The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-02-29
Delegates to Chicago.

The Burlington Free Press suggests
the names of large number of leading
republicans of the state from which to
select delegates to the national con-
vention, and among them we notice
the names of Senator Edmunds and
Congressman Stewart. Why the Free
Press has omitted to include the names
of Senator Morrill, and Congressman
Grout it does not explain. In looking
over the file of the WATCHMAN for
1884 we find that at least two of the
Vermont delegation in congress were
opposed to sending senators and repre-
sentatives to national conventions,
more particularly when congress was
in session, and the republican papers
at the time generally commended this
point as well taken and as establishing a
sound precedent. In the WATCHMAN
of April 0, 1884, we find the following
paragraph in regard to the selection of
delegates, copied from the Brattleboro
Phmnir:
The WATCHMAN suggests that "it will
be quite as well to heed the wish of our
congressman that they be allowed to remain
at their posts in Washington" With this
suggestion we also agree, and it may be
added, as a strong argument in favor of it
at this time, that Senator Edmunds is
strongly opposed, as a matter both of pro-
prety and of principle, to any interference
by senators and representatives in political
conventions or political management of any
sort
1t is to be presumed that the PhGnir
spoke " by authority" Now the Ver-
mont correspondent of the Boston Jour-
nal states that in a recent letter, in re-
spouse to the suggestion that he be
made chairman of the Vermont dele
cation, Senator Morrill, writes:
have always hitherto declined any posi-
ton as a delegate to such a convention for
the reason that have felt that members of
the house and senate ought not to thrust
their opinions upon their constituents about
matters upon which the people of the state
were just as fully qualified to judge as their
senators or representatives here. Besides
all this, there are many eminent republicans
in our state whose judgment and intelli-
gence in relation to the selection of candi-
dates for president and vice-president of the
country would be equal to that of any men,
Der of congress, and the candidates pre-
scented by them would be as assuredly sup
ported by the republicans of the state as
they would be if selected by any other
parties. OF course / should dislike to de-
cline any service that might be put upon
me by the people of my state. AT the same
time I cannot see that it is my duty to &C
eept of the position suggested.
The Journal correspondent adds:
eft is noteworthy fact that among
the delegations from Vermont to the
national conventions since the organ
ization of the republican party there
has never-with single exception
been delegate who at the time of the
convention was a senator or repre-
sentative in congress. The solitary
exception was in 1864, when Senator
Solomon Foot was a delegate to the
convention which renominated Abra-
ham Lincoln"
Since the above was putin type the
Free Press has printed letter from
Senator Edmunds, giving substantially
the same reasons as were attributed to
him in 1884 why he should not be a
delegate to the national convention.