Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1884-08-29
70 RET j. h. sBW1LL
An open Lcttcr from the HrntsiVboro
independents.

ton in the form and manner which u appeared
gave considerable publicity to the matter,
and as tho letter contained several nisload-
ing statements, among them some which did
an actual injustice to the character aud scope
of our organization, We have thought proper
by the kind courtesy Of the editors, TO reply
in a similar manner TO some Of the prOmi-
nent points in your argument which we con-
sidor we're not vol taken.
l. Concerning M. Blaine. "When FIRST
heard of the nomination Of Blaine l felt
as strongly as you do now the deHire TO pro-
test against it, Good so far as it goes.
otis better to have loved and lost than to have
loved ut all
Barely two months ago you stood where wo
stand to-day protecting against the nothina-
ton Of the Republican candidate as one not
fit to be made. Whence came that feeling of
dissatisfaction with Mr.. Blaine, his character
az a man and bis record Gs a legislator
Had it not been In the air, unquesiioned, for
years, during eight Of which he had been
prominent candidate for this same nomina-
tion2 Did you not stand then exactly where
ninetonths Of the Republican party in Yer
mont stood, and was. it not precisely the
ground occupied by every Republican news
paper in the state up TO the very last moment
before the nomination was made DO you
need extracts from speeches and editorial col.
umns to prove this2 II you do they can BIZ
had by the bushel The nomination OF Mr.
Blaine said the editor Of one Of the news
papers mentioned above, fell like wot
blanket upon the Republican pnrty in Yer
mont" Why Not because Senator Ed
munds or General Hawloy or Secretary Lin
coin was not nominated, but because Mr.
Blaine ,odS selected, while 80 many tiled and
trusted leaders in the party were passed by.
But it may be said that practically all the
party newspapers and worry large proper
tion OF the voters have gone back into the
ranks and are now unitedly supporting Blaine.
True, but did you never have tho least little
bit Of n suspicion that in the case of our
party organs particularly, the support given
the ticket was neither willing nor earnest
in fact that it was decidedly perfunctory and
that thoy would gladly lay the burden down
There is not a Republican editor in the state
OF Vermont, 20 far as our observation goes,
and we have conversod with many Of them.
who will admit that he desired tho nomina.
ton Of Mr. Blaine last June or hopes for his
election ir November on any other grounds
than that lac is the candidate OF their party
and his defeat would be disastrous to IT, And
what is true OF the press is true also Of the
people Judging 10y the way the average
voter talks at this time thousands Of votes
will be cast for Mr.. Blaine in the state OF
Vermont by men who will be ashamed Of the
act and only seek to defend it on the spccious
plea Of political necessity.
We do not overlook the fact that you Illus
trate your change Of base from a strong
protest TO hearty support by referring
to the Independent club OF Brooklyn-what-
ever that may be--snd the editor Of the New
York Sun. OF the club you name aud its
action in the premises we must confess our
utter ignorance painful as it is to ncknoWl-
edge it, but of the New York Sun we havo
occasionally heard, aud this is what we have
heard
We propose TO do what toward beating Mr.
Blaine. lie 80 not ht to be President In our opinion
by reason Of both moral aud mental deficiencies ~
J. sun, july 10.
II the personal honesty Of the candidate be made
the turning point, nearly all the million Iudepepd-
cuts will be pretty sure % vote f1T MI Cleveland
v. J. SIM, Juiy II.
As between Mr.. Blaine aud Mr. Cleveland We advise
our readers 60 support the latter. Mr. Cleveland may
be unsatisfactory as Democrat, but Mr.. Blaine ts
not honest as man, ana that decides It.-N \. sun,
JuIV 10.
We supposed the independent r. publicana ere 90
ing 60 vote Tor Cleveland because they preferred TO
Put into the WHIT, House Democrat who waa hon
est rather thAu Republican who was the author Of
the Muligan ietterg--N J. sun, Juig a.
