Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-02

| BosroH JOURNAL: 1.-THE nomination OF Judge
| Poland for the national house, after defeat as
regular party candidate in 1874, may be regarded
as one OF the unusual things in politics. Mr. Po-
| land served In the senate from November, 1866 to
March, 1867. He then entered the house, where
| he was sooD recognized as man OF unusual abi-
ity. During the forty and forty-third con-
crosses II Is not too much to say that he was one
| OF the republican leaders. He was nominated In
1874 for the forty-fourth congress, but 1t was the
year Of the republican disaster, and Judge Poland
| was one Of the first victims. He was assailed by
| the Independent press, which, with the quite gen
eral desire for change, was enough to insure his
| defeat. 1t was then reckessly given out that
| Judge Poland was not an upright Legislator, but
| he has long since recovered from such slanderous
and malicious attacks. That the people who
| know him best have confidence In him Is shown
by the fact Of his nomination. With his long ex,
perience and his rare qualifications, Judge Poland
| will prove valuable acquisition to the represen-
| tation OF New England In the house."
WEST RANDOLPH HERALD AND NEWS "As a
| general thing the politicians (the men who usu-
| ally elect themselves delegates and run the pot-
ical affairs In their respective towns) such as were
| elected were for General Grout The great mass
| OF the people demanded an ADLER man and the
| nomination Is the direct result OF their demand
That the old bitterness has died out or the people
are ready to sink personal feelings for the good
| and honor of the state, was evidenced by the way
| the towns in the White river valley went We
| took particular pains to inform ourselves II any
| work had been done in these towns by Judge Po
| land, and invariably met the answer, Mo- the
people wanted him This was the case, too, in
| eastern Orange county, and as far as we could
judge, throughout the district. This virtually
ends the congressional campaign in this district
| and Vermont is ensured her old and honorable
standing in the house. 1t Is great gain for
the people over the machine, as the latter was al
| most solid for General Grout. The state will
| have q delegation in congress second TO that Of
none in the Union in influence and ability"
SPRINGFIELD REPUBLICAN: "This nomination
and election will complete one Of the most curious
chapters in recent Vermont political history. -.
| Judge Polands candidacy was in response to
popular demand which came about strangely
800. Much of the opposition to him in 1872
and 1874 was directly traceabe to his habit OF
| saying and doing little inconsiderate and impo-
lite things The opposition then became regu-
| lar craze; good many politicians got very much
| excited about the matter and in the end bolt
elected Denison, who had hardly any positive
| popularity, when Poland had regular nomina-
| tion acknowledged to be perfectly fair. What
| ever substantial considerations existed for retir-
| ing him got but little consideration, and he was
| thrown out by kind of tidal wave of unpopular
| ity started by triles and made formidable nobody
| knows how. A great many men in the old
district who did their best against him before,
have now supported him, both with the idea OF
| making amends for undue heat and to give the
state better standing in congress, as is shown by
the White river valley, which used to be sold for
his opponents now sending nearly all its delegates
| to support him."
| New YORK TRIBUNE: 1.-THE Tribune has no
/
this nomination to interfere in the behalf of any
| candidate 1t may not be amss however, to say
| that the republicans of Vermont have it in their
power to render the party great service by do
| ing what with their overwhelming majorities
| they can well afford-that is to disregard every
| other consideration in the selection Of candi-
dates except that they be the very best men, the
ablest and purest that be persuaded into pub
lie life; men Of experience, discretion and knowl.
| edge OF AFFAIRS who will bring wisdom and
strength TO republican counsels in congress, and
give the strongest republican state in the Union
the position and influence that belongs to 1t in
| republican house Vermont has been peculiarly
| fortunate in her representation in the senate.
