Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-06-20
CONVENTION NOTES.
Political History In Vermont will Hereafter
be Reckdned from the Famous GrOut- Stick

be Reck6ned from the Famous GrOut-Stick-
ney Contest.
The night preceding the convention the
Stickney men felt confident of victory, but
between the setting and the rising of the
sun, the Grout men put in little ''quiet
work"
Charles L. Barney made very bad
botch of the Jericho scandal. He had
much better have remained quiet.
Jericho and Belvidere are now two
famous towns hitherto their geographical
existence was almost unknown.
The only man who dared call Grout a
farmer was Rev. E. j. Ranslow of Swan
ton and he was laughed to derision.
Some of the delegates expressed consid-
cradle amazement that Theophilus Grout
was not named for the lieutenant governor
ship.
The sold soldier" was the only point
made by the speech-makers Tor Major
Grout; it had familiar sound for it is the
same argument that has been used for the
past 80 years.
| DR.. Seward Webb and Gen. McCul-
Tough are already talked of as guberna-
torial possibilities two years hence. A
contest between these two men would be
highly interesting.
Some Of the disappointed Stickney men
charged that money had been used and at
least one Grout man was heard to remark
that I'VE fellows put in our work while the
Stickney men slept"
Thomas Mack of Vergennes stated what
he knows to be untrue, if he has studied
the situation at all, when he said that ''a
younger generation had sprung up that
looks on the old soldier as a beggar.'
! l.. M. Read of Bellows Falls hit the nail
squarely on the head when he said that old
and young alike honor the old soldier, but
that there is younger element in the party
that does large amount of the fighting
that should be and must be recognized.
. Gen. +. G.. Butterfeld's nominating
speech was replete with wild gesture and
state argument, but was well received
however he wasn't in it with plain Farmer
Fletcher whose short and well directed re
marks carried the convention by storm
Ex-Gov. Hendee unwittingly did the
party great service he told Just where
the dividing line is between an old mar
in Vermont politics. 1t is so years. Sc
) Grout is over 80 years Of age and a man
Stickney less than 80 and manakin.
1t is now said that Stickney is sure Of til.
( nomination four years hence when it agar
comes to the east side of the state but ther,
, is nothing sure Of coming to man in thi
end of the state there are always enough
, who favor the ring to drop all the plums tt
! the northward.
The ring triumphed this time but da,
,, of reckoning is coming, and some of th'
5 fellows who stand on the fence ready t.
' jump whichever way is for their advantage
will have an awful tumble. Some of th,
chaps who are shouting the loudest for tn
) old soldier, not because they honor him
but because they can get his vote, will b.
just as ready to give him kick when th'
ranks have thinned little more.
The Grout faction had double advan
tage over their opponents in that they coul'
promise federal as well as state patronage
n The mercenary hope of getting postoffice
Y collectorship or some other federal posi-
ton has had not little to do with the out
come of the campaign just ended. TIL
: convention went wild when C. M. Wild
/; of Middlebury said that Mr.. Stickney ha,
: delegates 'swho could not be influenced b.
offers of federal patronage or bought b
; incorporated wealth, )" but perhaps he spok
inadvisedly.