The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-05-28
An Independent Convention.

The signs of the times indicate that the
body of men, the representatives of the
republican party of the state, who will
meet at Burlington in June, to nominate
candidates for the state offices, will be
more nearly realization of the true idea
of such a convention than any similar
body which has assembled in Vermont in
recent years. The cut and dried, foreor-
daining and predestinating process, under
which conventions have been made ma
chine to register the fact that certain men,
their political aud personal friends, have
been able to carry out their schemes sue
cessfully, has long been reproach to the
state and an offense to the people. 1t
looks now as if the year of deliverance
had come. The people have too often
laid down supinely under the thinnest
shadow of real sovereignty in elections.
The substance has been enjoyed by few
daring manipulators Of the machinery by
which candidates are placed in the field.
The alleged delegates of the people at
conventions, and the people themselves at
the polls, have cast the votes for the can
didate forsordained to receive them, but
the laying on of hands too often has been
the work in which delegates or people
have had neither lot nor part. They have
taken out their revenge subsequently in
unlimited growing, but the next succeed.
ing caucus has found the surliest growl-
ers, it is quite likely, again oblivious to
the fact that in that humble institution is
the primal source of political power, and
that within its precincts political action
must have its beginning. Now spirit Of
independence in political action has been
awakened in this state. 1t has already
sent one self-constituted candidate to the
wall. It's great work, however, is still
before it. The advantage gained is but
a successful skirmish between the out
posts. An entire state ticket is yet to be
nominated, and yet the withdrawal of DR..
Nichols month ago from the contest for
the governorship was hailed by some as
J the end of the canvass, the full fruition of
all its labors. Even if DR.. Nichols action
was conclusive-which it was not-as to
the governorship, there still remained the
responsible task of choosing candidates
for four other important state offices and
two electors-at-large. So the real work
of the convention has lost none of its
responsible character by late events. In
deed, the developments of the canvass
have greatly added to the responsibility
of that work. The victory in its entirety
is yet to be gained and to be wrested from
new combinations. Communications in
this weeks paper quite fully set forth the
work to be done by the convention, explain
the dangerous and offensive character of
combinations affecting the choice for one
of the most i'm portant and lucrative of the
state offices, and show the necessity for
deliberation in the selection of each can
didate to be nominated. We commend
these letters to the careful reading of the
voters. If the withdrawal of DR.. Nichols
was not the result of an open bargain it is
plain that the substantial benefits of a
bargain have been sought and promised
in consideration of his withdrawal. These
negotiations, we are well assured, affect
Colonel Pingree personally no more than
did the forged dispatches Judge Folger in
the canvass for the governorship of New
York two years ago; and yet Judge Fol
ger was forced to bear the fatal conse
quences of the chicanery of his political
friends. We should regret the existence
of any suspicion even that Colonel Pin
gree's friends had compromised theii
candidate; all the more we regret the ex
istence of well-founded belief that
they are compromising him. Besides the
things affecting the subordinate candi
dates on the ticket, there is still the mat
ter of paramount interest and Importance
the governorship. 1t is made plain to US
by speech and by letter, that the selection
of the man for this office enlists the
liveliest interest everywhere, especially
among the farmers, the great body of the
voters that, as the time for holding the
convention draws nigh, the yearning re
wives for the man whose name has fol-
months been on every ones lips. Since
the state convention in April, when the
delegates took the bits in their mouth
and made Frederick Billings delegate-at
large against his will, there has been I.
prophetic feeling that another state con
vention might exhibit like headstront
, spirit, and tender him nomination TO
governor, backed by such evidence of I