The state that in the past has been represented by
Colamer and Foot, and is now represented by
Edmunds and Morrill, in the upper branch OF the
national legislature, should endeavor to have
standard equally high for its representation in the
lower. Under the new apportionment 1t has but
two representatives, instead of three as formerly,
and in selecting these two care should be taken
| to get the best So far as Judge Poland il con-
cerned the Tribune entertans no doubt Of either
his ability or integrity, and il the republicans OF
the second district fit TO nominate him 1t will
hail his election with satisfaction"
RUTLAND HERALD: This action of the con-
vention will command the approval not only of
the best intelligence Of our state, but Of thought
ful republicans everywhere, who believe that
Vermont should always choose the best to repre-
sent her in the national legislature. Happily
the ten years that have elapsed, since the Steele
fight OF 1872 and its consequence the bolt of
1874, have given ample time for many men to
grow wiser as well as older, and to the frank sup
port OF many Of his old opponents Judge Poland
is indebted for his nomination. 1t is now clearly
seen that Judge Poll nd was beaten by a bolt
that had no ground Of defence in public policy or
party welfare and it is but an act Of political de-
cency to expunge all memory Of the bolt Of
1874 by sending its victim in honor back to the
seat that for eight years he occupied with the
highest credit and honor to his state and himself
Judge Poland is not quite sixty-seven years
of age, but he is in perfect health and vigor of
mind and body; he is as stalwart and command
ing in his physical presence as he was ten years
ago, and no more active or finer looking man OF
his years can be found anywhere. We are glad
that the second district has done its whole duty
by the state by sending Its best man, measured
by his public talents and long experience Judge
Poland will go back to the field with which he is
80 familiar, in which he won so much honor and
from which he was unjustly driven, amid the
congratulations OF all men of both parties, who
like to see Vermont represented in congress by
stalwarts In mind and body"
GREEN MOUNTAIN FREEMAN: 1.-THE vote for
Judge Poland was Just a ma jority OF what a full
convention would have been as the district was
entitled to $50 votes and he had 1871. 1t is also
true that in that part of the district which was
least fully represented, Windham county, the alb
sence of delegates counted against Judge Poland
instead of in his favor Three of the seven coun-
ties now in the district did not formerly belong to
the old second. In the convention those three
counties gave majority against him. So it is
plain that in his old district-that il, the four
counties of Caledonia, Orange, Windsor and
Windham-the section that in 1874 was dark
and bloody ground for him, he had just about
twothirds of the delegates. The result in that
part of the district marks great change Of opin
ion in reference to him, for, while his campaign
has been conducted shrewdly, so decided pre-
ponderance in his favor was never brought about
in that region by superior wire-pulng, 1t is due
to Judge Poland to say that his nomination Is,
on the whole as fairly due to the fact that the
people wanted him In preference to anybody else,
as is the case in the great majority OF political
conventions. .. The most potent factor in
Judge Poand's success was his possession OF an
uncommon lot Of brains and a general knowledge
OF this fact. Another thing, the sovereign people
like to exercise their sovereignty. They exhib-
tied their power in tearing down his blue and
brazen image in 1874 and they exhibit 1t now in
setting it up again As Judge Poland once re-
marked to General Grout, political resurrections
are rare; but they do occur, and In this case one
Of them raises man of pre-eminent legislative
ability to his former place in congress"
Troy IN. " TIEs "Mr. Poland's return to
congress- of which we assume there can be no
doubt will be exceedingly gratifying to the great
body of republicans throughout the country who
believe great injustice was done to him in 1874,
when he was defeated on account OF local dissen
sions and OF odium cast upon him owing to his
connection with the so-caled Poland gag law.
This was an act OF the fortythird congress amend
ing the thirty-third section OF the judiciary act OF
1898, relating to the arrest of offenders against
the laws Of the United States. 1t provided that
when an arrest was made in a different District
from that in which the offense was committed
the accused might be removed to the latter for |
trial. When the act of 1898 passed. the dis |
trict of Columbia did not exist and doubt had |
arisen whether prisoners could be taken thther
from elsewhere ; so the amendment was made in
the following words That thu provisions Of the
judiciary act of 1898 shall apply to courts created
by acts OF congress in the District Of Columbia
This and no more As first drafted the language
was verbose, and Mr. Poland appointed to
put 1t in better form. This he did and the amend
ment was incorporated into the statutes Sud- |
denly 1t occurred to certain journalists In New
York that they might be liable to be taken to the
District of Columbia and there tried on charges
OF libel upon public men-the circulation OF their
papers there containing bels being regarded in
law as publication. Tbereupon they set up a
great clamor and accused Mr Poland OF trying to
gag them. But the courts of the United States
have no jurisdiction in libel cases, and there
could be no removal of offenders in such cases to
the District, unless old Maryland law should be
regarded as in force. In point OF fact there never
has been such an occurrence, and Mr.. Poland was
no more responsible than any other member OF
congress for the amendment, as he was not the
author or introducer OF it, A subsequent attempt
to repeal the amendment failed because the judi
ciary committee OF the senate, composed OF some
OF the most erudlte lawyers in the country re-
ported that the law, rs 1t stood amended, was
perfectly just and right"
The Second District Candidate.
Luke p. Poland was born In Westford, Novem-
Der l, 1915. Judge Poland acquired his early
education at the common schools mostly, never
attending an academy but one term and part OF