St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1886-06-17
RESULT OF THE CONVENTION. .

| The result or the republican SGdUo
convention held at Montpelier yester-
day is both gratifying and disappoint-
ing to Caledonia county and st. Johns
bury in particular. Gratifying in that
this county had so good man to pre-
sent for the lieutenant gOvernOrship
as Col. Franklin Fairbanks, and dis
appointing in that he was not nOmi-
mated. Before and even after the con-
ventiOn organized it was conceded by
many that Col. Fairbanks stood the
first chance of being nominated, and
had the ballot been taken in the fore
noon, without presentation speeches
for any one, he would have been nom
mated on the first ballot by good
plurality.
With such lead, people in this part
of the state, at least, will enquire what
defeated him. 1t was a combination
of schemes and circumstances. The
president of the convention did not
push the business of the convention.
Matters were logged into the morning
session that had no right there until
the business for which the delegates
met had been disposed Of Thus the
time was consumed and it was one
o'clock before the ballot for governor
was declared. Had a vote then been
taken, Mr.. Fairbanks would have been
nominated but the convention then
adjourned for dinner.
During the recess the opposition to
Col Fairbanks put in its best work.
Some delegates from other parts of the
state, favorable to Col. Fairbanks, who
had secured what they wanted in the
nomination of Mr.. Ormsbee, did not
return to the hall. The Stephen Pin
grees, John Stearnses, Lyman Hinck
legs, Fred Woodbridges, and other
distinctively politicians who have been
wire-pullers in the state for years,
fought Mr.. Fairbanks tooth and nail.
There is no denying the fact that
Col. Fairbanks name, as presented by
Mr.. Bates, was not well received by
the convention. Whatever the causes
that led to this result there was no ex-
cuse for the tactics pursued by the
friends of Mr.. Fuller. They adopted
methods hitherto unheard of in state
conventions. Instead of presenting
their candidate and letting his case
rest on its merits, they devoted most
of their time to ridiculing CaledOnia's
candidate, descending in many in
stances to language that did not fall
short of personal abuse. While it
served to raise a laugh among a GER
tain few for the moment, we much mis-
take the quality of the average YER
monter's sense of justice and fair play
if it does not react in favor of the man
abused.
But one of the sharpest shots fired
was when Colonel Hooker, in pre-
senting the name of Col. Fuller, bold
ly and plainly declared that if his can
didate was made lieut-governor that
would be the end of him-that under
didate for governor two years hence.
This announcement took like wildfire.
Here was an opportunity to break up
pernicious practice, that of elevating
the lieutenant-governOr to the govern
Or's place as a matter of course, and
the convention caught on at once. 1t
is plain from the temper of this con-
vention that the succession to the gov
ernOr's chair is broken.
Never before in the history of state
conventions has Caledonia county had
every towns quota of delegates full
and every vote but one cast for her
candidate. Mr.. Fairbanks may well
feel gratified at his local support.
Messrs. Ormsbee and Fuller are both
men of good character whom the vot-
ers of the state will heartily endorse.