Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-07-31
THE DEMOCRATIC CAUCUS.


The Local Aggregates Chooses Dele
gates TO Newfane and Endorses the
Action OF the Chicago Conventions
Discussion waved Warm.
Between 80 and 70 Brattleboro Demo
Gratis assembled in festival hall at 8 o'clock
Monday evening TO elect II delegates 10 the
county convention at Newfane Wednesday.
The caucus turned out to be pronounced
free-silver gathering but II was evident
from the start that II was net composed,
TO a controlling extent, of men usually ac-
counted the responsible men Of the party.
The meeting was called to order by y. 7.
Ryan, and j. J. Eckles was made chair
man and Charles A. Boyden secretary. G..
b. Kirwan asked that before the election
of delegates was proceeded with the caucus
endorse the platform adopted by the Chi
cago convention. The chairman explained
that in accordance with the call he would
have to proceed first with the regular
business of the meeting and called for
nominations. Lieut.. George II. Burns
was chosen chairman of the delegation.
y. T. Ryan and G. B. Kirwan were chosen
ID and Sd delegates and G.. A. Boyden was
nominated for the 4th, but withdrew his
name and II. b. Haus was substituted.
delegate by Mr.. Kirwan and was elected.
Rollin S. Childs refused to accept nomi-
nation as he was TO be in Orange county
on convention day, and named in his stead
F. c. Gale. who was elected. The other
delegates chosen were J. A. Titus, John
Calvin, John r. Bliss, John O'Connor,
Henry Stockwell of West Brattleboro and
A. W. Childs. r. S. Childs moved that
the delegation be instructed to extend TO
S. T. Davenport, whose heart and soul
was in the cause, AN invitation TO be present
and address the convention at.Newfane.
g. Il. Kirwan then pressed the motion
which he made at the opening Of the eau
Gus, and from then to its close the caucus
was one of such pulling and wrangling as
caused many of the "old liners to leave
the hall in disgust c. H. Davenport said
he hoped Mr.. Kirwan would withdraw his
motion as it had nothing whatever to do
with the duty of the convention, and then
proceeded with harangue about the Yer
mont prohbitory law, Republican extrav-
agance and the policy of Vermont Re
publicans in buying and selling votes.
Mr.. Ryan then took the floor and said
that while he was an ardent free-silver
man he hoped Mr.. Kirwan would think
better of his motion, as he (Mr. Ryan in
tended to stick to his declaration in former
caucuses-that he would never go to
convention instructed. Mr.. Kirwan ex-
planned that his motion was not intended
as an instruction, but as an endorsement
and thereafter followed an hour or more
Of heated discussion on the silver question,
the question of whether a man not in
sympathy with the majority should be
kicked out of the party without respect
for individual opinion, the pauper labor
and other planks Of the Chicago platform,
in which Childs and Davenport led the OPP
posing factions, often getting personal in
their arguments. The chairman then
took the floor and said that he didn't pro-
pose to argue the financial question but
that he did wish certain Democrats present
would desist from making that statement
1--WE can do without him." The chairman
said he had nothing to say against the
Democratic ticket but that if the platform
endorsing Altgeld and mob law was purely
Democratic he wasn't Democrat.
At this point the motion of Mr.. Kirwan
was taken by a rising vote, and resulted in
carrying the motion by vote of so TO Is.
c. II. Davenport at once rendered his re-
signation as aldelegate, which was accepted,
and d. P. Cobb was substituted in his
place.
The next business was to elect a men,
Der of the Democratic town committee to
succeed A. D. Wyatt, whose resignation
was presented by Mr.. Ryan. ]. A. Titus
was elected to fill the vacancy after several,
who were already members, had been NOM
mated.
There being no other business the meet
ing then adjourned.