Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-08-18
Democratic County Convention.

bled In convention In the Young Mems Demo-
cratic club room at ten o'clock A. M. Saturday,
the 14th instant. A permanent organization was
effected by the choice OF Horace Fifield, Esq, Of
Barre, az chairman, with the usual number Of
vice-presdents and secretaries. committee OF
i've on resolutions, and a nominating committee
OF three from each town. George M. Fisk, chair
man, were appointed, and the convention adj
journed till afternoon. On reassembling at the
club room the convention was addressed by Geo
M. Fisk, Esq. Of Northfed who discussed ma
tional finances. Mr.. Fisk arraigned the national
government for funding the floating debt OF the
nation, and stated that we are now paying a
larger amount OF interest than at the close Of the
war, notwithstanding the fact that the rate OF In.
forest has been reduced from seven and three
tenths and six per cent to four per cent. lie rd-
cued the resumption Of specie payments, alleg-
ing that the government having put all Its demand
notes into twenty-year bonds, having now no obi
cations which were due, and, having one hundred
million dollars in gold in the treasury, there was
no hindrance to resumption. Mr.. Fisks state
ment OF fact" was approvingly received by
his audience, and Big Iujun" was yociferously
encouraged To give II TO 'em some more;' but
the band appearing on the sidewalk, and the
Of the men of straw he had slain, ceased his war
dance among the digts OF the national finances,
and fell In with the crowd In its march TO the
scene Of the afternoon speaking, Trinity hall.
The convention being formally called to order the
following nominations for county officers were
reported and ratified. For senators, II. W. Hea-
ton of Montpelier and L. II. Joslyn OF waitsfeld
sheriff, James X. Tobey OF Calais; states attorney,
j. N. johnson Of Northfeld judge Of probate, S.
G. Shurtlef Of Montpelier; high bailiff, A. G.
Prentiss OF Moretown; county judges, George A.
Gilman Of Marshield and Horatio Tempeton OF
Worcester. Resolutions were adopted endorsing
Democratic nominees state, national and county,
reafirming Democratic principles and urging the
reduction of taxes and state expenses
Major James Haggerty vas introduced and
spoke for over an hour. The major seemed
anxious to retrieve the prestige he had lost by
his unfortunate speech at Waterbury, and plunged
with Celtic zeal into free fight with the whole
political history OF this country, beginning with
Jefferson's definition of Democracy, which looked
az much out Of style on a modern Democrat as
would suit of Jefferson's antiquated clothes on
the red-headed orator whose Z" face was so true a
transcript Of the map Of Ireland" There WAS
little or nothing In his speech OF the issues on
which this contest Is fought Major Haggerty
was the grand central feature OF his address, and
its eliminating sensation was reached when he
stated, with an extra flourish OF his oratorcal
shelah, that he voluntarily resigned lucrative
office worth 5000 year In New York In 1872,
rather than, as an lrshman, behold the spectacle
OF this government inficting upon the south the
same miseries Ireland was suffering from Eng
land. At that date he left the Republican party,
but left 1t In such good company as Horace
Greeley and Charles Sumner, though he did not
explain at what precise time these " life long
friends Of his" departed from the Republican or
ganization. Northern hatred OF the south, Irish
humor and self-conceit, Credit Mobilier, and the
argument of change for the sake OF change,
made piebad mass which was blended by the
speakers Celtic imagination and sanguine tenn
permanent into fair degree OF coherency, and
seemed to vindicate to the Democratic mind
the claim that "Major Haggerty was more than
the equal Of General Woodford."
Colonel Waddell followed Major Haggerty. He
still harps upon the assumed hatred OF the north
toward the south, and wonders how 80 many
Republicans in the beautiful state OF Vermont
can still bear such malignant feelings toward
their southern brethren. Colonel Waddell pledged
one hundred and thirty-eight electoral votes to
Hancock, aud assured his hearers that when the
south gets into power again it will give them bet
ter government than we now have. II the Re-
publican party had been inspired by wise mag
nanimity, they might have divided the SOUTH He
appealed to the Boys in Blue, and it Is not the
Boys in Blue that are making this trouble whether
1t WAS not pusilanimous to be afraid Of the solid
south whom they had whipped into the Union
Payment Of rebel claims is forbidden by consttu-
tonal amendments There are no rebel claims
all that have been presented are owned by Yankees
who have bought them up. The south does not
ask for pensions, but MANNED southern soldiers are
paying their mite for pensions Of northern SOL
diers. He characterized az a lie the extract from
Wade Hamptons speech, read by Senator Ed
munds at the Republican county convention In
this village. lie disclaimed the intention or the
possibility OF the souths controlling the govern
ment in case of Hancock's election Iu general,
| his speech is repetition of the remarks made at
his first appearance in Montpelier and in his vari-
GUS speeches in this state. He spoke with evident
| embarrassment in view OF the damaging proofs of
| southern intolerance recently disclosed and the
| arguments adduced here to show that Democratic
success meant southern control Of the government.
and that such control Is dangerous and must be
| averted. His passionate query, "In God AL.
| mightys name, what can the south do surprising
| she gets control OF the government" he did not
answer, but seemed to convey the impression that
he knows better than he will tell what the south
can and will do in such contingency