St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-09-06
The Public Protest.

AT Tue time Ol our county CONVEX
ton, and Immediately after, great and
general dissatisfaction was expressed
with its action. 1t was felt that great
objections existed to some of the candi-
dates nominated, that those nominal
tiOns were secured by bargaining and
prior arrangement, and that the result
and purpose was to remove officials
who had rendered the public valuable
service.
We could not feel bound to aid in
such a scheme. 1t was felt that to sub
NIT quietly to such nominations, so
procured, would be to hand our con-
science and public duty to the custody
of political schemers and manipulatOrs
But what could be done7 The NOM
nations, on their face, were Irregular
and any others would be "bolters," and
party men in general have an abhor-
renee of boiling. 1t was undesirable
to state facts about the nominees, as
such facts would be construed into per-
sOnal attack, and would engender de-
gree of ill-feeling that might be of long
duration. But so general and deep
seated was the conviction that some
public protest must be made against
the work and the methods of the con-
ventiOn, that it was finally decided, at
the request of leading men from nearly
every section of the county, to publish,
by the side of the Irregular" ticket, the
ticket of 1876, and to invite those who
wished to do so, to vote for that ticket.
This course afforded no organization
for carrying on campaign, no county
committee to take general charge of
the work, and no town committees to
carry out and perfect the details; but
it did open a way for the thinking,
order-loving, and respectable portion
of the community quietly to step out
side of party discipline, and enter
remonstrance against the removing of
good officials, and the putting of poor
ones in their places.
The remOnstrance has been made. |
Without Organization, without commit
tees, without any of the usual party
machinery in the face of Irregular"
nominations, and of the most persistent
work and cracking of the party whip
on the part of most of the old politicians
and wire workers of the party, much
more than one-third of the whole num-
Der of Republican voters of the county
have recorded their disapprobation of
the nominations made.
So large is the dissenting vote, that
the single town of Lyndon could have
nearly or quite reversed the election
A very large number of voters have
said, "The nominations were all wrong,
we are dismissing good officials for poor
ones, but there is danger to the party if
we disregard the regular nominations,
and L must vote the regular ticket"
Under the circumstances, the independ-
ent vote is large and its work will be of
lasting public benefit.
We have, in the course of the can
vass, carefully abstained from making
personal assaults and charges against
the regular nominees, nor shall we do
so now. The purpose of the movement
was to give those who felt so disposed
an opportunity to assert their indie
pendence of party dictatiOn and party
managers. That purpose has been ac-
complished with an emphasis that will
be remembered in this county for years.
The Republican party can not here
after afford to make nominations that
cause the indignant and spontaneous
rebellion of nearly one-half the party.
The men who supported this movement
are men of such intelligence and char
acter, of such standing in the communi-
ty, and of such moral weight, that their
protest can not and will not be disre
garded.
Whatever the immediate result NAV
be, the Independent and manly action
of so large faction of the party can
not fail to result in ultimate good. 1t
has said to faithful public servants that
their course has been so approved by
good citizens that even regular nomina-
lions should not prevent a public ex-
preston of that approval. 1t has said
to political managers that the people
will not always submit to their dicta-
ton. And finally, it is one more lesson
to teach the best citizens that if thew
want good officials it is much easier to
secure them by generally attending the
nominating conventions, than by any
subsequent action.
THE REASON WHY.-Some complaint
has come to our ears because we would
not lend the columns of the Caledonidn