Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1878-08-14
The Second District Convention.

was no hall in the place Of sufficient capacity to
hold the convention; but this want was more than
made good through the courtesy Of Mr. George W.
Gates Division Superintendent Of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, who though life
long democrat, gave up his spacious piazza and
grounds to the convention, and under the shade
of the spreading trees the assembly were far
more comfortable than they could have been in
any hall The convention was full in numbers
and of unusually good material. Among the
prominent gentlemen present were, Hon. Asa L.
French, Hon. Franklin Fairbanks and Hon. II. c.
Belden, Of st. Johnsbury, Hon. A. +. Judevine
IIardwick, Colonel S. W. Rowell, of Peacham,
Judge Parks, Of Waterford, Judge HUMPHREYS, Of
Burke Judge Gray, Of Ryegate, Rev. Mr.. Tot-
son, of st. Iohnsbury, J. c. Stearns and II. c.
McDufile, Of Bradford, S. b. Hebard Of Chelsea,
A. T. Baldwin, of Newbury, j. X. Darling of
Cornth, J, p Cleaveland of Braintree, Hon.
Chester Dickey, of Orange, Colonel John b. Mead,
w. II. Dubois. Randolph, Hon. Heman A.
White, Of Washington, f. NJ. Collins, of Tops
ham, Hon. John Lynde, Of Williamstown,
Hon. Jacob Estey and General w W. Lynde,
of Brattleboro, Hon. Hugh Henry, of Chester,
Hon. G. B. Eddy, Of Bellows Falls, Hon. Crosby
Miller, of Pomfret Hon. Gilbert A. Davis, of
Reading, Hon. Charles Morgan, Of Rochester Hon.
Hiram Harlow, of Windsor, and last but not least
the two veterans Ex-Governor Ryland Fletcher,
Of Cavendish, seventy-nine years DID, and Hon.
John Porter, of Hartford, Judge Of Probate Of the
district for about a quarter Of a century. The
weight of years sets lightly upon both these
patriarchs, and Governor Fletcher in particular.
exhibited almost the fire of youth in the advocacy
of his lifelong friend, Judge Poland. The result
Of the convention was foreshadowed before its as
sembly by the action Of Windham county in vot-
| ing unanimously to present Mr. Tyler's name.
There has been a tacit agreement for many years
among the voters Of the other counties that
whenever Windham county could settle their
differences and agree upon good man she
should be accorded her nomination The
delegates of that county held caucus after
dinner and the first three four ballots stood in
the neighborhood Of twenty votes for the Hon.
| George Howe, sixteen for Hon. B ID. Harris and
| fifteen for Hon. Kittredge Haslins Finally, it
being evident that neither of the three could
command ma ority Of the delegates, they were
all withdrawn, and Mr. Tyler was agreed upon
And it is the uniform testimony OF those capable
OF forming judgment, that better choice could
not have been made. Mr. Tyler was born in Will
mington, Wndham county, in April, 1875, and is
consequently forty years of age, just in the
prime of life His father was Ephraim Tyler, a
substantial farmer. He went to school at the
West Brattleboro Academy, and was graduated
at the Albany law school, in the class of 1860,
Governor Proctor and Colonel Veazey being class
mates of his Immediately after his graduation
he settled in Wilmington and practiced law
there four years in company with Hon. Stephen
| II tI,n Lao 10
dence in Wilmington he represented the town in
the legislature, which are the only political Off
ces he has ever held In 1864 he removed to
Brattleboro and went in partnership with Hon.
