St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-11-12
SOME VERMONT MATTERS
As Given In the Boston Record.

Some one who signs himself ga Yer
mont Republican" follows up the let
tiers written from Vermont by w. E..
Barrett with the following spicy and
spirited article. 1t contains matters
which are to agitate this state sooner
or later, and it becomes every voter to
inform himself so that he may know
how to act when he comes to the bal
lot box. In fact it is important to act
before one comes to the ballot box, as
most of the offices are "fiXed" ut the
caucuses and before. But to the letter
At length the Record has fairly
smoked out the sly old fox of the Yer
mont Waterman so that in his last is
sue he practically cOnfesses the soft
impeachment brought against him, not
only by you but by a vast mOjOrity of
the independent republicans of Yer
mont, who have kept a watchful eye
on the tactics and cOntOrtiOns of the
ring during the past year. No such
republican any longer doubts that the
old Independent Waterman was sup
pressed and its "Organic" successor,
that pipes as its master wills, was put
in its place, not primarily for the good
and glory of the republican party but
to serve the personal ambition and
ends of the head of the ring.
There is no longer any question in
the minds of intelligent observers that
a carefully matured plan has been
formed and is now in quiet but active
process of development to GUST Mr..
Edmunds from his place in the United
States senate at the end of his present
term and put Governor Smith in; and
in the formation and execution of this
plan the Smith political and railroad
ring republicans and the Atkins and
Smalley stripe of democrats are in full
and hearty accord. AS an incident,
and an important part of this plan, ev
idence multiplies of systematic tam
pering with the newspaper press of the
state, with view to subsidiZe the
and, in cases not amen
able to vernal influences, like the
Waterman, to buy up bodily, even at
such eXtravagant price as to exclude
the theory of mere business cOnsidera-
lions. Too stubborn and too sturdy
to be crushed, as was for time threat
ened, this out spoken and able expo
nent of the best thought and aspira-
lions of the republican party has been
by purchase. Weeks ago Hi
ram Atkins, in intensely active as well
as intensely indiscreet member of the
"ring" copartnership, gleefully boast
ed of a large number of republicans
and quasi republican papers in the
State that had been "tiXed"-even Civ
ing their names in detail-sO that, at
the proper time and on a given signal
from the chief, they would with one
accord make fierce war on Edmunds
and "crush him out" with Smith. Any
man who still disbelieves in this fixed
purpose, now nOuIished mainly in Sc
cret, to beat Edmunds, and that it will
in due time become open and fierce
unless cOwed down by great
popular uprising in his behalf, is blind
to the plainest signs of the times. But
such uprising will doubtless come, and
it is just such work as you are doing
giving wide publicity to facts and
plans that for the present seek con
cealment- that will produce it.
Smiths only chance has been, and is,
that matters would be suffered to drift
four tifths of whom have honest faith
and intense pride in Edmunds, be lull-
ed into security, thus affOrding the
coveted opportunity for Smiths train
ed "ring" cohorts, paid attorneys and
free pass beneficiaries, whose name is
egiOn, to get i'll their accustomed work
N packing and manipulating caucuses.
And now a word further about the |
Waterman. The new editor mOdestl
says: "The leading republicans, and |
believe the masses of the republican
party, were much dissatisfied with the |
unstable course of the !
W atchman under it's former manage
nent." On the contrary, a vast maj Or- |
ty of the republicans greatly admired !
md applauded the independent and |
manly course of the WatclIman "under /
Is former management" and its "sta |
Iility" in adhering firmly to the right |
was especially commended. The new
,ditOr evidently, and perhaps not un-
from his standpoint, mis-
axes "the ring" with its adrOit head /
md its Hessian cohorts, for the entire
epublican party. The old Waterman
TODD up sturdily for honest rule by
he whole people emancipated from
bounced and detected. It's motto was:
Better men and cleaner politics.; in
pursuance of which it earnestly snip
'orted Billings for governor aud Ed
luuds for senator, and otherwise vOic-
d the best instincts and purposes of
he republican party. 1t did, and thor