New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-06-18
tho Trigon0cephalus contortrx, genus agklstrodoo n
now running the New York Custom House.
EDMUNDS AND VERMONT
TRUE INwARDNEsS OF THE STATE CON.
VENTION
EDMUsDs COULD BIZ BEATEN, But PROBABLY wOS'T
BE-"wOULD SPANK HIM. BUT WOULDN'T
SEND HIM TO BED WITHOUT

~
curious study to one who has been accustomed to
much smaller conventions in much more pOpulous
States | noticed a wide difference in the repre-
sentative character between this large convention
in small state and the gatherings have attended
in New. York, Pennsy lvania. Ohio and other State
The Vermont convention certainly reaches much
nearer to the people Large numbers OF delegates
were brawny-handed. hard-fsted farmers and
toiers There was less talk about politics and
more about crops and business outlook and general
prosperity. The delegates came together much "A
in the old days citizens gathered together at the
militia muster. The plea has been set up for large
conventions that they could not be manipulated or
stampeded. My Observation is against this plea.
The strong man in any locality will dominate
twenty weaker men OF his section just easily as
fve The operation of the human mind does not
vary in either number. A large convention, too
may be stampedcd just as well as a smaller one.
with this added danger, that IT wOnd be easier to
move around in the sInall-slzed body and stop an
attempted stampede. The one advantage Of the
large body over a small is that when the work
is finally accomplished men go home
with feeling of responsibility for the work done.
Thus every delegate becomes an active worker
for the of the ticket, aud the difference be-
tween 700 unselfish workers and 800 would be per-
ceptbe IN any State.
down upon the faces of the six-hund d-odd dele
gates who had assembled for the nomination of
Republican State ticket, striking feature of its
character forced upon my attention. The faces
INTO which l looked were remarkable for tho
broad high expansive white foreheads that were
the rule among the men. lJw-browed or red
faced man was the rare exception Ii could be
readily perceived that the Green Mountain men
were given to thought and reflection, that they
men of high moral perception and deep int i gence.
Such men are not apt TO be swayed by mere pas
sion. They can only be moved by an appeal to
their lntelligence-to their reasoning faculties. Ii
was not until had looked these men in the faces
that / fully appreciated the attitude of tho
Republicans Of Vermont toward Senator Edmunds
Vermont Republicans are independent in the high
est sense of independence. The character of their
Repubicanism is radical. Upon great Iestons Of
morality they have the bIgotry born of intensity
of intelligence. They have horror of being bound
by any CHAINS, except of conscience and of reason
Demanding for themselves this freedom, they
inclined to leave Senator Edmunds 10 a similar
freedom of action and to condone his lack Of
warmth for the Republican party in 1884 as some-
thing for which he must answer alone to his own
conscience and his own intelligence.
In varied intercourse with the Republicans
who gathered at the convention. | found the
| preston of dsapproval Of Senator Etmunds in
1854 so general to amount 10 unanimlty. Ii did
not however reach to the extreme condemnation
| of the Senator himself. remark made to me by
delegate from of the back towns tittingly Illus
trated the common feeling. SAID he: feel Just
like spanking Senator Edmunds as would a boy,
but | would not send him 10 bed without his sup
per-" United States Marshal Henry, who is the
and the Senator re lance IN politics, put tue same
| thing to me IN another way. saying: Iae boys
were pretty hot against the Senator TWO years ago,
hpf they have around to the position OF an Old
! German friend of NINE. lie was SAID to be very
| bitter against Senator Edmunds, aud went to seq
| him about il. When | asked him about the Senator
| he replied / os pretty mad with the Senator
| but vos got my mad already. But | would
! like to see him frightened pretty much. 1t would
review of the work of the State Convention
and of the situation before and since Its dehbera-
tons will throw lght upon affairs here. There Is
an unwrltten law which has been followed grudg-
lngy SO long as to have become fixed as the laws OF
| the Modes aud the Persian, that tie Lleutenant-
| Governor shall be promoted to be Governor 1t
Will be broken two years hence as the new candl-
date for Lieutenant-G )yernnr was nomIn lted on
his disclaimer of any designs on the GOyernorshIp.
| Under this rule ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Orm>bee had
a long lead. HIS chef antagonist was Ex-speaker
| Batcneder. Both men until within month or SIX
weeks had been considered In q measure antago,
nlsuc 10 Sena or Edmunds. Then both declared
themselves for his return 10 the Senate. Mr. Oims-
bee two years before had advOcat ed at Mont pelier
the passage of resolutions censurIng Senator Ed
munds for his course 1854 and demanding his
resignation These resolutions, although at the time
warmly supported by III large numbers of Repub-
| leans were not presented, because 1t was argued
they would make a martyr of Mr.. Edmunds. In
the field of candidates was Judge Like L. Poland,
! the old Congressman. and General Wells, formerly
| Collector at Burlington. hese two men repre-
sented the two extreme sentiments ior ana against
| Mr. Edmunds General Wells being his ardent sup
| porter and Judge Poland bitterly opposed 10 him.
! Mr. hdmundss friends despalrng OF making Mr.
! Wells the candidate for Governor gave their sup
port 10 Governor Ormsbee and in his nomination
they secured their only advantage before the con-
yentlon.
| On the night before the delegates met
it was evident that the principal and only
contest one OF action with reference to MI
! tdmunds himself HIs friends were demanding
! the passage of resolutions lnd0Isng him Tor re-
election, and his enemies as strcnously asserting
that no such resolutions shonld be passed. Marshal
| Henry and Editor benedict oi Tie burlington fFt6
| Press who IN charge OF Mr. Edmnndss affairs,
| both told As late ~ mianlgh that the resolu-
! tions would be offered and passed | found equally
| strong men who asserted that they would. Oh tho
floor of the convention, openly oppose any such
resolr TONS aud move to amend them 10y Inserting
censuIe instead of approval.
In this condition the convention came together on
! Wednesday The old State Committee which had
the selection of the presiding officer antl-Ed-
| munds. they chose Tor President of their own
number. Ihs put IN their hands the appointments
of the Committee OIL Resolutions. and Mr. Id
muuds's friends were forced To face the fact that
the passage of the resolutions III his interest must
be- over the heads of the committee and III the iace
OF a fight which would disclose the strength ot
the opposition and so be Injurious to their leader.
If they succeeded In their object From that
moment they dropped all idea Of lndorsing the
Senator, and his name was not mentioned In tho
convention, III remote or indirect way.
The opposition knew that Mr. Edmnnds's friends
were IN numerical strength III the convention, by
how largo majority they could not tell, but with
the advantage they had gained IN frightening the
Edmunds people from the held. they ielt that they
had accomplished stroke which was sufficient for
their pul pose.
Two significant resolutions, however, were pre-
sented aud referred TO the committee, which w,fe
prepared by the opposition which ame back 10 tho
| con yeution as d part OF the platform anG w'ls
adopted. They were both Intended as Indirect sap'
| at Senator Eamunds. The irst extends tho
| sympathy of the Republicans of Vermont to Glad
stone and Parne III their efforts TO alneiorate tho
! condition of the people IN Ireland The fact that
| Mr. Edmunds Is Ill special dIsiavor with Irish
Americans gives this resolution point against him.
self The other resolution urges the Senators aud