Charles X. Field and practiced law in company
with him until Mr.. Fields retirement few
months ago. Mr.. Tyler is one of the trustees of
the Vermont Insane Asylum, and members of the
legislature during the last six years will remem-
Der him as the managing counsel for the asylum
during the protracted hearings which have taken
place in regard to its management. Mr.. Tyler
has high reputation among the Judges of the
Supreme Court as a sound and accurate lawyer,
and his fame as a Jury advocate is not exceeded
by any lawyer in Windham county. That he is a
go cd speaker was proved by his little speech t.
the convention yesterday, a full report of which
will be found below. 1t is to be hoped that the
nomination of Mr.. Tyler will heal the differences
which have troubled the Republicans of the sec.
ond district too long, and that an era OF good
feeling has been naugurated which will never
again die away. The convention broke up in the
most perfect good humor with themselves and
their candidate, and none wish him success more
heartily than his mpetitors-Colonel Farnham
Mr. Denison and Involuntary Judge Poland
The following is resume of
THE PROCEEDINGS.
The convention was called to order at half-pas
ten by Colonel Kittredge Haskins of Brattleboro
Chairman Of the District Committee. Mr.. Nelson
Gay, of Gaysville, began to read the call for the
convention, but on motion of MIR. stephen NJ
Pngree, of Hartford the reading was dispensed
with Mr. Gay then read the list OF delegates
each of whom responded as his name was called
and it appeared that out of the two hundred anC
! thrty-seyen to which the convention was entitled
} there were two hundred and thirty-three accred
tied, remarkably full representation.
3 Colonel Haskins announced that in pursuance
with the previous custom, the District Committee
had selected temporary chairman Of the conven
ton, in the person of Hon. Durham Martin, o
Chelsea, and asked If the convention would ratif!
the choice. The ratification unanimous, ant
Governor Martin assumed the chair with a brie
speech
Editor Swaine of the Bellows Falls Times, and
! Mr.. +. +. Holden Of Bethel, were chosen tempo
rary secretaries.
, ON motion of Hon. A. p. Hunton, of Bethel, tn
temporary organization was made permanent
l Mr.. Hunton addressed the convention. II
: said that this convention was held very i'm
portant occasion. A rebellion was now in ex
istence in the Congress Of the United States ant
r it threatened the very life of the nation. The!
were gathered together in convention to exercis
e one of the dearest rights of freemen, that o
5 choosing their representative in the Nationa
Councils under the present condition of affairs,
seemed to him important that their Representative
in Congress, who represented not only the secon'
: district but the entire state, should be man o
experience, not one untried, but one who had bee
t tried and not found wanting 1t had been tn
: practice of the second district to keep its repre-
sentatives for long time, and he thought 1t YER
e good practice. Mr.. Everett had been membe
a for fourteen sixteen years, and Mr.. Morrill,
some dozen years. The only way the mos
t talented and eloquent man could acquire inhuenc
o in Congress was by training and he believed tina
Il much of Vermont's weight in shaping the nationa
# policy in the past had been due to the long term
e of service she had given her representatives Flo
these reasons and because he had proved himsel
to be useful member faithful member and a
!, honest man during his four years of service, h
renominated Hon. D. c. Denison, and hoped tina
: he would be the unanimous choice of the con
. vention.
. Ex-Governor Ryland Fletcher, OF Cavendish
y, most cheerfully acceded TO the remarks of Nh
lIunton and responded to them most heartily i
=, regard to the Importance of this occasion and til
critical condition of the country. The old el'
= ments from which the rebellion was born wer
!. still alive and growing stronger and stronger
- Rebels and traitors had stalked through the hall
- OF Congress the past winter, and pointed thc
A pistols and held their knives to the throat Of gu
: country That was our condition. With unbusl
ing mpudence, these men now proposed to rul
,, the country which they had attempted to destroy
- Was there anybody from the second district
, withstand them and TO defend the interests of tn
~ nation lie had carefully read the newspaper
during the last two session of Congress, and ha
. failed to see anything of the kind. He ha
"a watched in vain to see something done that woul
=. uphold the honor of Vermont and sustain til
= high place she formerly held Though litt
:, speck ON the map, she had been accustomed I
hold high place in Congress because she Ia
V, been represented by able men, and true men, ii