The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-06
Political Morality.

Mr.. Editor The Boston Journal reports
General Grout as having said, at 81. Johnsbury,
think, some of the most Objectionable things |
about the independents which have yet seen.
He spoke substantially, for cannot find the
paper to give the literal report, of the indie
pendents as persons who, in their disappoint-
ment at not having been born women, were
doing their best to behave like women. In
other words, these gentlemen are effeminate
characters, entitled to little respect for their
lack Of brains and OF the solid, practical sense
Of men of affairs. THE Waterman says:
General Grout has labored long and unceas-
ingly to secure this nomination" And OF Mr..
Dillingham;: /" He was unquestionably the real
preference of majority Of the delegates, bu.
many were bound by pledges or controlled by
sympathy" 1t speaks Of ia canvass dill
gently and carefully worked up for two years
past by General Grout," and has made in
timations that money was freely and i'm.
properly used by some one-it does not name
the nomination. Do these statements cor
rectly represent the candidate and his po-
litcal methods? Is not the Journal giving
wrong report? The bad taste Of the language,
its off ensiveness to many of those who would
like to vote for General Grout, and its untruth.
funess to the facts must be apparent to every
thoughtful person. For all that makes manly
ability and for experience In affairs, these gen.
tlemen will average with those of like promi-
hence in either party. happen to know two
gentlemen in one state prominently connected
with the movement, and who might seem to be
men of small note to us in Vermont. Yet both
these are lawyers in middle life, with prac-
tice which few lawyers in Vermont can equal,
and widely known for their practical success in
business Of public Importance. The real OBJ
lection, however, to the remark is that it argues
strongly against the political not to say men,
tai, capacity OF General Grout to represent the
better class OF his constituents, however he
may succeed in pleasing second-rate politicians
That protested leader in Vermont in these
days can make such remark can hardly have
any other sufficient reason. And the statements
made in THE WATCHMAN, IL true will more
than confirm suspicious as to the quality of
General CIRCUITS political character and OF the
methods OF his candidacy. II I" the real prefer
ence OF the majority of the delegates " was de-
feated, and II, as is probable, the delegates
from many towns represented the politicians
and wire-pullers of the party machine far better
than they did the people, many honest men
| will think 1t best to scrutinize carefully the
nomination presented for their consideration
On the showing made this seems to me i'm
perative. No loyalty to party, no dread Of the
| effects, can stand beside the higher fealty we
| owe to the country and ourselves. ! have no.
ticed good evidence OF the perfectly temperate
| habits OF General Grout, with much satisfaction
| at its conclusiveness. For have always re-
garded private morality as high qualification
| for public trust. But political morality is an
| other, and one which cannot be disregarded
With all my deep convictions on the subject of
temperance and the evils of drinking practices,
| am frank to say that would sooner trust the
affairs of congress In the hands of General
| Grout, should he get completely drunk once or
| twice year, ii he generally kept clear head
| and was governed throughout by sound polti-
cal principles, and did his work with ability
and success, than would IL, with spotless pri-
| vate morals, he should prove to be infected with
political immorality-for the public interests
| and the cause of morality would suffer much
| less. do not know whether In these last years
OF the nineteenth century | would vote for
| candidate seriously defective in either respect
named, but should hesitate most to support
one defective in political morality. There is
| great danger, among people who have high
| ideals OF private morals, OF ignoring too much
| the need OF insistence upon political morality,
| either in themselves or their official represen-
| tatves. II the danger is not removed as far as
possible dry rot attacks political and social life
The seeking for office, the trading among politi-
| clans, the wire-pulling, the direct and indirect
bribery and log-roling in securing nominations
and elections, that have been practiced in Ver-
mont the last fifteen years | have watched its
public affairs, have done as much to weaken
the moral sentiment, to prevent the growth of
| a healthy public spirit and TO hinder Christian
progress in various directions as all the liquor
used in the state within that time And in
| many towns these political evils are the most
| serious single hindrance to effective temperance
work. fear little risk of contradiction in
| making these assertions. With few honor
able exceptions, the politicians are laggards
| when manly, courageous work is to be done
| that involves real selfsacrifice and the proba-
bility of making enemies in influential quarters
| however conspicuously they shine in move
ments that are, or are likely to become, popular
Public morals, the general good and the poiti-
cal education of the people, will be benefited
| by the full, frank and fair discussions of such
points as | have made, and worthy candidate
will gain by it. A patriotic one will seek it, 1t
is all the more necessary, lest in these days
of improvement in the methods of business we
continue to stick to the more unbusnesslike
methods of doing and inspecting our political
work and machinery when they are behind the
times. To stop discussing candidate for con-
gress, and what his principles and methods are
worth and where they are defective, as soon as
he is nominated, is to degrade the election to
the simple work Of registering the transactions
OF political convention and to expose the
latter to the assaults of the political worker
who has the most time and means to devote to
his ambitions. And what adds to the wrong
in this case, il these reports quoted are sub
stantially true, Is that the fullest inquiry can
not imperil republican success. This is not
doubtful district. 1t is strong enough to elect
the best man, whether nominated by convention
or elected by perfectly free ballot without
He may be chosen, If mistake not, even If
thousands of his party fail to vote for him. 1t
seems, then, political folly to set back the
progress of the people in sounder political
principles and methods by silence on these i'm
portant subjects the moment the nomination is
made, though it may seem partisan wisdom
| scarcely need add that | have no feeling
against General Grout, whom do not even
know in writing this, and shall only be too
glad to find that his political principles and
methods have been sadly misrepresented in
these utterances to which allude. Nor have
! any prepossessions for any other TO bias me-
The exercise of the sovereignty of a self-gov-
erning people at the ballot-box is matter with
me for patient and careful study 1t is a business
transaction of the highest character which
| cannot discharge solely or mainly on the rec
ommendation of others, though they may
possess vastly greater qualifications for judging
than any to which may lay claim.
SAMUEL W. dixie.
Royalton, Vt, August g. 1884