The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1884-07-11

A Rutland correspondent In the Springfield
Republican diseourses thusly'on State politics
"Thcrc Is an intense and growing feeling OF IN
dignatlon among Democrats all over the state
by reason Of the attitude of Hiram Atkins,
chairman of the Democratic State committee,
who states In the last issue OF his paper the
Montpelier Argus, that the state committee
will make no effort to bring out the Democratic
votcof Vermont for the September election. be-
cause said committee deems the hepuDhcan
majority, moro or less, OF no more c9nse-
quencc than the size OF the majoritics N Ken.
lucky or Missouri. The position OF inc self
constituted chairman of the state committcc, Is
not supposed to reflect the sentiments OF the
other members of the committee. while IL Is an
aflr0nt to the honor and ardOr OF every anti
machine Democrat In Vermont. Inc masses
Of the party declare of what avail Is the ex-
pense in money and time OF holding q Demo-
cratic convention, IL the size of the hepuoncan
majority be OF no significance to the party. OF
country why not, they inquire, as Important
in this canvass against the unworthy Blame, Us
against Grant, Hayes, or Garfield; when so
many thousands OF Republicans imp!eacn the
character of Blaine why should the ballot show
no condemnation by the Democrats of Yer
mont? The answer Is simply that Blaincs ana
Atkins political methods are identical; poitics
and patriotism are hostile terms in the machine
directory. Redington, the popular, aDT
champion of the people, against railroad anu
ring domination, the gallant young lcaaer q
the ~anti-monopoly forces Of Vermont, the
crusader against the Smith 0ligarchy, must In
cur tho cold shoulder of Atkins and his CO.
ringsters. else his very popularity as SHOWN by
September's ballot may dethrone the long-wed-
ded relations Of the Republican ana Demo-
cratic machines, expose the delormitles Of this
unhOly alliance, and annihilate the supply. OF
pap from the Central Vermont railroad ring,
which has so long filled the st0machs ana
pockets of those who have persistently run the
Democratic machine in Vermont against
which many Of the best men in the party have
often protested) with a firm and more destruc-
tive grip than the closest and meanest corpora
ton that ever existed within the Green Noun
tain borders. +
We have alluded to the Atkins management
as self-constituted, and for illustration would
say that he and his co-laborers are always the
arbiters of their own destiny, unblushingly act
ing as committee on credentials against the
practice of the party in every other state IN the
union, where the delegates choose committees
upon credentials; hence the self-appointment
and self-perpetuatiOn of Atkins and the ma
chine becomes the fiat of the managers and not
the will Of duly accredited delegates In con.
vention assembled. sg The shameful history OF
Democratic management in Vermont, O history
brimful of evidence that the managers only de-
sire to decrease rather than swell the vote OF the
minority party, is known to every Intelligent
voter in either party, and will, ere many years
go by, be rebuked by q long-suffering and In
dignant constituency. But for Democratic
utilization with Boss Smith Vermont would
have overturned bossism long ago. Free passes
have controlled the utterance and actions OF not
only cheap Republicans, but self-constItated
leaders in the Democratic ranks as well. Atkins
g. Co reelected Judge Royce at the last session
of the Legislature by a bare majority, over
Judge Redtield, a Democrat. Atkins & Co,
meaning Hiram Atkins and B B Smalley 1.-THE
latter holds a lucrative federal appointment, be-
sides he is a member of the Democratic national
committee), have bossed Boss Smiths bossism
into obscurity through the conspicuousness OF
their a~lacrity to serve the purposes of railroad
domination. But the end will come in time,
and bossism, greater or lesser, in Vermont be
successfully s%trangled. Redington will stump
the state and will arouse enthusiasm among all
shades Of political opinion hostile to rings,
monopoly and characterless domination. The
people will throw off the despotic yokes OF
both the Republican and Democratic machines,
it is hoped, and breathe the air OF freemen in a
state heroically consecrated to freedom through
the valor and sacrifices of the fathers.