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

that a bolt from the regular nomination,
under color of a Greenbaek nomination, has
been at least plotted, if not fully decided on,
by some of Mr.. Barlow's Franklin county
friends. Our readers before this have begun
to wonder what are the considerations by
which the Messenger and the would-be bolt
ers undertake to defend so indefensible q
project. These make very short list. For
eight or nine days after the Convention, the
sole justification brought forward by the
Messenger was the circumstance that the
FREE PRkss. in its comments on the Conven-
ton, said that the result was 50 verdict in
favor of honest, clean and Straightforward
methods in our politics.! Literally, only
this, and nothing more The FREE Press had
otherwise, as the Messenger admitted, been
wise and considerate in its comments. 1t had
not gloried over the defeated side. 1t gave
them full credit for their handsome accept
ancc Of the situation, in the Convention
and at its close. 1t withheld, out of regard
for their feelings. some damaging disclosures,
which came to light during the Convention,
and some haunting communications. 1t
copied but few, and those the least irrita
ting, Of the expressions Of the Press, indica-
ting the wide satisfaction oyer the result Of
the Convention, in this and other States.
But it did say that the result was verdict
in favor of honest and clean methods. The
FREE Press had said some severe things,
during the canvass, about the methods on
the other side (though it never thought
of including all of Mr.. Barlow's supporters
in its censure); but these did not stand in
the way Of cordial acceptance of a nomina-
ton, MADE unanimous on the motion of the
editor of the Messenger. The FREE Press
said nothing about those methods in its
comments on the result, but it did claim
that the methods on Gen. CIRCUITS side were
"honest, clean and straightforward, and
that the result was a verdict in their favor ;
and this the Messenger paraded as a
wanton insult to all of Mr.. Barlow's sup |
pOrters, and as absolving them from obliga-
ton to support fair, regular, worthy and
unanimous nomination Was there ever
more puerile preteIt, thinner excuse,
balder subterfuge trumpet up as an excuse
for wilfulness and folly? Quite as puerile,
however, was consideration No. ., presented
by "Disgruntled Republican" He. ten
days after the Convention, discovers that
the day before the Convention, despatch
was sent to the FREE Press, from Hydepark,
which said that some of MIR. Barlow's
strikers" were on hand. The editor of
this paper never saw this despatch till he
saw 1t in print. lie did not write or in
spire it nor did any reporter or represen-
tative of this paper. We have no idea who
sent it, nor does it matter. The Messenger,
seeming finally to suspect that these were
pretty babyish reasons for declining to accept
the result like men, at last presents con-
sideration No. 3-which is discovery
that Gen. Grout, himself, and several of his
eading supporters, lad declared their pur-
pose to bolt # he failed of the nomination"
We do not hesitate to declare this a iabrica-
ion When and where declared, pray?
We never heard of any such purpose on the
,art of Gen. Grout, or any Of his leading
Importers, and We should have been
likely to hear of it. if it had existed.
\ quiet and proper remark; phrase in an
despatch from an unknown
ource; and a piece of pure invention, :
which, if true, would afford no justification,
re the sole reasons presented Tor refusing
o support worthy nominee, honorably,
lirly and unanimously nominated.
We will not insult the Republicans of
rankin county by supposing for moment
hat, as a mass, or in any considerable num-
ers. they are deceived by the nonsense of
he Messenger in this matter, or that they
hare the folly it attributes to them. They t
ill stand by square and regular and pro- !
er nomination till some decent pretext is !
resented for abandoning it. We cannot
elieve, either, that Mr.. Barlow is fool
nough to permit the carrying out of the !
urpose foreshadowed by the action Of some ,
his friends. And we trust that the Mes 1
niger will give sober reflection enough to
he case to see that it is treading dangerous
: near to course. which, persisted in, may
'rfeit for it, for many year, the respect il
nd confidence Of honorable men. A