Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1890-08-04
Dissatisfied With Their Party.

ton UNANIMOUSLY fepuDllcan- ne
House has a republican majority usu-
ally of two hundred. The rank and |
file of the democratic party outside of
a few localities is composed of honor
able men. For the greater part the |
democrats of the farms, of the smaller
villages, and some others are prom-
nent temperance men. Some of them |
are so radical on this issue that they |
have broken away from the old party,
and have joined the prohibitiOnists
and republicans. Their wants are
exactly identical with those Of the
republicans, and on all moral, temper
ance, reform and economic issues
they naturally vote with republicans
In town and municipal affai4@z-the
members of the two parties work har-
moniously together, the question of
politics rarely entering into the
thought or the vote on matters of home
interest. Parties are not infrequently
controlled by political ring masters.
We think this is especially true of the
democratic party, as party, in Yer
mont. Until within few years the
voice of the Boss at Montpelier has
been supreme authority in regard to
candidates, platforms, actions in the
legislature and in all the public infiu-
ences and work of the party. Dur
ing the Cleveland administration the
full dispensation of patronage, the
distribution of offices, was in the hands
of not exceeding three or four men.
One man was chief ring master. There
has been some complaint and an occa-
sional murmur at this which could be
heard, but not until within few
years has there been any open and
organized opposition to this rule. The
party has been completely fettered
by that one mans ring. The respect
able elements had nothing to do but
submit quietly to his arbitrary will.
Unfortunately, it seems to us, his
principles, as promulgated in his pa
per, and as they have been voiced in
his political platforms have been det-
rimental to the interests of his state
to the best interests of his party.
| ~ +bo ;,,oYortoD+ limo Of ,OrotactiOn
to home Industries he has been op-
posed to those tariff measures which
have always benefited the farmer and
the manufacturer of his state. He
would open our frontiers and our
country to the free entry Of those
products which Vermont is raising,
must raise if she produces anything;
he would import, free of duty, that
raw material in the line Of marble,
slate, etc., which is now being quar-
ried in so many of our counties and
towns. His tariff theory is non pro-
lection throughout. 1t would so flood
the country with products and manu-
factures from foreign countries that
whatever can be produced the world
over by the cheapest pauper should
come into this country free, regardless
of the fact that such importations
must cause our manufacturing, our
uuarrying, our farming to decline,
bringing down the price of labor, as
it brings down the price of goods, ,and
farm products.
On the line of temperance the boss
democratic ring speaks out frankly
for high license. At the late demo-
cratic convention in this state the
party declared in it's platform
"We oppose the present prohibitory
law of the state and declare ourselves
in favor of a stringent local option law
in its stead"
During the legislative sessions of
at least six or eight years, this party
has labored for, land with some honor
able exceptions voted for, this same
high license measure. Hence it is
we'll understood that the managers Of
the democratic political machine in
this state favor, when it comes right
down to straight business, regular
license law, which shall make liquor
selling lawful, and shall plant on the
street corner, in the quiet rural village,
beside the church, beside the school
-anywhere-the licensed saloon
to lead away the young to ruin and
to hasten the unfortunate end Of the
aged tippler. What a curse to Yer
mont such a state of things wonld be
, We leave it to honest democrats to
say whether this state of things would
not exist if Hiram Atkins, John Cur
rier, BIB. Smalley, Geo. Aiken and
other men of their influence and poll
tics held sway in this state. In oul
: own county there was enough OF
f democratic ring politics in the late
| convention to say in their resolutions
: "We hereby adopt the resolutions
= passed by the late democratic state
&. convention and affirm our devotion
to the same"
Now we are frank to say that We
know that some members of that con
, vention in heart were opposed t
affirming "their devotion to tn
principles set forth in some of tn
resolutions adopted at the state con
vention. But the voice of these no
BILE and better men is denounced, ant
their influence is swallowed up by tn
party dictators. How long will thes
e men smother their better conviction
!, for the sake of continuing in part
Il II