That was the conclusion the editor Of the
New York Sun arrived at less than four
weeks ago. II this is also your conclusion
, as intmaied by you, We don't differ very
much after all, and we shall be pleased 10
elect you an honorary member Of our club.
You may say that the Sun il not always
consistent with itself in It's rating Of promi.
nent men and measures, but bear in mind
| that, being Democratic organ, that is hard
ly to be expected, and whom you are looking
! up its Inconsistencies, please bear in mind
also that Charles A. Dana is not young pol
itioian whose memory runs back only through
one or two presidential campaigns, but vet
| eran IN the service, whose estimates of pub
! lie men are not made up to-day to be changed
tomorrow and revised the day after, and that
the Mullgan letters are no new affair in DO
] litical history. Aud in this connection Won
! will allow us to correct an error into which
you have inadvertently fallen, no doubt, that
| the result Of the investigation of this notori.
GUS scandal was or would be the complete
triumph of Mr.. Blaine, the facts in the case
being that no authoritative conclusion was
ever arrived at and no report was ever made
! by the investigating committee owing to the
! illness Of Mr.. Blaine during the closing hours
of the Congress which Rlone had iursdic-
ton in the matter. We are glad to see you
so willing to defer to the judgment of Sena-
! tor Edmunds for We agree with you there
most heartily. Senator Edmunds SAYS: ut
is NY deliberate opinion that Mr.. Blaine acts
as the attorney of Jay Gould. Whenever
Mr.. Thurman and have settled upon legis-
lation to bring the Pacific railroads to terms
OF equity with the government, up has jump.
! cd James G. Blaine, musket in hand, from
behind the breastworks of Goulds lobby to
fire into our backs When has he ever spok-
On word or written line in support of Mr..
Blaine save only the most commonplace con
gratulations upon his nomination which the
courtesy Of the Senate Chamber absolutely
compelled him to give as q member of the
same political party and a leading competitor
in the national convention or Senators
Hoar and Dawes It need only be said that the
former 'sulked in his tent till it became ev.
ident that the old party was in imminent dan
ger of defeat, when lie reluctantly gave the
ticket q mild sort of support, while Mr..
Dawes is so strict party man that he was
never known to have any conjunction re-
garding candidates in proof of which we
recall the fact that not long ago he took the
stump in Benz. +. Buffers congressional dis.
trict in support of that political humbug
when he was a candidate for Congress on the
Republican ticket Again you say, III elect
ed believe he Blaine will prove as great
and agreeable a surprise as President Arthur
has been" Why "a surprise" il he is the
worthy man and excellent candidate you now
seem to consider him Would ii have been
any surprise" TO you if President Garfield
If he had lived-had given us a good admin
istrationf Suppose any one of Mr.. Blaine's
competitors at Chicago had received the nom.
ination, would you want or expect to be sur
prised" in the event of his election ? Presi.
dent Arthur four years ago Was comparative
ly unknown beyond his own state, and there
he WAS best known as a scheming and rather
interruptions politician with all that name
implies. On that account his nomination was
resented by a considerable portion of the par
ty and his sudden accession to the Presidency
was painful shock to every loyal citizen.
That he rose above his associations and gave
us so clean and credtable an administration
was indeed surprise" TO our people and a
cause for rejoicing, as well as heartfelt
thanksgiving to an everything Providence,
who thus in his own good way answered the
millions of earnest prayers over the lament.
ed Garfield. We were indeed saved from the
consequences Of our reckless folly then-shal
we therefore plunge into another of still
greater magnitude in the vague hope of again
being agreeably surprised 2" The very fact
that there lie a possibility of such a sur
prise" shows clearly that there is a general
feeling Of distrust concerning Mr. Blaine
which is not creditable TO him, for the Amer
lean people do not distrust man so well
known as he without good and sufficient rea-
sons
II. Concerning Mr.. Cleveland. Quite a
portion of your letter is devoted to Gov.