Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-04-29
The Unterrifed Democracy.
The Anti-Atkins Faction in the Ascen-
dency Saturday Evening,
when the Delegates to the Great SHOW
at Montpelier Were Chosen.

night in the popular Vermont comedy,
"Atkins or Anti-Atkins." The play was
not all that it had been advertised, being
lacking somewhat in the expected sensa-
tional and spectacular effects. II was,
however 'realistic,' but on the whole in
ierior to cold Jed Prouty.' The stars at
times rose to full conception of their
roles and displayed a spirit that was re-
freshing. The applause was spontaneous
and hearty, but there were no encores. and
no flowers.
\. T. Ryan, chairman of the town com
mittee, called the meeting TO order at
O'Clock and proceedings began. Rows of
Republicans i'm the front seats in the gal
lery formed the outside fringe of the pict-
ure. Mr.. Ryan had not finished speaking
when Frank Pratt, a representative Atkins
man, and DR.. COnland, a representative
Anti had arisen. The former had the
lead. and moved that in accordance with
the custom OF the Democracy of Brattle-
hOro the chairman of the town committee
be the chairman of the meeting, and there
fore presented the name of Mr.. Ryan,
while DR.. Conand nominated q. A. Mar
| shall. IT looked like a fight from the word
| 90: there were cries of ballot, ballot
and the innocent-looking box which repre-
sents the sovereignty of the people was
| brought forth and the contestants made
! wild rush for the front. A hubbub ensued,
| during which the sonorous tones of Charles
| Endlich were heard, trying to restore order.
! The confusion was soon righted and mo-
! ton was made and carried that the voting
be by check list Frank Pratt, Martin
! Austin, jr, John Calvin and Fred Weld
were appointed checking clerks. 1t was
decided that any man who would be vot-
er at the coming elections and who was
| Democrat, should be entitled to vote. At
| 9:10 the polls were closed, and a few mo-
ments later the result was announced, as
! follows: Total number of votes cast, 269;
| y. r. RYAN had 81: O. A. Marshall had
| 213. Mr.. Marshall was warmly applauded
as he stepped upon the stage to assume the
duties of presiding officer. He thanked
the voters for the honor and said he hoped
they would act clearly, quietly and impas-
sionately. and that he would try to preside
honorably and impartially. NJ. j. Moran
was elected secretary, and was likewise the
recipient Of applause as he came forward.
When the motion to elect a town COM
mttee was taken up w H. Childs moved
that it be laid on the table. \. T. Ryan
] objected and asked for an explanation.
Mr.. Childs said that it was the more inn
portant work To choose the delegates, and
on the question being put to vote Mr..
| Childs was strongly supported. Mr. Ryan
then moved that the delegates to the state
convention be chosen one by one from the
floor of the house; what he wanted to see
sent To Montpelier was simply delegation
| of representative Democrats. In opposition
to this the slate that had been prepared by
| the Ants was put forward under the guild
ing hand of +. }. Holman. Mr. Ryan then
moved that the delegates named by Mr..
| Holman be voted on viva yoce, stating that
| he made this motion as the one which he
had first made had not been put before the
meeting.
Then the Fervid Orator-Mr G. b. Kir-
wan-made harangue No. l. He stated that
what was wanted was not fractional fight
ing. but party harmony (which was an
swered by cries Of 'Sit down them" The
men and brethren were admonished to
leave Atkins and other newspaper men out
of the question entirely. What was want
ed was to have AL things Democratic.
! tThe things referred TO were not named
specitcalyo The other wing should
be given fair play. and therefore Mr..
! Ryan's motion should be put before the
house. "The Democratic party in Yer
mont is small enough, God knows, and
has been growing smaller the past Ii
years were the closing words of the Fer
vid Orator
Mr. Marshall said he had no idea of IL
noring or everything Mr.. Ryan's motion,
but had accepted the state nominations as
being "germane to the subject He
would put Mr.. Ryan's mOtiUa. Mr.. Ryan
objected to being referred to as the 'other
wing" He would have delegates 20 to
Montpelier to act independently, with no
mans collar on their necks Dr. COnland
thought il lust as well that the real issue
should be put before the meeting, which
was the election of delegates who were in
favor of a change in the party management
in the state The wishes of the "men here
tonight might as well be carried out.
Mr. Ryan said he had no fault to find
that his friends had voted against him, and
he respected them for it, but what he asked
was to have his own opinions respected
He then ''waded in to the editor of the
local Democratic sheet, and asked him to
explain some things which Mr.. Ryan con-
sidered TO be derogtory to the town COM
mittee and the straightout Democrats
One of these charges was that the town
committee had aided the work of two At
kins emissaries in trying to carry the town
for him. The person in question said in
answer that the meaning as Mr.. Ryan con-
strued ii was foreign to the writer's mind
and palavered about the matter character
stically. He then went on to give some
figures, the purport of which was that the
towns which had been carried by Atkins
in the present fight showed loss of Dem
ocratic votes under the Atkins regime,
while the towns of the Ants had gained
He also talked about fraud in the last
state convention on the part of the boss
and his friends and wound up with the
declaration that the reign of Atkins had
cost the party 5000 votes. The question
on the election of the state delegates was
then presented and carried.
On motion of John O'Connor a vote was
passed instructing the delegates to work
and vote for Judge Seneca Haselton of
Burlington for chairman of the state COM
mittee
When the matter of choosing the town
committee was taken up 1t was voted on
motion of Mr.. Endlch that the committee
consist of seven members instead of five
on account of the extra work of presiden-
tial year.
The Fervid Orator then harangued for
the second time. Mr.. Ryan withdrew his
name and referred to the rest of the COM
mittee to bear him out in the statement
that no fractional differences had ever en-
tered into their work, but that they had
always considered what the majority
wished. This drew the Fervid Orator to
his feet, and he eulOgized Mr.. Ryan and
pleaded that he would not withdraw. The
motion for the election of the old commit
tee with two new members was then put
and carried, but Mr. Calvin declined f.
j. Holman and Nj. j. Moran were chosen