Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-08-17
Attention, Republicans OF Vermont

Attention, Republicans oI NeTnonlI
Ordinarily in elections there is
a sufficient rivalry for nomina-
tions to engender an enthusiasm
which carries the people beyond
election day. But we are now
upon one of the most peculiar
times the country ever expert
enced. The country at the close
of the last federal administration
was enjoying season OF unpar-
allcled prosperity. In progress
and accumulation of material
wealth the country had seldom,
if ever, experienced time equal
to it. 1t is true that in the vast
accumulation of wealth men who
were getting low wages as well
as those receiving very high ones,
began to be disconnected. Not
so much because they were not
prosperous as because Others
were growing wealthy out of
proportion to their returns for
their labor. These evils or
inequalities the Democratic party
promised to remedy if given an
oPP''---.";tv 1t said it would
not stop or impede maIur,,-4.,res
and other progressive influences,
but would strike out all the OPP
pressive features and regulate
labor and capital tremendously
so as to accomplish equality and
justice even in those rushing
times. 1t charged all the ills we
had to Republican incompetency.
1t said r. squarely that it had a
tariff theory which without dis
turbing the country would in
spire all classes with confidence
and loyalty. The country took
stock in it. Gave it an oppor-
tunity; gave it full control of
the executive and legislative de
partments. Congress with a
democratic majority just suffi-
Gent to make it most effective
for democratic purposes has been
at work for many long months
with this theory which they said
was so clear and so evidently
essential to the good of the coun-
try, ana now in trying to work
it out have got into the most
senseless tumble that any party
of men was ever involved in. A
condition of things has come
which was never before known.
Fragments of the party are going
off in almost countless tangents ;
vituperation, issues of verscity,
charges Of want of patriotism
and craftsmanship are hurled by
party leaders at each other, and
the whole mat ter has degenera-
ted into an ignoble squabble.
The chief executive has come to
be simply what is called in Yer
mont a third house" man, and,
laying aside the dignity of his
position, he has entered into a
free fight for his own personal
notions. The question is no
longer whether there shall be
tariff for revenue only, but the
contention is simply how it shall
regulate or change the adjust
ment of what it formerly called g
system of robbery per Sc. The
country has become appalled,
Leading Democrats seeing Their
enterprises unjustly stopped ar,
boldly denouncing the situation
Not a voice in all the land /,
raised in defence or approval O
the present situation. The fl,
the party has got into has crea
ted universal disgust. Number
less men are crowded to tn
verge of starvation and ar
bursting forth with desperation,
which almost amounts to civ;
war. Now one of the mos
singular results of this most ds
plorable condition of the countr
is the supineness of men and TIL
indifference with which they cor
slider the country will take car
of itself, and the indifference wit
which they assume that thecon
ing elections will without an