Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-08-09

The Cat In the Meal.
1t is not strange that people should be
putting this and that together, to some ex,
tent, in the Third District, and drawing
their own conclusions. Let us review some
of the significant facts.
The District went against Mr.. Barlow in
the elections of delegates; and when the
Convention met at Hy depsrk, the only ques-
ton was whether ten or dozen of the dele
gates elected in opposition to him could by
any means be won over 10 his side and, if
not, whether enough of the scattering oppo-
sition would eventually vote for General
Grout, tho leading candidate, to give him
the nomination The first ballot set
tied the first of these questions and
the eighth ballot, the second Col. Albert
Clarke, Mr.. Barlow's right hand Republican
man, at once moved to make the nomination
of Gen. Grout unanimous, saving, in sub
stance, that Mr.. Barlow had been fairly
beaten, in a square. standup contest in the
Convention, and that Gen. Grout was n good
man and would do honor to the District in
Congress. The nomination was then made
unanimous by a hearty vote. without
word or expression of dissent. Col. Clarke
was one of a committee to wait on Gen.
Grout aud inform him of his nomination !;
and he performed the duty with many COM
plimentary expressions Mr.. Barlow went
to Gen. Grout's room Immediately after the
adjournment of the Convention and, in the
presence of fifteen or twenty gentlemen, con-
graduated Gen Grout on the issue of the
Convention, repeated that he (Grout) had
fairly carried the day, promised him his
(BarloW'sl support and added, with en-
phasis You will have no further
trouble from me-" Many Of Mr.. Barlow's
most active supporters took similar attitude
and used similar expressions in conversation
with Gen Grout 5 friends and there was a
somewhat remarkable era Of good feel
ing
The delegates went to their homes. The
very next day, July 18th, S. f. Kirkpat
rick, one Of Mr. Barlow's adherents in St
Adams, addressed to the editor of the Mes
seng,i note. asking for the republication
of Mr. Barlow letters to Gen. Butler and
Senator Edmunds, written in 1867, on the
Greenback question. The Messenger next
dHy filed an entire page of its paper with
the letters 10 these. Mr.. Barlow adyo-
Gates heavy initiation Of the currency, the
issue Of thousand millions in greenbacks,
the substitution Of greenbacks for bank
currency, and the payment of the FIVE
twenty and other United States bonds in
greonbacks, notwithstanding the pledges of
the Government and Treasury Department |
that they should be paid in gold They
contained some plausible remarks about the |
interests of the masses, and the evils Of high |
rates of interest, which would probably |
have had more weight, then and since, il it |
had not been pretty well known that Mr.. |
Barlow bank was holding up rates Of inter
est good deal higher than the Government,
and that most people had to pay from nine
to ten per cent to get their notes discounted
there. The Messenger printed and scattered
throughout Franklin county large extra
edition of these letters.
On the same day, or the day after, the
Messenger announced that many of ''our
best Republicans" considered themselves
"absolved from any obligation, expressed or
implied to support the regular Republican
nominee for Congress Next came the an
of the formation of a Greenhack
club, with $. Kirkpatrick as president, in
ST. Adams. and Of the formation of Green
back clubs 10 several other towns in Frank
lin county. Somebody was plainly spend
ing money. in the active organization of
Grecnback movement in that quarter.
Three or four days later the Greenback
State Convention met in this city. There
had been no prospect that more than dozen
persons would attend this. except as spccta-
tore, till the proceedings We have mention
ed following the District Convention But
with an attendance of about a hundred
persons from Franklin county. Conven-
ton Of something over a hundred was mus
tered. In this appeared A. G. Stafford,
Esq Mr. Barlow's lawyer and agent, Mr.
Kirk patrick, Mr. Skeels, with a resolution
in relation to a four per cent loan, express
sing views precisely such as Mr. Barlow has
been heard lately to express in conversation.
The Convention was substantially, as has
en- said, Franklin county affair Every
man of any prominence in it There were not
half dozen that could be called such) was
was made By Franklin county man. The
were mainly composed Of and
wholly run BY Franklin county men The
Convention adjourned to meet at s.. AJ7ns
IN the 22i, when, it was stated, State
Ind District ticket will be nominated Mr..
ion r Forest, the amiable enthusiast, who
las been Described by one Of Mr.. Barlow
,rgans, the sunday Reoieu, as 1.-The hither-
o chief cook and bottlewasher, head centre,
ugler, rank file and all'' Of the Greenback
)artY in Vermont, said outside of the Con
'ention that their nominee for Congress in
his District would be Hon. Bradley Barlow
The St Adams Messenger praised the
members Of the Convention with extrava-
ant praise. saying "If all may be judged
" those who went from this section, then
iermont has no better and no safer men -
I praised the Greenback movement in
'ermont as having "a moderate. sen-i-
lie and rather attractive aspect" It asserted,
lso, that Mr. Barlow is in no senge :
esponsible i1f the movement. and has had ,
othing to do about 1t" But. in view of the
acts mentioned above. it is perhaps not sur
rising that everybody il not ahsolrtely
leas that tia. IS exactly 20
The Ms5sage, add4 that hundreds of Re +,
ublCans have urged Mr. Barlow to ACCEPT Il
n independent nomination, and while it I
'ys that Mr.. Barlow, feeling bound by the :
ction at Hydepark, has not consented to a
Ike any step or receive any nomination, and Ii
Re think it likely this will continue to be v
is attitude" it still justifes a bolt. 1t 7
rints a communication from some one who
gns himself "A Di+gruntled Republican," 1
nd who declares that, while the delegates 4
, the Convention may he bound by their ac- =
niescence in the unsnimity of Gen. CIRCUITS v
omination, he greatly mistakes the temper
the Republicans Of St. Adams, and Of n
rankin county, if they will submit to that \
The Messenger AYERS that its t
expresses the general senti- v
tent Of the Franklin county Republicans, f
I'd it does not accept his exception of the b
slegates, saying that most, even of them. b