Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1878-09-13

The Free Fress and Mr.. Barlow.
The reply of the Barlow organs to all objec-
tons brought against Mr.. Barlow as can
didatc for Congress in the late campaign,
was unsupported denial. "You lie" you
lie SANDER" utilization mud, -
''abuse, "you lie, =" "yoH lic," was the cry
raised whenever any one dared to point to
Mr.. Barlow's record, or to d:strust his re.
liability as Republican and man. The
FREE Press, having had somewhat promi-
nent place among those who declined to bow
down and worship Mr.. Barlow, has received
prominent share of this outcry. And
there are probably some sensible people who,
having seen but one side Of the controversy,
and through dint Of persistent lying on that
side, believe to-day that the FREE Press has
been bounding, with gross abuse, wise,
pure, unselish, Christian statesman and
patriot, whose only crime was that he had
failed to secure the support of this paper by
flbAAA1IuS IL NAltOA al NAuOC llON NlI'
this is OF a true view of the case, our regular
readers know. When Mr. Barlow was first
presented to the people as candidate, the
FRrr Pass stated, squarely and without
malice, some objections to him, held BY this
paper in common with large share of the
hest Republicans of the District. These
were that he was unreliable as Republi-
can, unSound in his financial views, and that
his reputation had been tainted by dis
closures (re-;ing largely on his own testi-
mCny) in regard to his mail contracts. 1t
at once became plain that it was deemed
immense presumption that any body should
dare to raise an objection, when a man of
Mr. Blrlow's wealth and smartness chose to
indicate desire to go to Congress but,
this being supposed to be a free country, in
which the people had some liberty Of choice
left, as TO who should represent them. these
objections were insisted on firmly but calmly,
without use Of opprobrious epithcts or any
exhibition Of personal ill-will on he part of
this paper. The canvass as it went on fur
nished fresh proofs Of Mr.. Barlow's unfit
ness for the place, in his evident dctermina-
ton to force himself upon the District by I'M
stintcd use Of money and other objection
able methods, and these were set forth in a
similar way. The election of delegates. and
a. consequence the Convention, went
against Mr.. Barlow. The FREE Press, in
commenting on this result, said, among other
thirgs, that it was a verdict in favor Of
honest methods. Such empbatically it was,
and truth and Justice demanded that as
much as that be said II we could not be
permitted to say as much a. that of the re-
suit, VIC could not say anything. We said
it, and say it still, and would say it again
under similar circumstances. The remark |
was accompanied by no word of tsunt or
aggravation. But Mr.. Birlow's organ |
chose to consider it an " insult" to Mr.. |
BIrlows friends. When men are deter
mined to be insulted, they can commonly |
find OF invent insults. If the FREE PRksS |
had omitted its claim that Gen. Circuit had |
been nominated by honest methods, the
Messenger would have fastened On our re-
mark that the Convention had nominated an
honest man. Ii would have been as easy
to claim that this was saying that Mr.. Bar
latN md Trtn L. n,.I 20.
Jump up and down and shout Insult, - as it
Was to treat in that way the remark selected
for the ground Of offence. If the FREE Pass
had said HotLing, the Messenger could have
claimed, and with equal reason, that We
were thinking unutterabc things. and in
'ulting Mr.. Barlow's friends by mental
abuse. The truth about all this is that
" While, for an hour or two, Mr. Barlow and
his friends sincerely accepted the result at
Ilydepark, and passed their pledges that they
woald abide by it. the sting of diappoint-
nent and Of defeat very soon absorbed all
other feelings in their minds, and
they began to cast about for pretcIts on
which to renew hostilit;es. Indications are
not wanting that the bolt was contemplated
before they left Hydepark. Next day 1t was
under active discussion at ST. Adams and
before the day was gone, before the Messe,,-
y'r mad informed Mr.. Barlow's friends of
nc shocking insult" offered by the FREE
PREss in daring to intimate that honest
method had been indicated in the nomina-
.iDn Of ten circuit. it had been decided that
might still be done for Mr.. Bar
ow, rs a Greenbacker if not as a Republican,
mi the letter from one Of his agents, asking
OF the republication Of his Greenback let
crs Of ten years before, was written. This
otter was concocted The day after The Hyde-
,art Conr,nhon, and it affords the simple
md Perfectly conclusive proof. that thus
'arly, and before any taunts Of the FREE
Pass, if there had been any. had had time
o ranke in the breasts of the Barlow men
IT influence their action, he and his friends
lli decided to disregard his pledge Of honor,
md make a lew fight. regardless Of conse-
iuence~ to the party to which they protested
y owe allegiance.
The Messenger has denied, and probably
will deny again, that this was so but the
Messenger also denied that Mr.. Barlow was
'mth' last responsible for" the Greenback
movement which started up so suddenly
lfter the IIydepark Convention, or had
'any,b'Hg 10 do with it,,
The fEEE Pass said nothing good or bad
bout Mr.. Barlow, after the lIydepsrk Con
cntion, till it became plain that he was
,lOtting a renewal of hostilitics in defiance
f every consideration Of personal honor and
,arty icalty. Thereafter. it characterized
lis course and that Of his managers,
5 they deserved. 1t told the truth.
With tolcrablc plainness Of speech, but with
ut malice. And it was the truth, and not
he "abuse" of the FREE Parse, that hurt
lr. Barlow and e1aspersted his friends" ,
he assertion that Republicans went for
Barlow, to revenge themselves on the FREE
'REss, carries with it the proof Of its own