Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-08-22
To the BrattlebOrO Independents.



SQUARE, MANLY, Upland down. WAY, AND
TELLS WHY HE SHALL VOTE ron BLAINE.
El,ca1d HiyklIad, Eg.,--
Dear Sir: l have received from you a
printed letter telling Of the Independent Ro
publican movement In Brattleboro enclosing
its platform, asking cooperation, and promis-
ing that ANY information or advice will be
thankfully received" l do not presume to
offer advice, but gladly reply at some length
to the invitation of your circular, because l
sympathize with you in many Of your senti-
ments yot believe there is wiser way than
you propose in which to manifest them. l
avail myself OF the columns of Tho Phmnix
of which am q constant and benefited road
or, in order porchance to reach many other
Republicans In this county who have received
your circular. In following an example which
so many of my ministerial brethren havo this
year set, do not forget that have not their
ago md experience az a justification but
believe 1 am fair representative Of hundreds
of voters in our state and thousands in our
land-tho younger citizons-who next Novem-
Der will cast their first or second presidential
ballot, who are personally ignorant OF many
past political ovents and issues which largely
dominate present thought and action, but who
arc honestly seeking to do their duties Of cit
izonship wisely and effectively. Counting
myself in that class, and voiciug, believe,
the feelings Of many of them, l venture to
present my views on your plans
You havo mado no mistake in addressing
ma "a "a Hoppblipuv nd IL, INV Hfy,s,
l have been wont to prefix tho adjective I'm
dependent" have understood that term to
imply rejection of the doctrines Of the Dom
ocratic party, with IN acceptance OF those Of
the Republicans also recognition OF I'M
doubted corruptions in the Republican party,
which must DO admitted, faced and removed.
l confess that no l have watched, for the past
month, the uttorances of those who claim the
tito Independent Republican" have not
been dosirous Of adopting it. Sorchcads and
froo-traders have enthusiastically put it on,
and for the most part it has carried with it
the acceptance OF Grover Cleveland as candi.
date
l sec you have the independence Cor can
tom 10 say nothing about the man for whom
1tu Will WIZ, bhA lllhht mo tullTt uhhlb OF
your movement an attack upon man for
whom you will not vote When | first heard
of the nomination of Blaine, felt rs strong
ly as you do now the desire to protest against
it. My knowledge Of his career and charnc-
ter was derived from statements of tho press
Just before the convention, the prominent
facts of that career coming before took an
;,,4r -, & 4
snid TINT II the current charges were true, and
if Cleveland were tho man l thought him to
be, should join an Independent movement
in favor Of the New York governor Such
was my position at tho beginning of this cam.
paign, aud think it is nearly the same which
you and tho organization you repr, sent now
hold. Allow me to state my reasons for
changing my position to one Of hearty sup
port of the Republican nominees and plat
form.
l. Ny present light as u Tia cAaractey and
pro6aJle policy Of Blaine Ny carly impress
sions of his career have not been substantial
cd. There were various objections made to
/ him, and have considered them ALL Ihavo
( not been so ready as some of the Indepen-
/ dents to shift quickly to a new charge IA soon
as one was met Indeed, there scoms to be
/ little unity among Mr.. Blaines opponents as
to the real ground for basing their opposition.
| First it is one thing, then another. His for
eign policy was held up as warike and dan
gerous The facts from his record as Socre-
tary of State and the declarations Of his letter
of acceptance show precisely the opposite. |
do not know where, in the whole range OF
state papers, one can find more pronounced
declaration in favor of arbitration, as sgRins,
war, to settle national troubles Next Lis
great wealth was adduced, to prove that he ia
dishonest man but the facts, as nearly as
l can got at them, show that Mr.. Blaine's
wealth is inside half million and this is not
sufficient evidence to me that he is O dishon.
est man. The Mulligan letters have been res
directed, and the utmost claims Of his foes
taken as truth. But the Same Independent
Republicans and their organs who now feel
so disturbed over these letters at the timo OF
their publication declared their hearty belief
in Mr. BRines innocence. The Boston Ad.
vertiser WAS wrong either at the time Of the
first appearance of the letters or last month,
aud am more inclined to accept its opinion
uttered at the timo when the matter was be-
fore Congress than its present opinion. have
reached the same conclusion as the Indopen
dent Republican club of Brooklyn and the cd
itor Of the New York Sun-thRt these charges
are not worthy OF serious consideration. And
in coming to this conclusion am not unmind
full Of the fact that the charges were brought
up in Democratic House of Representa-
tives and that this hostile body, when it had
full power, did not deem them capable OF
sustaining investigation with any result bu
the complete triumph Of Mr.. Blaine fee
that Mr.. Blaine has been and still is connect
ed with men who represent the corrupt ole
ments of the Republican party; but this il
not the character OF all his friends and iirm
believers, and the judgment OF such men al
Senator Edmunds of our own state and Sena
tors HoRr and Dawes of Massachusetts, fai
outweighs the attacks of Goldman, Curtis, Ell
liot, or all the Massachusetts and New Yorl
Independents put together. My persona
preference was strongly for Edmunds or Haw
ley, but was delighted and strongly impress
ed with Mr.. Blaine'g letter of acceptance, ant
if elected believe he will provo ss great ant
agreeable a surprise as President Arthur hal
been.
.. My present light as to the character ane
probable policy Of CleOeIdnd tchO sciH De elect
ed il Blaine is not. 1 have nothing to say
about the moral character of the Democratic
candidate, except to suggest that the only win
dication which has appeared admits that with
in eight years, in the prime of his manhood
he was guilty of unchastity which would, o.
ought to, Danish him from the home-life o.
every decent citizen of the land. / waive al
attacks made by foes, and take only the ad
missions of his apologizing friends and, ad
hitting the truth Of these admissions, is Gro
yer Cleveland the man whom you would in
troduce to your wife and children as friend
Is he one whom you would hold up to you
sons as a model But pass to his politca
career. 1t has been short, but not over-sweet
His reforms seem to be largely directed agains
TammRny, out of political spite, rather thai
from true devotion to civil-seryice reform
The things which he has failed to do clearl,
show this to my mind. His vetoes weigl
against him far more than his approval o