The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-08-20

public officials or candidates for office. A
standard of private morality by which
Vermonters choose q candidate to the
governorship is good standard in their
estimation by which to test the moral
fitness of man for the office of president.
While our people have not been very
demonstrative in their treatment of the
scandalous personal issues which have
been raised, they nevertheless feel very
strong determination not to contribute to
the election of a president on whose
moral character rests a fatal blemish.
Atonement may have been made, but the
"honor" which one man displays in re-
dressing the consequences of his unreined
passions is not to be COMPOUNDED with
| the honor which is the due of the man of
powerful and victorious self.restraint.
The first may be forgiven and recover the
respect of his fellow-men, but it does not
follow that they should add to forgiveness
and restored social standing the highest
public honors.
So much for the moral trend of the can
vass. But no more outrageous political
heresy was ever propagated than that
promulgated by the independents when
they declared that the issues of the can
vass are moral rather than political"
The irony of fate suddenly overwhelmed
the dogma. Unwelcome disclosures en-
quilted the independents and covered
their moral pretensions with ridicule.
Their position politically is no less abb
surd. The real issues of the canvass are
neither moral nor personal, but they are
entirely political for the moral question
which has grown out of the published
scandals we trust is not yet an issue in
this land of homes. The issue is still
between republcanism and democracy as
represented by the great political organi-
cations. Whether the government shall
be kept in the hands of the party that
rescued it from destruction, enlarged and
secured beyond danger of repeal the appli-
cation of the principles of freedom, or be
again turned over to the party that re.
belled, encouraged and strengthened re-
bellion, and sought to restrict the area of
freedom and limit the rights of men
born free and equal " whether the gov.
eminent shall still be administered by the
party under which the nation has in less
than two decades recovered from an ex-
hausting war and achieved a marvellous
growth and experienced an inconceivable
prosperity, or be handed over to the party
which has Indignantly opposed on parti-
san political grounds every beneficent
measure which has been wrought into the
domestic system that has produced and
is to-day producing national develop
ment, moral and material, that has no
parallel in history-this is the issue of
the canvass, and it dwarfs to insignificance
all petty personal considerations. The
tariff, the national banking system, the
measures TO create the nations credit and
protect its financial honor, the con-
stitutioual amendments in the in
terest of freedom and national Sc
curity, the resumption act-these and
many other distinctively republican meas
ures encountered in turn the bitterest op.
position the democracy could stimulate
by appeals of the most incendiary char
acter. And yet the country warmly ap.
proves all these measures, aud no admin
istration will undertake to repeal or ma.
terially to modify them. Legislation, by
common consent, will be shaped with a
view to extending and perfecting the ma.
tional policy that has directed the admin
istration of the government since the war
No party can continue this policy, now
in the full tide of successful and progress.
i've development, better than the repub
lican. What folly would it be now to put
the task, at this stage of its completion,
into the hands of an organization that has
always persistently opposed and blindly
hindered the work What are its pro.
LESSONS worth that it will take up the
work and carry it forward more honestly
and more efficiently than the party which
devised these schemes of vital national
consequence, fought their battles, fostered
them and nursed them into a vigorous
and prosperous manhood Since the
last presidential election this party Of
sanity professions brought the coun
try to the verge of great panic by its
truculent course toward the nationa
banks, and business keeps its pickets
posted to give warning of danger from
democratic tariff raids. When the demo
cratic devil shall have exhibited, while il
strong bodily health, a sincere desire tt
be monk, people may begin to believe
in his professions, but the penitentia
proteststions which accompany the sick
ness incident to the approach of thu
presidential season do not conceal hi
lurking cunning. The voters of Vernon
have become better posted during thu
past four years as to the bearing of thu
tariff on the nations prosperity. Thei
convictions on this and all vital matters
of national policy are clear strong an(