The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-02-22

Ph0ni1, f. Plumley, Esq, of Northfeld,
Hon. William Chaplin of Middlesex, Hon.
George Nichols of Northfeld, General w.
II. Gilmore of Fairlee, Hon. S. b. Hebard
of Chelsea, Hon w. f. Howard of Fair
Haven and Hon. Crosby Miller of Pomfret.
Governor Ormsbee, Hon. w p. Dillingham;,
u. M. Mansur, Loveland Munson Colonel
G. ii. Joyce and others, who were expected
to be present, were prevented by business
engagements.
In the absence of Hon. w. G.. Dunton,
vice-president for Vermont of the national
league, the convention was called to order
by Guy G. Noble, Esq, the Vermont mem
Der of the executive committee, who adj
dressed the convention at some length, ex-
planning the work of the convention of
republican clubs in New York and the OBJ
ject of the organization. He congratulated
the members on the large representation of
the republican clubs of the state. The value
of organization was emphasized; also the
need of disseminate political information
by the circulation of campaign literature
and the discussion of live political issues in
the local clubs. Many young democrats, he
said, were now coming in and joining the
ranks of the republicans. The clubs are
not intended to take the place of the regu-
lar conventions and caucuses, but, after the
nominations are made, to promote the
election of candidates and to educate the
public mind. The clubs are to teach that
measures are above men. We have had an
illustration of this teaching in the with
drawal of Mr.. Blaine great applause). He
spoke of Mr.. Blaine as a man enshrined in
the affections of his party and of his
declination as magnanimous and patriotic,
and also referred to the manner in which
Mr.. Blaine responded to Mr.. Cleveland's
free-trade message. The President had
thrown down the free-trade gauntlet; we
are here to take it up. The verdict which YER
mont gives on the eve of the presidential
election is looked to by other states to indi-
70 f1,a
in adjoining states have been affected by
the meetings held in Vermont, and there
fore it behooves the Vermont republicans
to make their majority at the September
election as large as possible, for it may fore
cast the success of the republican party in
the national contest in November.
Colonel George w. Hooker of Brattleboro
was made temporary chairman of the con-
vention and was conducted to the platform
by Colonel Albert Clarke of Rutland and
ID. II. Lewis of Vergennes. On taking the
chair, Colonel Hooker expressed his thanks
to the convention for the compliment paid
him. He then spoke substantially as fol-
lows: " glory in the fact that | am a re-
publican l am republican because l be-
lieve in the principles of republcanism as
they have been enunciated in the platforms
of the party from the day when it began its
vigorous infancy, under the leadership of
the great pathfinder General John G. FIRE.
mont, down through the perilous era of the
sixties, when, under the martyred Lincoln,
we won the grandest victory for humanity
in the worlds history, and so on to that last
campaign, when, through the misfortunes Of
personal animosity and allterative oratory,
our flag bent low in the hands of a leader
whose courage has remained unbroken and
whose example is already encouraging
| the party to new eXertion in the fields of
ripening craftsmanship. Because | am a
republican | congratulate you upon re-
turning condition of public thought in which
! the hearts and minds and conSciences of
men shall sway their political action, rather
than their passions and prejudices and per-
! sonal feelings 1t is in such periods that
the republican party rises triumphant. Re-
! publcanism appeals to the head and heart
| We are approaching the close of the third
year of an accidental democratic admins
tration that promised to blossom with re-
form like rose, but which has, IN TACT,
grown spindlingly up like Unison weed in
a sterile garden. The republican party went
out of Office amid cry that the Augean
stables would be swept clean. The sweep
ing hasn't begun yet, but the stables have
| been filled up with confederate brigadiers,
! Pan-electric statesmen, Eugene Higginses
and similar creatures, until the wonder is that
the brooms do not assume animation and
sweep them all out with the rubbish. The
| incapacity of the democratic party has been
shown at every step of its progress since
! President Cleveland's Inauguration, but in
a financial policy that shall meet the ext
gencies of a hundred millions of accumu-
lated surplus in the treasury and secure the
approval of the people. The majority OF
the democratic party stands in the attitude
of threatening to remove customs duties
by which the labor and industries of the
nation have been built up and protected. 1t
has been said that fools rush in where an
gels fear to tread Cleveland must have
evolved his message from his intense igno-
A.. 81, t,p,H Il
that democratic leader, Henry Watterson"
! The speaker had thought that we should all
! observe the second commandment, love
our neighbors as ourselves there would
not be democratic voter left in the nlted
States. The coming election was to settle
for years to come whether the country was
to have free-trade or protection. The mem
bers of the convention should take this
| thought home with them and work so that
the republican majority in Vermont would
he increased from $1,000 to 10000 He then
referred to the Presidents attitude on wool
whereas the republican party had always
maintained that the country should be self
sustaining as regards the production of food
and clothing. That has been the corner
stone of this republic The President would
utterly destroy our home market fer wool
In conversation with the largest butcher in
the country he had learned that if mutton
was banished the price of other meats
would rise. The butcher said every poor
man in New York who wanted meat should
vote the republican ticket, and he had been
a democrat for forty years. You can make
a republican of every democrat in no quicker
way than to touch his pocket. The dimin-
ished cost of meat, owing to mutton, is sui
ticient over and over again to pay the differ
ence in the cost of wooden clothing in this
country and abroad. The tariff is guard
against the inequality of wages paid for labor
in the different countries of the world. The
man who can hire labor the cheapest car
drive his competitor out of the market
Even democrat knows that The
European, because of the degradation and
dependent condition of the laboring classes
can hire labor from twenty-five per cent NJ
more cheaply than can an American. If we
compete with them we must keep up the
tariff or reduce our wages. The free-trader'
think from books instead of American
brains. The republican party is about tC
enter on a new career of prosperity. Il
stands like bulwark against the deluge o
the home market by foreign labor and i'm
portations.
At the conclusion of Colonel Hooker
speech, which was frequently interrupted
by applause, the temporary organization
was completed by the election of W. w
Stickney of Ludlow as secretary ana M j
Harrington of Orwell as assistant secretary
adj