Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-09-22

From the Burlington Free Press. ]


correspondent of the Springfield Repub-
lican devotes column letter over the sigma
ture of Independent to an explanation of
the bolt against Judge Poland. The substance
of this is that the old feeling of personal OPP
position to the Judge had died away that
his supporters supposed everything was love
ly and did nothing to get out his friends to
the polls and that, taking advantage of this
feeling of security, DR.. G.. b. Billiard of st.
Johnsbury, with Gen. CIRCUITS two brothers
and brother law, got up the bolt, within
the week or ten days before the election.
Gen. Grout, according to this ingenious writ
er, has little or no popularity even in his own
county and the majority vote for him in
Orleans county is explained by injured 80
cal pride" 1t will occur to many Vermont
readers, we fancy, that this is an explanation
which does not explain. What must have
been the condition of things in the district,
when four men were able in ten days, with
out use of money, to get up split, which
carried five thousand votes for an "unpop-
ular" man who did not further it or give con-
sent to the use of his name, and who was
not formally announced as a candidate The
complete official returns of the election are
not in but the aggregate vote of the district,
excepting nine small towns, is given as fol-
lows Poland l2,402; Fletcher, G,03S !;
Grout and scattering, 1905. Judge Poland's
largest vote was in Windsor county, 2,Si1,
and smallest in Essex, All votes. Orleans
gave him but 675 in a total vote of about
1000. Gen. Grout received his largest vote
in Orleans and Caledonia counties. Wind
ham county alone gave Judge Poland a ma
jority Of l, 400. Poland's majority, with two
towns lacking, is stated to be 1867. In 9TH
er words Judge Poland's entire majority was
secured in a single county-and if the vote of
that county had been taken out there would
have been no election. No sudden and spas
modic unauthorized efforts of half a dozen
men can explain 80 serious bolt on the reg
ular candidate as this. There is no possible
explanation of the result which does not rec
ognize the fact that the old unfriendly feel
ing towards Judge Poland-to give it no
harsher name-on the part of a large portion
of the Republicans on the east side of the
state, has not died away. 1t was in part the
knowledge that this disaffection still existed,
and the fact that no harmonious union could
be effected on Judge Poland, that led us to
hope that the convention would give the NOM
nation to Gen. Grout, against whom, it is
perfectly safe to say, there would have been
no bolt. Perhaps Gen. Grout, as the Repub-
LEANS correspondent asserts, is not popular
where he is not known; but he evidently
possesses something which answers very well
the purpose OF That desirable qualhcaton IN
a political candidate. He had the unsolicited
votes of the majority of the Republicans OF
his county and the vote of all his Republican
townsmen but three. This elsewhere would
be called popularity
1t must be confessed that harmony does moi
at present reign in the Second District. We
hope and trust that Judge Poland's course
will be such as to tend to quiet the discord
ant elements in his district and that the bit
ter feelings expressed in and engendered by
bolt of such formidable dimensions will
gradually die away. To this end forbearance
forgiveness and forgetfulness of the pas
strife will be largely needed and without
the active exercise of these virtues, there can
be no peace in the Republican camp in the
/ Second District