The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1886-05-20
THE VERMONT CANVASS.
The Plan of Campaign Against Senate
Edmunds and Its Chance of Success.

The Plan of Campaign Against Senator
Edmunds and Its Chance of Success.
If the anti dmunds crusade is not to
end in smoke the first open fight in the
Republican campaign against the Sem
ator will have to be made at the State
convention. 1t will be a fight for posi-
ton by the Senator's enemies, and will
occur in this way: Chairman Gibbs
was appointed the member of the State
Committee for C~hittenden County two
years ago when he resided in Burling-
ton, and was elected chairman of the
committee upon the refusal of Hon.
George Nichols, of Mortified, to serve
longer in that place. But Mr.. Gibbs is
now a resident of Franklin County,
and is the grinder-in-chief of Governor
Smiths own h%and-organ, the st. Adams
Messenger. 1t is therefore an apparent
matter of course that he can not again
represent Chittenden County on the
committee. But he can represent
Franklin, if the delegates from that
county to the convention select him as
committeeman. Will theyP
Franklin is Governor Smiths own
county, and there, if anywhere, his
influence ought to be potent. If his
influence is such, its first manifestation
in the campaign will naturally be to
secure the election to the convention
of delegates who will unite in naming
Mr.. Gibbs as the member of the new
committee for Franklin County. This
ought not to be a hard job for Gov
ernor Smith and his friends to accem
plish, and if they succeed in the under
taking the next step in the programme
will be to get Gibbs reelected chair
man of the committee. That will prove
a more difficult job, as it is highly inn
probable that Smiths friends will be
in the majority in the committee, and
even if they should be some of them
would undoubtedly hesitate to show
their hands at so early a stage in the
struggle. OF course Smiths adher-
rents will argue that the choice of a
chairman of the State committee
should have and can have no relation
to the matter Of the Senatorial success
ion. '.Gibbs has been chairman only
two years." they will say. 'sWhy moi
r~e-elect him? There was General w.
w Granedy, of Vergennes, for in.
stance. He held the craftsmanship for
TWENTY-FIVE years, and his successor,
Dr.. George Nichols, of Northtield,
served until he got sick of it. Why,
then, should we not re-elect Gibbs, as
has been the custom? Because he
doesn't like E lmunds? Pooh! That
no reason. Lots of people don't liks
Edmunds."
If, then, Gibbs succeeds in getting
On the committee, a desperate effor
will be made to make him it's chair
man, on the ground that he ought te
have it, and that, as between Edmund.
and Smith in the Senatorial contest
the election would have no significance
whatever. But should the effort prove
successful. the E1munds haters would
imme lately and joyfully proclaim
Gibbs election a Smith triumph, anC
would proceed to make the most o
their victory. In the event of Smiths
strikers seeing that it will be impossi
BILE to re-elect Gibbs, they have al
easy way to let themselves down
Gibbs will be put in nomination to tn
committee merely for the purpose o
giving him anopportunity to Withdraw
his name in a pretty little speech ex
! planning that, while he is grateful TO
past honors, his onerous editorial du
ties will not permit him longer to re
tain the craftsmanship. And then tn
Smith whipcrackers will still have
chance to assert that the election Q
chairman was without significance