The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-23
A soLrD DEMOCRATIC PRhLhNx.
~ Democratic Minority IN veTmonsNsitheR
Increases nor Diminishes.

The Democratic Minority IN vermonsNsithoE
Increases nor Diminishcs.
BURLINGTON. VT. July 21.-0ne OF the earliest
arrivals for Wednesdays Democratic State Con-
vention was q Franklin county delegate from
the Canadian border. who brought with him
two ROSTERS. Burlington at midday In mid
summer 10 a sultry town. and the spectacle OF a
visiting statesman with q rooster under each
arm seemed to Justify the inquiry made OF him A:
Why did you bring two 7" The answer Of the
Franklin county Democrat was philosophical
and characteristic. He wanted to have a crow
ing rooster, and for fear that one might fail to
crow he brought two. 80 that there would DO
no mistake about It; hence at yesterdays con-
vention the proceedings were interrupted by
the outcries not Of one rooster. but OF two.
Tho Democrats OF Vermont have maintained
unbroken for more than forty years their rec
ord OF never winning an election. From 1855
to 1897, without a solitary break. the Demo-
crats Of Vermont have gone down in defeat"
as they express it, But they have always como
up again and conn up again with almost the
identical vote they had before, thus affordlng
an illustration Of the steady political habits OF
the Democratic remnant In the Green Noun
tain State. Whoever looks over the election
record OF Vermont must be struck with ad-
miration at the obstinate steadfastness Of the
little Democratic minority; it neither dies nor
~surrenders. and apparently never loses any
warriors nor gains any recruits.
When James Buchanan ran for President In
8 8 he polled 10, 500 votes in Vermont Forty
years later. William J. Bryan polled there TO-
637 votesa difference OF only 178 votes In
forty years. Moreover. this uniformity has
been continuous from election to election. The
Democratic vote In tho election Of 1872 was
1o.e47; the Republican plurality in 1855 was
2S.447; in 1894 It was 2S.521. However. tho
normal Democratic vote Of Vermont never runs
below 10000. and hardly ever runs above
10000.
Another interesting popularity Of Vermont
politics IL that the Democrats have never car
ried a single county within its borders at q
general election. Elsewhere there are Demo-
cratic counties In Republican States and Re-
publican counties in Democratic States. In
New Hampshire. for instance. Vermont's
neiRhbor. with a population closely akin in
general character. Coos county. in the region
OF the lakes and forests, tho extreme northern
county, has always inclined toward the Dem
ocratlc party and usually has been carried by tho
Democrats. Whatever changes there may have
been in the closely contested politics OF Con-
n~ecticut, Windham county in the eastern part
OF the State. on the Rhode Island border line.
never wavered In Its allegiance to the Republi-
can party. But Vermont Is not only solidly
Republican. but also uniformly Republican: 1t
10 everywhere Republican. The Democrats Of
the State. however. are not Swerved from their
allegiance by reason OF this. What tho YER
mont Democrats lack in numbers they make
up in enthusiasm. good spirits, fortitude. and
ROSTERS. They glory in being in q hopeless
minority. .Predestined defeat only inoites them
to the conflict.
The serenity Of the Vermont Democrats has,
however. this month been put to the most ser-
Gus tests. On the night preceding the day Of
the convention there was a mass meeting at the
Howard Opera House presided over by Mr..
Fitzpatrick. The hall was crowded. and the
Gayety Of tho Vermont Democrats was unre-
strained. Tho fret speaker declared that tho
spaniards in their palmiest days were not COM
parable as despots to the Republicans OF YER
mont. He was followed-by whomp It was o
supreme and crucial test OF patience and for
bearance on a hot midsummer night for
George Fred Williams was the orator. He de-
livered an imprisoned 10 to / speech. Of
course. and told the Vermont Democrats, who
had been voting the tlcKet meanwhile with OBJ
stinate regularity. that until 1895 there had
been no real Democratic National Convention
with veritable Democratic principles since the
days OF Buchanan. The Green Mountain Dem
ocrats had really been faithless to Democracy
when they prtded themselves most on their
hdelityl For forty years they had gone
astray. though they thought themselves in the
absolutely true Democratic faithl
On Wednesday they nominated for Governor
Thomas w. Maloney Of Rutland on a platform
out-and-out and Internationally for free
silver. or course. they 60 into the fight With
no expectation Of winning. for they never
have the glimmering Of such a hope they have
no dream Of making any political converts. Of
wrestling any office from the Republicans; they
are simply resolved to bear aloft "the unstained
banner OF Vermont Democracy" and the l6 to
l device does not disfigure 1t in their eyes.
Contemporary events concern them but little.
They support the war against Spain. but want
it "promptly ended" They are opposed to any
addition to the national territory, though such
annexation was the old Democratic doctrine by
which they had once stood so manfully. Among
their declarations is this somewhat ambiguous
plant: I'VE emphasize our answering loyalty
to the money Of the Constitution, the money
OF Washington. Jefferson. and Jackson: the
money that brought prosperity and content
ment to this country for eighty years Is the
money that will restore prosperity to business
and the suffering people,"
The explanation Of this is. probably, that the
candidate for Treasurer on the Bryan ticket In
the campaign Of 1893 refused to run and the
Vermont Democrats had to suffer- the humilia-
ton Of carrying on their canvass in support of
Constitutional money with no candidate to
handle the money. This year. therefore, they
are all the moro determined in their adhesion
to 10 to !. There Is good reason to expect that
Maloney will poll the usual 10.00 votes.
OPEN VAIL STREET!