Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-03-03
Conkllng's Plea for Grant at the
Utica Convention.

attend IN the galleries OF cOnNenIOnSs dUu HlNth'
as outsiders mt conventions sometimes to impress
upon the members the idea that the conviction
expressed hv camor and applause are the con
victions Of Republican constituents. But, MIR
President, cannot vote with any man who pro
poses now TO frtter away and squander in tn
presence OF n great emergency the imperial ant
overlapping influence Of the great state Of New
York The election before us, felow-Republicans
IL destined to be memorable when you and ma!
be forgotten-memOrahl for the desperation o
the contest not only before the people have de
cided IT, but fear afterwards also. II is thu
last election to occur under census which give
unballowed and unlawful power Of the south
say undue and unlawful power, because every
colored person il counted to swell representation
and vet the colored vote IL tramplpd out nnf
ignorant This arrangement gives to the southern
states but forty-seven electoral votes lees than
majority. A new count Is about to take place
A new apportinnment Is to be made-fairly made
The sceptre will be taken from the states lately
in rebellion, and It will pass to the north and tc
the west But, with Democratic president next
time and Democratic congress to make all these
adjustments. you will have apporionment under
which the Republican party may not carry TINS
country again for ten or twenty years. Moreover
close result, however clear may lead to n dis
puted electoral count and open the door to train
OF evils which no prophet can fOretell. The last
electoral count when one house was Republican
and one Democratic. the extra session. with It's
revolutionary plot; the doings in Maine. and
other things, are enough to warn the blind and
the deaf. Preparations are already on foot to
place the choice Of the next president in the
hands Of n Democratic house. flaw found in n
single electoral certificate Of any state, with either
Of these two Democratic houses to refuse to count
IT, and the result is given into the hands Of the
honse OF representatives, where the election must
be made by states, and what do You see? AZ
though the house is Democratic counted by states
II Ia Republican. And, therefore-yes, venture
to say therefore-Mr. WashbuIn of Minnesota,
who was elected by more than two Thousand ma
.N.tN. I.tl.. I.1t IL EI T.. .la
struction--to be deprived OF their seats why
Because they hold the casting vote in their dele
cations, Minnesota has majority of Democratic
members, and Indiana has n majority of Demo
cratic members; and If the election for president
is thrown into the house. the vote being taken by
states, the election Of the said Democratic prcsi-
dent Ia insured.
say this much, Mr. President, that may not
seem to use the language of exaggeration when ]
say that the election before u.s. in its lasting re-
suits and in its perils Is to be memorable, per-
haps after we may be forgotton. In crisis like
this, with New York the pivotal state-New York,
whose vote Is to make the next president Of the
United States-lias she no oninion-no opinion to
declare TO the Republicans OF other states who is
the man in crisis like this? Let me ask the
question as to New York. Have the Republicans
OF New York no opinion who, in the presence OF
such a crisis, among the men Republicans can
trust, Is most certain to be elected-nlost certain
to be lawfully and peaceahly seated after he Is
elected. Now, Mr.. President, for what is this
convention held? Is it merely to listen while the
delegates from the several congressional districts
inform the convention who the districts are going
to send to the national convention l. it for thar
that five hundred men. the selected pride OF the
Republican party of this state, have come here to
meet together? think not. Common sense and
the immemorial nsages of both parties answer
the question. What is the office OF delegate?
Is 1t man to go to n convention representing
Others and then determine as he individually
prefers and chooses what he will do? No, Mr..
President. delegate il an agent. He las prin-
cipal behind him--a consttuency-aDd II he Is
faithful he goes to represent that constituency.
And, Mr. President, let me say frankly, for my
self, that II any man, howevermuch respect him.
