Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1879-10-08

BosroN, Mass, October 6th 1879.
Messrs. Editors The annual political cam
paign Of Massachusetts, has fairly opened The
Republicans held
RATIFICATION MEETING
In Faneu Hall-a hall. by the way, the most
villainous for the purposes for which II is used,
venture TO assume, OF any one In the common
wealth OF Massachusetts II Is venerable, to be
sure, a. the old cradle Of liberty" and so II is
deemed necessary to keep 1t rocking which is
indeed, appropriate enough, as liberty Is yet
scarcely out OF her cradle; but II Is no more fit
for public meetings held for any purpose than
the old district school-houses Of Vermont are for
the uses for which they were erected in the olden
time. II Is large, and elegant in Its day-in
fact 1t is a good-lookng hall now; but the diff
culty Is 1t has conveniences for the accommoda-
ton and comfort Of the large crowds OF people who
20 frequently congregate therein The wide gallery
which extends around on three sides, IL furnished
with some narrow, low seats, without backs,
which turn out tired audience at the end OF
every meeting; but the body Of the hall contains
no seats whatever, except a few for reporters and
for the speakers and dignitaries who are privi-
legged beyond the great masses who come TO listen
TO them. Well, here the Republicans of Boston
held their ratification meeting meeting so well
attended that there little or no standing room
left. 1t was presided over by Ex-Governor
Rice, who made long speech, reviewing at some
length the history OF the republic OF Massachu-
sets and the Republican party, which he endeav-
ored TO show should be kept in power because, as
he argued, 1t is honest and clean but more, as it
seems to me, because there is honest, clean
party to take its place. lie said that when he was
governor, General Butler paid his administration
the handsomest compliment 1t ever had; for after
he had sent his experts to the state house and
had the departments all ransacked in search OF
some irregularity of disbursement, or some ex-
travagance OF expenditure he could find nothing
to denounce as irregular, and nothing to crticise
as extravagant, save hair-brush and comb which
the state had generously furnished the executive,
which, however, he said he turned over to his
successor as clean as they were when he found
them, for it had been rule Of his life never to
use har-brush toothbrush which was not
his own; and he said that II General Butler had
been governor ever since, the hair-brush and
comb would have been clean still not only be-
cause he presumed the general would have pre-
ferred, like him, to furnish himself but also be-
cause he so bald-headed as to render the use
OF any comb and brush altogether unnecessary.
The truth is, however, that the state did furnish
combs and brushes, jaok-knives, ETC., under cover
OF the word " stationery" in such large guam
titles and at such enormous cost and correspond
ing profit to somebody as to constitute some
for reasonable complaint, which Of course was
turned to the best account by men who wanted
the places OF those in power, well as being de-
nounced by one two real reformers-as many
as one state Is apt to produce at one time. Uncle
Ben Reed was about the only one in the Vermont
legisature-among whose sins, that Of extrava-
gance has not generally been very prominent, TO
be sure-and to laugh him down in his attempt at
retrenchment during his last term Of service was
an easy matter though he was man of good
ability of unquestioned integrity, and his argu-
ments were unanswerabe.
The next speaker was Ex-Governor Bullock
who also made quite an extended speech closing
with 81 report " of the dongs Of the Worcester
convention, of which he president and then
introducing the candidate of that convention for
the office of governor, whose part in the play
| to announce his acceptance of the nomination
thus rendered him, and thus ratified by the popu-
lar gathering at Faneuil Hall.
JOHN d. LONG
stands well before the people of Massachusetts,
has good record SO far as it goes, but he is de-
|
ance. He has large head, broad face and
prominent chin, is a little dumpy, so that his coat
tails are "too near the ground" though think
| not so near as to prevent his being elected COVER
nor, as those of the " Little Giant prevented his
being president of the United States, as the Mis-
souri, senator prophesied.
WENDELL PHILLIPS
declines to accept the nomination Of the Green.
back convention for the office Of lieutenant gov
ernor, though he says the Greenback movement
is one Of the " four great causes" which he
"most seeks to serve;' woman suffrage, prohi-
biton of liquor selling and protection OF the
negro" being the other three.
THE REVIVAL IN BUSINESS
Some OF the arguments of the Greenback advo-
Gates, and Of the Butler men generally, have been
somewhat weakened by the revival OF trade and
of business, which in some directions seems to be
quite Marked and very promising for the imme-
diate future. The shoe business, for instance,
and especially with the manufacturers, is quite
lively, most of them keeping full sets of hands,
and making as many goods as they are able to
turn out In Lynn, the great shoe manufacturing
town, six new business blocks have been erected
| during the season, five of them being, as Lynn
man told me- livery large ones" A single firm
on State street is said to have made two or three
hundred thousand dollars by the recent advance
in the price of iron and iron goods, which augurs
of general prosperity, of which everybody is glad
unless it is somebody who had hoped to ride into
place on the discomfort which comes of de-
preston and want, and the suffering consequent
| thereon.
Whether returning prosperity will really make
any difference in the result OF the political con-
test here can be better told after election; and
whether it will make any difference in the price
of Vermont butter, is question of more vital in
terest to most Of your readers than that OF who
is to be governor of Massachusetts, during the
coming year. II, however, another prosperous
time is really coming, Vermont will necessarily
share it with other sections of our common
country. WiLLoUGHBY.