The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1894-08-01

vention with prayer when it was held
there last Wednesday, and in his in
vocation besought the Almighty to
"hasten the day when the infamous
democratic party shall be exterminated
and that its like shall never again be
heard of on earth forevermore." This
extraordinary, not to say impious, APP
peal to divine power created great
sensation, not only in the convention
hall, but among Mr.. Viewers minis
terial brethren and the Christian peo-
pie of Des Moines. Although the as
sociated press dispatches state that the
convention cheered the prayer for five
minutes, this reverend gentleman has
been taken to task by the ministerial
association to which he belongs, and
numerically scored by the democratic
and republican press of his own city for
so far forgetting himself and his duty
as Christian minister, and dishonor-
ing and disgracing his profession, by
appealing to power greater than hui
man to exterminate nearly one-half the
freemen of this republic because they
happen to differ from him politically.
We cannot recall even the most blatant
and loud-mouthed orator we have ever
heard, of any political faith, who ever
suggested, even in the heat of political
debate, that the Almighty ought to ex-
terminate HI political enemies, because
they advocated policies or candidates
opposed to his. Rev. DIR. Weaver may
be an ardent republican, but his prayer
at the opening of the Iowa republican
state convention stamps him as cheap
and noisy Jack-in-the-pulpit as well,
and the censure he has received for
imploring divine aid in the extermina-
ton of his political opponents has been
richly deserved.
"WHAT Congress Has Done " is the
title of pamphlet which is now at
tracing some attention among the poll
ticians. The cover is neatly designed
and has conspicuously printed upon it
the title. Within, the gentle reader
finds number of perfectly blank pages
untouched by the printers ink. So far
as the enactment of laws is concerned,
it would be hard to criticise the plan
and scope of this little book; but in an
other sense the present congress has
done much. 1t has convinced the coun-
try that the democratic party has no
desire to keep its pledges, nor ability to
formulate any coherent system of tariff
legislation. 1t has satisfied the public
that the sugar trust casts too many
votes in the United States senate. An
enumeration of all the things that the
present democratic congress has done
to assure the people of it's own ineffi-
cheney and untrustworthiness would re.
quire much larger volume than the
little pamphlet now in circulation.
THE recent strikes and lawless mob
rule in the West make particularly
pertinent the resolutions adopted by
the Iowa republicans in state conven-
ton last week, favoring more rigid laws
to restrict immigration. Equally peril
nent and true is another paragraph of
the resolutions there adopted, which
declares that the present laws regard
ing immigration are not properly and
impartially enforced. Under the pres
ent administration it has been repeat
eddy shown that European mischief
makers, agitators, and mob-leaders of
foreign birth, have found it compare
lively easy to land upon our shores,
Notwithstanding that we already have
laws rigid enough, if theoretically en-
forced, to exclude them. The English
anarchist, Mowbray, is an example in
point, and he is only one of many of
the refuse of Europe who have, within
the past two years, obtained foothold
in America. Anarchists are already all
too numerous in this country, and well
will it be if congress takes the matter in
hand and demands a more thorough
and vigilant enforcement ofimmigration
laws. These meters of violence are
being driven from France and other
European countries; and the Iowa re-
publicans, in adopting resolutions favor
ing the passage of laws of merciless
severity that shall shut the gates against
these enemies of the human race, who,
driven from Europe, will surely seek
refuge in this country, have shown that
they are alive to danger more threat
ening than the cholera.
Cleveland as a Legislator.