Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-02-03

Vermont government and character
; TO the world.
In closing he urged his hearers never
to cease TO cherish the public schools
as the mecca of the masses and hope
of the republic.
Senator Proctor, whose subject wa
"Vermont in Politics." said in part;
"Vermont in Polltics'-I can re-
spond in five words: Vermont is not
in politics. But, to transpose the
sentence, there is a fair share of poll
les in VermOnters wherever you find
them. 1t is one thing for man to b,
IN politics, but to have politics in the
man is better thing.
awe sometimes hear of the scholar,
the business man, the rich man or the
laboring man in politics. 1t seems to
Inc that any man or class of men, or
any community, section or state,
should not, as such, be in politics, but
rather that there should be politics in
every man, whatever his station, to the
extent that he should understand and
perform his political duties and be
true to his political principles. In
this sense only is Vermont in politics
and this is why | prefer to transpose
/ the terms and say that there is politics
:. in Vermonters, because they are, above
/ the people of any other state, as
maintain can be proved, firm and
steadfast in their political convictions
and faithful in the performance of
their political duties"
The speaker quoted statistics to
/ show that for over 40 years there has
been less variation in the votes Of
either of the great political parties in
Vermont than in any other state in
the union. He demonstrated that dur
ing all those years the republican vote
has comprised from Go to 50 per cent
of the total vote of the state. ranging
in most Of the presidential elections
between 20 and SO, though in other
states there were wide fluctuations.
"But politics in Vermonters is not
confined to republicanism," he con-
VI ued. "Wherever it is found it is
Of sterling quality and the best" The
democrats generally sustained the gov
eminent during the war, for they were
patriots first, bat when that was over
most Of them were still democrats and
are today.
1t can illustrate il tonight by a sin
gle case which your president, an Or
ange county man, can appreciate. In
my early days the "Orange county
democrat" stood for one rock-ribbed,
dyed in the wool, ironclad in that
faith. have often been reminded of |
il in my association with an able sena- /
tor for few years past, VIM. +. Villas |
of Wisconsin, AN honest mama patriot, |
soldier and statesman, who has done /
excellent service for his country in the |
field, the cabinet and the Senate ]
chamber. He is a man for whom | I
have great respect and personal re-
gard, but he was born an Orange /
county democrat, and he has lived .
and will live and die-l say il to the
crelit Of his constancy of character
an Orange county democrat.
Ve.monters have held, and held /
with the greatest credit,the four high
est missions, the only four where our
representatives have now the rank of
ambassadors, namely, Minister Phelps
to Great Britain, Vice President Nor
ton TO France, George p. Marsh to
Itlly and John \. kasson to Germany,
Vermont has for many years had
more Of her sons, in proportion TO her
population, in the L. s. senate from
various states than any other state.
The average has been nearly five for
the last 80 years, which is as far back
as have looked. In Harrison's adj
ministration we had five and the vice
president. Four of the present sena-
tors are natives of Massachusetts,, the
same number as Vermont has, but
Massachusetts has seven times the pop
ulation of Vermont; so to equal YER
mont her proportion would be rs.
New York has eight sons in the Sem
ate, but her population is Is times
that OF Vermont, so her equal proper
ton would be -, nearly the whole
Senate. Ohio has 10, but her equal
would be Al.
| have not time to name the able
Vermonters other states have sent to
the Senate. AS sample, Wisconsin
has sent four, Charles Durkee, Matt
Carpenter, PhiletIs Sawyer land no
more useful man ever sat in that body
and VIM. f. Villas"
81 might give many other instances
that there is politics in Vermonters
1t seems to be Unborn and abide with
them. Wherever they 90 they are in
demand to fill prominent offices, and
| am glad to say that they cheerfully
comply with this demand.
Two sons of Vermont have been ,
vice presidents, one OF them made
president, Chester A. Arthur. The ;
principal capital both he and Vice ,
Pres. Morton had to start with was
their Vermont blood and training. ,
have had good opportunity in
the last three changes of administra- ,
lion from one party to the other, and
n. - I !