The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-10-21
Waxing Hot,

Vermonters have performed their
initial part in the pending campaign,
and are interested spectators of the
contests on the great battle. ground of
the canvass, waiting for the signal for
the general assault that shall decide
whether constitutional authority shall
prevail in this land, or whether the
forces of anarchy shall be pre-eminent;
whether debts shall be paid in hundred
cent dollars, or whether fifty per cent
reputation shall be legalzed
Vermonters are intensely interested
spectators Of the great fight that is
going on in the disputed states of the
middle West. In Illinois mighty eff
fort is being made to consign Altgeld
to IA political grave from which there
shall be no resurrection. 1t is said
that the last man of the procession of
10000 sounc-money men had not
passed the reviewing stand, at the great
demonstration in Chicago recently,
before the word went forth that Altgeld
must be saved. Whispered at fret, it
is now shout OF warning and despera-
ton. All the oratorical champions of
anarchy and reputation arc to be
brought into the state to save the arch
conspirator against the national honor
and authority. Aligeld is fighting des-
perately 10 prevent the sound money
candidate for governor, and the Palmer
and Buckner electors, from having a
place on the official ballot. The fight
on this question will be decided at
Springfield. If Altgeld succeeds, the
sound money democrats declare that
they will vote for the republican candi-
date for governor and for Mckinley for
president. The belief is that Altgeld
will be overwhelmingly defeated, in
any event, and that Illinois is safe for
Mckinley by 100000 plurality. No
more desperate fight will be waged
anywhere for the next two weeks than
in the Sucker State.
The tour of the Union Gen erals
through the contested region is stlik-
ing feature of the campaign through
the West. The generals are Howard,
Sickles, Stewart of Pennsylvania, Mar
den of Massachusetts, and Alger of
Michigan. With them are Captain
Tanner, the republican candidate for
governor of Illinois, and Corporal Tan
ner of national fame. They have been
in II inois and the western states, and
are now headed for Indiana, X ucky,
Ohio and Michigan, and will bring up
in West Virginia in the closing hours
of the battle. They travel in special
train. They have delivered three hun
dred speeches 10 an aggregate of
1000, 900 people.
This feature of the campaign was
made necessary by the tactics of Bryan,
who had delivered the most incendiary
speeches to the old soldiers. In Iowa,
'Coin" Harvey opened upon the Gen
erals. He denounced them as "old
wrecks of the rebellion, who have lost
al their honor and patriotism, the tools
of political hylocks." General Marden
got an opportunity to reply to Harvey
recently, ami he answered him in this
fashion: ave are all wrecks. General
Howard has only one arm. Sickes has
only one leg, and Tanner has not any.
| my self have only one leg, and that is
wind. Bryan has two lega. One of
them is Sewall and the other Watson,
and Bryan cannot tel which is which"
The Union cause will again triumph.
November will be the Appomattox of
reputation and political incendiarism.