Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-07-26
A Political Cyclone.


Political Cyclone.
For many weeks there have been por-
tents of gathering storm in the new
second congressional district. The recent
re-apportionment of members Of congress
in which the state lost one from the stead
lily vanishing number Of its representa-
tives in congress awakened the people to
full and strong appreciation of the fact
that under the political regime which has
held sway in Vermont for many years past
pygmies had usurped the places at Wash
ington once honored by giants, and the
sun of Vermonts old power and influence
in the lower house of congress had gone
down in cloud of mediocrity. A coterie
of scheming politicians had succeeded not
only in retiring Poland and Willard to
private life, but had defeated an attempt
to bring forward Stewart to represent the
state in the national councils. The re-
apportionment came. Discomfort and cha
grin at the humiliating spectacle OF men
of inferior mental rank put forward as
the representatives of Vermont's glo-
rious traditions took deep hold OF the
people. This feeling was intensified
by consciousness of the fact that men
the peers of her illustrious senators
were kept in retirement by the petty polit
ical jealousies and animosities and ambi-
tions which had grown up in the districts
under the old apportionment. That great
sense of public wrong and an imperative
public duty, which by some magnetic i'm
pulse in great emergencies is communicated
to all hearts, took possession of the people
of the state. The sentiment was omnipres-
ent that Vermont should right the wrongs
of years past and summon her distinguished
citizens from their retirement to bear her
commission at Washington. On the west
side the nomination of John w. Stewart
was the legitimate outcome of this patriotic
feeling. On the east it developed more
slowly, but its slower growth gave it the ro-
business Of the oak. 1t was assiduously
cultivated by the independent and aggres-
sive press of the district, and in its latest
development it swept the district like cy-
Clone Political hucksters, who could not
grasp the fact that the people had taken
the choice of representative into their
own hands, who laughed at the signs of
rising tempest and braved its fury, are
now picking themselves up out Of the de-
bris of the whirlwind, battered and bruised,
and in a state of utter bewilderment.
Disgruntled and bsfiled political or per-
sonal animosity and partsanship need seek
neither far nor wide for an explanation
of the overwhelming discontinue in We'd
nesdays convention. The nomination of
Luke P. Poland was simply the righting
of great wrong by the people. 1t was
a defeat by the awakened masses of
junto of politicians whose sympathies or
active efforts were enlisted to perpetuate
in the new second district a regency of me-
diocrity under Grout and ultimately trans
fer its sovereignty to other waiting aspir-
ants. 1t was clear case of the people
against the politicians, their allies and camp
followers, and the plaintiffs have won
verdict which will be triumphanty reaf-
firmed by the court Of last resort in Sep
TENDER.
The WATcHMAN remembers with mod
est pride that it early sounded the key
note TO this campaign, and has labored
fearlessly and resolutely to achieve vic
tory. We do not conceal our intense sat
isfaction with the result But the popu-
lar impulse which has ardently responded
TO the demand for the best and ablest for
congressman must not end there. 1t
must go forward and reassert its rightful
sovereignty over all elective offices of high
or low degree. The practice, if it exists
by which cliques of state or local politi-
clans parcel out the offices, must end.
The choice of governors, representatives
and senators, state or national, is the peo-
pies untrammeed right. All men, or Or
CARNATIONS of men, who have usurped this
power will learn, if they are wise, lesson
from the result of the second congressional
district campaign, and attend solely to the
discharge of their legitimate duties, if they
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