The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-10-21

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claim to have discovered. All these
things were as much news to us as to
the persons chiefly concerned. 1t
might be inferred from reading their
accounts, embellished by exuberant
fancy and magnified by converting
trifling incidents into momentous oc-
currences, that the principal object
of the reunion was political; that
the hundreds who were present were
served with politics, hot and cold, for
breakfast, dinner and supper, and that
it furnished food for their dreams; in
short, that the politicians had complete
control of the gathering.
There is, however, very little reason
for the belief that any of the eminent
men who attended the reunion had
any definite political purpose in view.
The Brattleboro Ph@niT says: "Our
information, which is from the inside
and reliable, is to the effect that the
reunion, in its inception, was without
any political motive; but it was designed
purely as social affair to bring old
members together, to renew old &C
quaintance and have a general jollifi-
cation" This view is correct, and the
intent of the gathering was well carried
out. That there was talk upon the po-
litical situation in Vermont and else
where, no one denies; but this was
merely a natural and incidental feature
of the occasion, and not the special and
predominant one. OF the two hundred
or more members of the reunion who
favored the WATCHMAN Office with
call, not more than two made any ref
erence to politics. Several gentlemen
more or less prominent in political
circles, who talked with Senator Ed
munds, assure us that he made no allu-
sion to the senatorial question. We
are unable to learn that there was any
discussion of the subject by Governor
Smith, Governor Proctor, Governor
Stewart, or any other man of promi-
nence, or by any person who had any
authority to speak for them. 1t turns
out that the reported interview of Mr..
Atkins with Mr.. Gibbs of the st. AL
bans Messenger was a fabrication, so
far as relates to the statement that it
had any political purpose or signifi-
canoe. These gentlemen "met by
chance" and conversed on Indifferent
topics.
1t may be true that there was some
informal talk during the reunion in
reference to the next governorship and
lieutenant-governorship; but it is APP
parent that nothing was settled and
nothing was intended to be settled
The insinuations that Lieutenant-gov-
ernor Ormsbee, Speaker Batchelder,
Colonel Fuller, or any other supposed
aspirant for governor or lieutenant
governor, sought to make the occasion
subservient to the advancement of their
personal ends, is manifestly unjust to
them, and are not confirmed by any
thing that actually took place. But
even if any one or all of these gentle
men had taken advantage of the occa-
sion to consult their friends, it is diff
cult to discover anything reprehensible
in the proceeding. On the whole, it
may be doubted if any mans political
fortunes were either made or unmade
by the events of the reunion. The
great mass of people who were pres
ent during the three days did not come
here to fix things" politically, for
anybody.
The citizens of Montpelier, who
aided materially in promoting the sue
cess of the gathering and bore an ac-
tive part in the exercises and social
amenities of the occasion, were not
made aware that the chief object of the
reunion was political until so advised
by the sensational correspondents, and
they are rather skeptical about it now.
Perhaps the most surprising thing is
that the Free Press and Cdledonioa
should hasten to give currency to state
ments that have no foundation save in
the fertile imagination of correspond
ent whom they have treated for some
time past with Indifference and even
disrespect. But the true inwardness
of their present course may not be man.
fest to us. The attempt to make some
thing tangible out of nothing is not
very successful in this instance; an at
tempt to extract moonbeams from GU
cumbers would be hardly more absurd
The only serious phases of the whole
business are to be found in the unde.
served odium cast upon the originators
of the reunion, and the injustice done
to many of the leading citizens of the
, state who took part in it.