Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1896-01-18
The Presidential Question.

The election Of delegates to the national
Republican convention calls up more or
less the whole presidential question for
1896, in which it is to be hoped that Yer
mont will stand by her Republican history for
the past 80 years. She has never bound
her delegates to do mere automatic work.
IN the single instance which has been
quoted as instructions in 1884, it was when
she had candidate Of her own, and even
on this occasion it was limited ''to vote for
Mr. Edmunds as long as his name shall be
before the convention" thus giving them
the power to let go or hold on as in ther
Judgment the circumstances might require.
In 1860 the Vermont Republicans were
nearly, if not quite, unanimous for that
grand statesman William ii. Seward They
were for him heart and soul, but unfor-
tunately in human affairs it is not always
practicable to unite the heart and Judgment
to secure the greatest amount OF good.
Their delegates were not instructed but
left to act their best common sense after
full consultation with the whole country.
The result was first a complimentary vote
Tor the Hon. Jacob Collamer. and on the
next ballot all voted straight for Abraham
dllI lutll cait,
well done good and faithful servants.
An important matter to be considered
this year is that the Republicans cannot
expect any such vote in the country as has
been given the past two years. Many
| Democrats who have been voting the Re-
publican ticket will now return to their
former party allegiance. See New York
and Boston already. The Democrats will
nominate their strongest and best man II
they have one. Hence the need of the
strongest and best Republican nomination.
Therefore how can Vermont do better
than to elect delegation to St. Louis,
composed of level headed men in whose
judgment and best common sense, free,
unbounded and untrameled, we can trust
the whole question? We want no dele
gates classified as old men or young men,
but a combination of both which will secure
good counsel and vigor to carry it out.
With such men, II, after a free confer
cnce with the representatives of the whole
country, they prefer the towering Reed
whose ability and firmness in the positions
he has held are unquestionable and II
which he has excited an admiration and
fame lar beyond our own country-so be II
and their constituents will accord to then
the credit of true and faithful service.
/ If, however, after such delberation the,
should find in favor of one whose earnes
and untiring work in behalf of the indus
:, tries OF our country has not been excellet
! since the days of Henry Clay-of ON,
l who, as the executive of his state had NJ
' fears OF the prompt suppression OF disorde
and riots-of one who when thousands o
, dollars had been raised to celebrate al
overwhelming majority he had just receives
g at the hands of the people. begged hi
e friends instead to use it for the benefit 0
e working men out of employment-of on
i. whose firmness is equalled by his grea
kindness of heart-indecd of one who, a
I was Lincoln, is right down near and j
S close sympathy with the people and henc
8 the man to attract the strong vote-wh
then let it be Mckinley, and our people q
. home will say amen and greet them as the
IS did their predecessors who in 1860 vote
for Abraham Lincoln. ANS.