The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-07-04
STATE CONVENTION.

Headed by the Montpelier Military Band
the delegates marched from the Pavilion
to Armory hall shortly before eleven
o'clock. The heat inside was intense and
every one was anxious to do the work OF
the morning as expeditiously as possible.
The convention was called to order by
George II. Babbitt of Bellows Falls, chair
man of the Republican State committee.
Prayer was offered by Rev. Dr.. Norman
Seaver Of Montpelier. Alfred e. Watson OF
Hartford, secretary of the committee read
the call for the convention. On motion Of
f. b. Flynn of Springfield the roll of the
convention as prepared by the State com
mittee was declared the roll OF the conven-
ton and the reading OF the same was dis
pensed with.
Mr.. Rabbit announced az a temporary
organization Alex Dunnett of st. Johns
bury as chairman, with e. j. Parsons of Is
land Pond as Secretary and +. W. Sault of
Vergennes and Charles Batchelder of
White River Junction assistant secretaries.
MIR. Dunnett was warmly applauded as he
stepped upon the platform He spoke as
follows;
Mr.. DUNNETT's SPEECH.
81 thank you for the honor of being call
ed TO preside briefly over your delibera-
| tions. The business Of this meeting is to
! name candidates for our various State Off
| GERS 1t goes without my saying 1t that
| they will be- good ones, and entitled to re-
| ceive every Republican vote. Except for
the larger purpose OF expressing our feel
| ings on national issues in the campaign
which is to follow, we might as we'll ask
the secretary to cast the ballot for the State.
| PARTY politics is and from my earliest
remembrance has been, OF two classes, con-
| structive and destructive-one party trying
| to do something, the other to prevent it.
The constructive party designs and exc
| cutcs, thinks and acts, against the opposi-
ton of the other. The Democratic party of
m lima hnl no Mi 1tptin n ha-
ing under all circumstances and conditions
the destructive party. Their construction
| is destruction. Buchanan in 1860 turned
the government over to Lincoln with bank
rupt treasury and the bulk OF It's military
| equipments in the hands of its organized
enemies. Cleveland was deprived of the
opportunity to destroy it in his first term
| by Republican Congress; but in his sec
ond administration, the party came into
full power and, to those whose memories
are four years long, l need not recount the
| Egyptian darkness and gloom which settled
ON the finances, the industries, The labor
and people OF this country; how money
went into hiding; banks, instead OF foster
ing industries, struggled for their own OK.
istence, business stopped, industry ceased
and labor looked in vain for work. This
soup-house period of our history is toe
fresh in your memories to require lengthy
rehearsal. What sickness that wasl'
Mr.. Dunnett briefly and trenchantly re-
viewed the condition in which the country
was lett by the second Cleveland admins
tration, the issues that arose out OF that
condition, and upon which the camp AigI
OF 1896 was fought and won by the Repub
licans. Coming down to things Of the pres
emit canvass he said:
"The questions which now more sharply
divide the people grow out Of things not in
existence at our last election. They relate
to our newly acquired territory. II you
hear any one talking about anti-expansior
or anti-imperialism do not waste your time
listening TO him. He Is back number
We have already expanded. The expsn
sion question respecting the Philippines Ii
just as dead as the same question regard
ing Florida, Louisiana, California or Alas
ka. ALI that remains is the question oil
How we shall govern it. We propose te
govern 1t using the native inhabitants anG
institutions, and making the people as fal