Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1880-08-13

From the Monthpelier Watchman.l
The State Democracy have nominated, for
the head Of their ticket. Il SDan of high legal
ability, of brilliant intellectual attainments,
of pure character and unblemished integrity.
Mr.. Phelps was formerly Wing, and when
his place with the Silver Grays When the
war came his sympathies were of that luke
warm nature that classed him with the Bour-
bon wing of the Democratic party and
though he is not, by nature or by education,
politician, his political affiliations since the
war have been with the aristocratic extreme
of that party. He is essentially undemo-
cratic, in the original meaning of the term.
His tastes and prejudices are of that exclu-
sive, illiberal character that would have
made him royalist in the time of the revo-
luton in France he would be Bourbon,
and in England he would be Tory. That
broad rich vein of generous human feelingth that
wound through the natures of such men Of
culture as Sumner, that inspired the actions
of Lincoln, and that directs the course and
decides the political affinities of the cultured
classes in the law, in literature, in the pulpit,
or in our educational institutions, is not
found in Edward ]. Phelps. Had it been
his political principle would have been
abreast of the spirit Of the times in this as
well as other countries. Violated, outraged
human rights would have had the benefit Of
his splendid talents, and he would have been
saved the everlasting disgrace of that cold,
sneering, Impious speech, with which he
signalized his acceptance of the Democratic
nomination. His candidacy, and his SCOTS
and taunts aimed at the party of universal
freedom and the race struggling up out of
the bondages of centuries, amid every ele-
ment of opposition that hate and prejudice
and overpowering numbers caR devise and
execute, is the death knell of Democratic
hopes of reducing the Republican majority
in Vermont. The men of the Green Noun
tain State will see to it that she does not, In
appearance even, endorse the political senti-
ments Of the Democratic nominee for Gov
ernor
lFlom the Saratogian
Vermont is not State in which the Demo-
cratic party hourishes and the few voters
there who train in its ranks are naturally
among the worst specimens of fossil Bour-
bons to be found in the whole country. As
they stand out against all the light in political
matters with which that model common
wealth is flooded, and against the pressure Of
an unusually strong and intelligent political
opinion, this fact is not one to furnish cause
for wonder. Nor is it therefore surprising
that they haze placed at the head Of their State
ticket a alurian Of the first order. He has
not even advanced as far as the Declaration
of Independence, and seems to have no con-
ception of the fact that a citizen of this coun-
try is entitled to enjoy the rights of citizen
in every part of its wide domain. He CON-
placently congratulates his fellow partisans
that they ''belong to party which is not
afraid to show its mead in every State of the
Union" This is probably supposed to mean
that the Democratic party is so virtuous and
patriotic that it flourishes everywhere, while
its opponents are SO unpatriotic and destruc-
tive that they are not tolerated in large sec
ton of the Union. As the character of each
party is directly the reverse of this, it was
very foolish to call attention to the fact.
The people of Vermont are as rigid and
uncompromising in their political opinions
as any other people in the country.
The election returns show this fact
year by year, and there is no Southern State
where the Republicans form so small per-
centage Of the voters as the Democrats do in
Vermont Yet in the Green Mountain State
there is Just as much freedom Of expression
accorded the minority as the majority claims
for itself. 1t is as good specimen as the
world can furnish of perfectly free, liberal,
enlightened and well governed common
wealth, and we commend il to the emulation
and imitation of those States were free dis
cussion and free ballot are unknown. If Il
party may be judged by its fruits, we are
willing to have Vermont taken as a standard
by which the temper and character Of the
Republican party are to be measured. With
an overwhelming majority of Republicans
there is no arrogance nor repression nor in
tolerance, and it furnishes marked contrast
to the States where thc Democratic party
bears equally unlimited sway. Mr.. Phelps,
the Democratic nominee for Governor,
has borne unconscious but most important
and unimpeachable testimony to the superb
ority Of Republican principles in securing
and maintaining all that is desirable in popu-
lar government and has furnished the
strongest of all possible reasons why the
party which he represents should not be
entrusted with power.