were presented to this convention who would de
clare or who would prove recreant to its judg-
ment, let alone its instructions, would never
vote for him as n delegate to any convention. II,
then, we are here to express to Republicans in
other states who are longing to know the judg
meDt OF the Republicans of New York; II we are
mere to express to them our opinion in this emer-
gency, and II delegations are to go to repre- sent
not their own will, but the will and jndgmei Vt Of
those behind them, what is the objection? What
would be the cowardce of our manfuy say ing
what we believe? Next year we will need two
things. mean when we come to have counted
the electoral votes shall need two things; firsl
decided, unmisakabe result, and second,
man with the country behind him. a man in
whom this whole country has much confidence
that no revolutionary plot or conspiracy will up
N'SNN'p"'
plause
Now, Mr. President, in the name Of the history
oil the last fifteen years of war and peace, looking
over all Of those tragic events transpirng while
the country has been rocked as in the throes of
political earthquake, who is there-l ask every
member OF this convention to lay his hand on his
heart and answer-who is there in this broad land
upon whose name, upon whose achievements,
upon whose character and strength, the Repub-
lcan party and the nation more than upon any
other, can safely repose. Applause, and cries of
" Grant" and Blaine."] II there is such man,
will fall short in the duty assigned to me by the
seat which my constituents have honored me;
every other member of this convention will fall
short in his duty if there be such man, If we do
not express our judgment and our convictions ac-
cordinglv. Mr.. President how history does re-
peat itself! ! remember, and you remember,
when Abraham Lincoln was repomjpatedo and
The lights we see now, the sounds we hear now,
were all seen and heard then. Newspaper people
took canvasses of the people, and fonnd that three
iourths OF them were opposed to Lincoln. ANY
pouy put Lincoln! Anything to beat Lin
CON! Conventions were held, in which the
galleries and outsiders, with that modesty and
that courtesy always observed on such occasions
undertook to impress and mislead conventions
with the idea that public judgment was against
Everybody knows better than anybody. You
may have in a county, and n Republican county.
an able corps of trained officers; Won may have
men with their salaries In their pockets camped
IN particular political district and making their
headquarters in the saddle, carrying on an active
on the high roads and by-roads for a
month, particularly II the roads are bad or the
snow is deep, and you may produce from that dis
trict an antl-Grant or an anti-Lincoln delegation
iou may go into city-a metropolitan district; you
may have the question fairly stated, and an over
whelmng and unmistakabe verdict for Ulysses
.: Grant, and then you may find from that very
district delegation 80 skillfully brought to pass
that a aioritv OF them are against him and Won
NAV a DISTINGUISHED dplpuata frnr hat aiu
trict rise In open convention and notice upon
the others that IL they undertake to thu, tile or
stiiie the real voice OF that district he will re-
volt in open convention. All that may be, but,
Mr.. President,
1.-The shadows mumur, while the deeps are dumb"
Mr.. President, down below this nuttering sur
face, deep down in the hearts and Judgment of
this people broader, deeper, stronger wiser than
words OF mine, and, IL ! may say it without Of
Tense, than OF any other member of this conven-
tlon-is the conscience the judgment, the convic-
ton of the masses of the Republicans of New
York and of other states, What is the Judgment
OF the Republicans of New York as to the one
single question before this convention, namely, to
whose hands can we most safely commit that
banner so resplendent with illustrious achieve
ments What IL the judgment, say, of the Re-
pnblicans OF New York Does any man hear me
who doubts Does not this convention over
answer that question Do we not
know that the Judgment and conviction OF our
constituents is that the safest man among all the
eminent men in the Republican party; the safest
man, first, as candidate, in the election, and
second afterward TO be lawfully, peaceably,
and quietly seated, that man who carried the
nag through the storm of battle, and who, hav-
Ing been tested and weighed has been found
worthy Of the confidence and admiration of the
American people No third term objection to
him. The objection TO a third term is that the
occupant OF the presidency can WELD his official
power TO renomlnate and elect himself. This
man Is private citizen he has no official patron
age or power; he has been absent in distant lands
not able even TO exert his individual influence
upon men. Inc official patronage let me say
and speak In the hearing of men who know It.
the official patronage of the nation has not been
used for him. No, Mr., President; friendship for
Ulysses S. Grant is not, and 1t has not been for
more than three years, passport to official favor
no man can suppose that the danger of
employing official influence applies In case like
this; there is nothing of it, The statutes of our
state forbid In all the sixty counties OF the state
the reelection Of a sheriff. why? For fear
that holding In his hands the instrumentaities Of
the sheriff he may WELD them for oppression In
order 10 re-elect himself; but was il ever held,
when man who had been sheriff had been out
OF Office for a term OF years, that you might not
renominate and re-elect him? In this blessed
county OF Oneida, man who had been sheriff
before has more than once, after another term
had interviewed, been renoninated and reelected
and nobody ever thought of an objection TO him
Although there Is lunatic asylum in this district
that has seven hundred citizens, and with all
those advantages and opportunities no man was
ever seen or heard OF that supposed that the rule
or the reason OF II applied 10 such case be-
lieve that there Is a man who more certainly than
any other, can win in this next election ] believe
he can poll larger vote in the state Of New York
than any other man whose name can SMELL
beliye more Republicans are for him than Tor any
other Republican, and believe that more Demo-
Gratis will vote for him than will vote for any
other Republican believe that II any name