The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1883-09-19
Political Harmony.

POllt1caI harmony.
With the coming of the cooler air of
September political interest begins to
quicken. The meeting of important state
conventions and the nearness of signif.
cant autumn elections, in the year before
the all.absorbing presidential canvass,
are always incidents of lively concern.
Through the heated days of the summer
the politicians have kept up desultory
kind of activity. The newspapers have
sung of harmony, but in drowsy kind
of a tune. On the wings of harmony
would the democracy especially mount up
to victory in the coming national election.
The Earring states " whose discords
have brought grief to the national dem.
ocratic bosom have been exhorted to yield
to the exigencies of national harmony, at
least long enough to place democrat in
policy of harmony has not succeeded. A
republican who had become democrat
for office only was nominated over an old
line democrat, soldier in the late war.
His nomination was followed by the &C.
acknowledgement that he had paid fifty
thousand dollars for an honor and for a
political chance, doubtful in their best es-
tate. The candidates ipjudicious speeches
involved himself and his party in jars
which destroyed all hope of harmony and
success, too. AS the result of political
intrigue and treachery, the Buckeye can
didate's own county has two sets of can
didates in the field for local offices. The
outcome of the efforts to harmonic the
Ohio democracy leads an influential DEM
ocratic newspaper to proclaim its lack of
"faith in the success of the democratic
cause when every leading democrat in the
state is reaching for the throat of some
other democrat" In New York harmony
is sought in an ignominious surrender to
Tammany. The entire control of the
state organization is given over to John
Kelley. "Mr. Kelley has made war on
the democratic party, antagonized Mr..
Tilden, defeated Governor, Robinson and
defed and hampered Governor Cleveland"
but recent attempt to repudiate him by
the democratic state committee has ended
in his supremacy. Those democratic
journals which short time ago were
breathing defiance to Kelley are now
his humble eulogists, and call three
corners of this interesting party are
standing, hushed and solemn, but hope
full, around the cradle of newborn har.
mony." A democratic state convention
was held in New Jersey last week. The
proceedings were not marked exactly by
ninefold harmony" Leon Albeit and
Andrew Albright were the leading candi-
dates. Albright, the reports say, had
whiskey and cigars on his table, and when
the boys had had his ear as long as he
could stand it, he told them to 60 away
and come back when they were dry. Alb
bett does not seem to have been present
in person. Mr.. Albright lost the day, the
second ballot resulting in Mr.. Abbett's
nomination. The Albright men indi-
GATED their inharmonious disposition by
jumping on their seats, cursing the NOM
instion and declaring that they would
bolt. Mr.. Albeit is denounced by hostile
democratic sheets, while his nomination
is favorably regarded by the republicans.
1t is believed to be guaranty of dem
ocratic defeat in New Jersey.
Harmony has also been the prayer of
the republicans. In Pennsylvania where
it was somewhat disturbed year ago,
year of tidal wave" administration has
proved to be an effectual antidote to re-
publican family jars. In Ohio there is
no lack of concord, and in New York the
old factional party lines were washed out
by the " tidal wave " that put the demo-
Gratis in power in the chief executive and
the legislative departments of the govern
ment The republican convention meets
to-day at Richfield Springs to nominate
candidates for the secondary state offices,
from the secretary of state downward.
The beginning of salutary reform in re-
publican methods was made in choosing
the delegates to this convention. In New
York city the primaries were open to all
republicans who voted for Garfield in
1880. Hitherto in the great cities these
primaries have been close corporation,
composed only of such republicans as the
existing members elected to admit They
have not been representative bodies in
any respect, many distinguished members
of the party as well as all the rank and
file being excluded. Herein is one point