tho men from West Rutland.
There is no question whatever but that
large majority of the Republicans of Rut-
land are in favor of Colonel Proctor for
Governor and had none but Republicans
voted the Proctor delegates would have been
elected; and it was only by methods that
ought to be despised by any man who claims
to be Republican, and especially il aspir-
ing tor gubernatorial honors, that the
Merrill delegates got majority of the
votes. Mr.. Charles Sheldon, tho head
of the firm of Sheldons Il Slason, which
employs several hundred Irish Democrats,
favors Colonel Proctor, and his men wanted
to go to the caucus and vote for his dele
gates, but Mr.. Sheldon told them that they
had no business to attend Republican
caucus. and several of them who did go,
when they called for ticket of adm ission
were told by Charles Ii. Sheldon, one of the
firm, and member of the town committee,
that they could not be allowed to enter.
Mr.. Sheldon very properly said that it was
not question of Proctor or Merrill, but of
Democrat or Republican. We have not
time at this writing to expose all the meth
DDS adopted by the Democrats by the con-
nivance or the direct procurement of
Merrill's friends to defeat the choice of
the Republicans of Rutland. The most un-
blushing effrontery was exhibited. Well
known Democrats like VIM. b. Thrall, John
Caden, Patrick Ryan, Edward O'Neil and
others were peddling votes for Merrill at the
door, and came in and voted for him. One
Democrat, an illustrious obscurity, voted
three times for Merrill.
A protest was made to the moderator
against issuing certificates to the delegates
who were thus fraudulently elected. and a
contest will be made for seats in the conyen
ton by the Proctor delegates. who were
rightfully elected. A sufficient showing,
we have no doubt, will be made before the
committee on credentials to enable the Re-
publican vote of Rutland to have its proper
weight in the Republican Convention.