Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-07-07

From the Argus aud Patriot Of this week.l
The unanimity and good feeling displayed
at the Democratic state convention last woek
left very little reason for any one to suppose
there would be any sore head snRrling or vitu.
peratiye lying about it. But there has been.
The guerilla Roformer edited by Charles II.
Davenport, has been guilty of unqualifedly
disappearing that convention, and has done
II in manner that is an insult to all who act
with the Democratic organization in the state.
It publishes an article prominently headed,
Democratic State Conventon-Gov. Smith
Packed II, from which we copy
The first controversy that developed was over the
nomination for governor. L. W. Redngton, a very
bright aud Independent young lawyer of Rutland was
supposed TO be the leading candidate There was some
talk Of Windsor county candidate, aimed at Geo. L.
editor Of the North Star, Of Danyilc, and who had
douc excellent service for reform aud rtreuch-
ment in the legislature had for several months been
often suggested, but be had repeatedly and emphat
caly declared, In public and private, by letter aud in
print, that he would not be candidate He fully in
tended not to be when he came to Montpelier but he
found there some mysterious influence at work for
him-an influence which later appeared especially POI
pied with the feeling OF the delegates from the
side Of the mountain that this side should have the
candidate, built up strong candidacy for Eaton.
tel obbies nearly all night Redington and Eaton who
have always been fast friends each declared that he
would not against the other. They had meetings
several imes during the evening to try reach some
agreementi but that same mysterious power which
bad pushed Eaton forward, though we doubt II he
who could the more gracefully have retired, and he
said he would II it wasn't for the "otbers."
These others" were in the last analysis Gov Smith
and 10. d. Hatch This letter. one OF the Central
Vermont letter heads, explains Il:
BURLISoroS, VT.
Dear sir-Presume you would Ike to go to the Dem.
Jo Is. HATCH.
Enclosed railroad ticket to give the recipient
az "A 10 Mon t..a1 nh
convention was packed IN this way This little trick
exposed to the editor OF the Reformer about two
O'Clock Thursday morning, by delegate who had too
much sense and honor to use the ticket and who felt
inEulted that this INSCRIPTIONS monopoly should sun
pose that u could 10y such petty methods buy up the
Democratic party. This delegate said that there
more than 100 Of these tickets issued but Of coarse
we have no means OF knowing how correct his
estimate was. The evidence Of this packing became
stronger as the delegates poured in by the morning
trains and the current stronger against Reding
ton. Rather than risk defeat, he decided to forbid
his name to be used in the convention and TO accent
the eharmanship which the state committee had Of
fefed him.
There are several untruthful statements in
this, the most prominent one being that by
means of railroad passes the convention was
packed by Gov. Smith and 10. d. Hatch in
favor of Geo. f. Eaton for governor. Dur
ing the fifth Of n century that the editor of
the Argus and Patriot has been prominently
connected with the Democratic organization
in this state, and for half of which time he
has been at its head, he has never known Gov.
Smith, Dir. Hatch, or any other Republican,
to attempt to interfere, directly or indirectly,
in its management Hence we believed this
statement of this Brattleboro Ishmaelite of
the press to be lie and now We knO5 il is
lie having proved 1t by investigation. Not
having the least confidence in the assertions
OF the Reformer, yet feeling that something
vas due the organization that has so often
honored US by selecting us as chairman of its
state committee, this year especially contrary
to our earnest wishes, we have pretty thor
oughly looked into the charges of this news
paper guerilla. What do we find? That
what 1t says is not true, and that the lie is
either malicious one, told with malevolent
intent, or else falsehood born of culpable
ignorance. Charles H. Davenport may i'm
pale himself on either horn of this dilemma
he chooses He says, in effect, that the can
didacy of George E. Eaton IVES the work of
Gov. Smith and 10. ID. Hatch both leaders in
the Republican party. II that had been true,
the Democratic party of Vermont is not an
organization that any man with a particle Of
seif-respect could have remained a member
of, and that is why we investigated
What did we find? That there were two
men in the convention who came there on
passes issued for that occasion, but not signed
by Gov. Smith. One of them was Jewett p
Cain Of Rutland, the lieutenant and right
hand man of Mr.. RediDgton, who himself ap-
piled for the pass, asking it because of his
connection and that of his father with the
press in the past. The other was ]. j. Mon
ahan of Underhill, also a Redington man, and
who came to the convention on the pass One
OF those two must be the man whom the Re-
former speaks OF, but neither of them had
too much sense or honor to use the ticket"
or folt 80 ''insulted" by it that they failed TO
ride to Montpelier on it, II those passes
prove that the convention was "packed" by
Gov. Smith and Jo d. Hatch, then they pack
ed it for L. w. Redington, not Geo. E. Eaton,
who is neither the especial friend of Gov
Smith nor the advocate of any of his meas
ures, living on and being identified with a
line of railroad with interests antagonistic 10
those of the Central Vermont.
But for this exhibition of mendacious eff
frontery on the part of the Reformer, the Ar
gus and Patriot would not have alluded to the
candidature of Mr.. Redngton for the nomi-
nation of governor, and it does not now pro-
pose to discuss that matter. Its editor had
and has none but the kindliest feelings for
that gentleman, and would have cheerfully
supported him for governor had the oonven-
ton SO willed 1t. But If the Democrats Of
the state once get the notion that the Reform
er is his especial advocate, and that he hob
nobs and affliates with Charles II. Davenport,
he will have occasion to exolaim, Save mo
from my friends !" Charles II. Davenport
has go often, and with such seeming malice,
outraged the self-respeet of the great mass of
the Democrats of the state by his mendacious
Misrepresentation, that his friendship is quito
likely to be fatal to the man who enjoys Il, at
least until he learns decency and ceases TO lie
about those who will not b. come fellow polit-
ical cranks with him. When the Reformer
charges what it does in what we quote, II in
suits every Democrat in the state-an insult
that it reiterates in the following editorial:
How does the Democracy Of Vermont relish tbeidea
OF having its convention packed by Gov. Smiths Re
publican railroad oligarchy? What right has this rns
ealy ring to be meddling witch the Democracy any
how Is it not certain that this wholesale distribu
ton Of free tickets undertaken only for the bases
Of purposes, and TO throttle any honest and straight
forward oppression OF true JefersOnan principles
When the day comes that this ring so openly prt-
sumes 20 reduce both the political parties OF the state
70 servtude strikes us that 1t is high time to raise
the anti-monopoly issue in dead earnest.
This is no personal attack on b. b. Smalley,
W. H. II. Bingham, or Hiram Atkins, which
the Reformerhas often INDUCED in, and which
has very often been allowed to pass unpotoed.
This attack is on the party, and we resent it
for the party In what we have quoted this
fellow calls tho great mass of the 81, 900 Dem
oerats Of Vermont either knaFes or fools.
What his motive can be we cannot imagine.
Why he should thus lie about men of I'M
doubted patriotism, honor and truth is beyond
our conception. And yet he does II what
he says be true, those who knowingly give
aid and countenanoe TO this state of things
are knavea, while the remainder Of the party