Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1884-04-14

nails of being dominated by corpora
tons and rings, has such record for
ability and integrity as to shed honor
on the name of the state.
We are not saying that every man
in the places named has been above
but, taken as whole, we
think no commonwealth can show a
list of public men whose regulations
are more creditable. Now these are
the men that the Vermont system
produces, and the machine, so called,
puts into places of honor and trust.
We do not feel like allowing any
great disgrace to rest on the good
state for a way, system, machine
management, if that is the more ac-
ceptable term to any, which has pro-
duced so satisfactory results.
Our climate is rigorous, and, doubt
less, favorable to the development |
of virtue, but it must be conceded |
that there are men in all places who
are ambitious for political preferment :;
men who help themselves to places if
they can so do; there are others who
are willing to pool issues in the small
er or larger wheels of influence to
accomplish their ends-these are the
''rings" great and small, that excite
so much alarm. This laundering af-
ter place and honor, if a fault, is so
nearly universal, that the average
censorious editor might well refrain
from stone throwing, lest he find
broken glass in his own sanctum.
We have noticed that the selfsame
journals which are so hypercritical in
regard to the characters and stand
ing of political aspirants, and so
touchingly solicitous in regard to the
uOuOI vi luS oIdIt, VIII NC 40 duiCl
and happy as purring cats when NOM
nations, no matter how brought
about, happen to fall into their little
s'rings." We have seen editors whose
bleatings of distress could not be
quelled until themselves or friends
got access to the public crib, when
they would become silent as death.
All of which shows that great deal
of the independence" and criticism
seen in some quarters is begotten of
selfish purposes, as low as those
that inspire the average politician.
But of the Vermont machine; the
Montpelier Waterman has at length
found somebody who is able to locate
and describe it. The following is the
definition, and the thing itself is the
republican state committee:
GA little compact band of mutual
admirers, composed largely of mem
bers of our perpetual and self-perpet-
uating state committee and its select
circle of friends, guided and CONTROL
ed by an adroit master hand" which
"has kindly parceled out, sometimes
years in advance, all important state
offices and emoluments-frst making
sure that the official crumbs, great
and small, should fall only to faith
full adherents, neither too great no
too independent to obey the powe
that made them
The Waterman strongly suspect
that there is a ''soldier's ring stat
house ring and ''railroad ring.
Bad, bad, but doubtless true. Th
soldiers have acquaintance ant
friendships, if not purposes, tina
threaten danger: the state house fel
, lows, constituting the ''ins," are de
termined to keep in to the exclusion
t of the ssouts'' themselves not an
: better; then there is a railroad ring
X The railroads are just as selfish a
: other parties. and they have specif
It interests to look after-it may b
S they use unfair means to accomplis
a their ends. They lobby legislatures
) possibly they try to manipulate col
II ventions; in short, they try to loo
o after their own interests, but we thin
y nearly all the dangers, so fearful
S set forth by the criticising press, al
> the creatures of imagination. Wha
ia ever may have been the designs I
(, the rings, the railroads, the sta
lie committee and other powers al
Oh cliques, they have never been su
$, cessful in any attempted assaults
S. the reputation of the state. III
es people are pretty well acquainted wi
q one anOtner, ana III man HaS Woftl
IL metal in him somebody finds it 0
yo and calls him out, if unworthy he L
X ually gets left.
ne While jealous of the honor and S
on licitous for the welfare of the stat
y. and anxious for all the just CRITICS
lal and ventilation of character that
y, necessary for the public good,
En- look upon the practice of some,
NJ their savage and abusive criticisl
Sn of respectable Vermonters, as unjl
he and defamatory. The truth is f
ng men in the state who have been s.mt
nil toned as fit for public offices ha
it'll done dishonor to their trusts.