The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1886-06-10
stand by your Guns!

The old adage that "etcrnal vigilance
is the price of liberty" was never truer
than now, in political sense, when 4
concerted effort is manifestly put forth
to throw the people off their guard, and
so gain by cunning what cannot be a.
chicvcd in an open fight. Ever since
Gov. Smith returned from his nabOb
expedition to Mexico and parts adjacent
thereto q very pcrceptable change has
been creeping over the ring organs
and tactics. The frey Gibbs and the
loud-mouthed, laundering Atkins and
the canting Dixon have been taken in
hand and besmearcd all over with a
kind of lubricating oil which their mas
ter knows so well how to use, and for
which he has Vermont patent. Con-
.equentlythesc faithful satellites revolve,
each in his prescribed orbit, with much
less friction and wheeling than before,
though still obedient to the great head
centre that controls them. 1t did not
take Gov. Smith very long after his re-
turn to discover that the object of his
longing ambition could never be gain
ed by a direct, open fight before the
people; besides, this is not his favorite
method of warfare. If the choice were
freely offered him of going up in a
straight line and taking what he wants,
or Selling it on the sly by indirection
and strataeem, he would certainly choose
the latter. 1t is his nature, SUPPLEMENT-
ed by forty years of sharp practice, to
do this. He always fights behind breast
works and excels in ambush. He there
fore promptly gave orders to his organ
ic forces to lay aside the shrill fife and
loud sounding drum and the Chinese
gong, upon which Atkins especially
was becoming a delighted expert, and
assume a gricved and mourning attitude
and tone over the alleged sins and short
comings of Senator Edmunds. And
how they have grieved and groaned in
unison the whole State know. Atkins
in particular has bcwailed the senator's
treachery to the great and good repub-
lican party, and wept oceans of bitter
tears over his base ingratitudc and apos-
tacy, insomuch that public sympathy
has gone out to him in his afiliction.
His solicitudc for the welfare of the re-
publican party is truly touching, though
his manner of showing it is trifc the
atrical.
AS we have said, change of base has
taken place, not only in their methods
of dealing with the ''traitor" Edmunds,
but in relation to the Railroad Commits
sion. Upon the latter point the two
Montpelier organs spoke simultaneous
ly last week, doubtless upon Il hint from
the great boss. The Waterman coyly
admitted that it might be wise for Con-
gress to create an Interstate Commits
sion, while Hiram, of the Argus,
plainly advocated, the setting up of q
State Commission in Vermont! Whew.
"Thc world do move," as the learned
colored Doctor of Divinity remarked,
and Hiram goes with it! A blind man
can easily read between the lines Just
what all this means. 1t means that
Gov. Smith, despairing of being able to
dam up and turn back the flow of public
opinion i'll favor of these great measur-
cs, has determined to jump in and float
with the popular current and try to con-
troll it. 1t means, instead of trying fur
Their to kill the Commission, which can
not be done, that an attempt is to be
made to get Governor that will APP
point, and Senate that will confirm,
Just such commissions as Gov. Smith
may select, and no other. This is just
what it means. 1t means that now we
have Smiths plausible and willy and
underground methods to contend with
instead of the brutal bludgeon of Gibbs,
the hypocritical cant of Dixon, and the
clownish bluster of Atkins. The for
mer are much the most dangerous, and
can only be met and fooled by constant
activity and vigilance.
And so we say again: "Stand by
your Guns!" Do not be deceived by
this seeming yielding to the peoples
will; for it is only deception and a
snare. II is an attempt to snatch sub
stantial victory out of apparent defeat !;
and it will end in that if the people suf-
fer themselves TO be lulledin security