Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-08-03
Latter-Day "5arnburners."
CSt. Adams Messenger.l

lSt- Adams Messenger
A little more than 60 years ago, some
time before the Republican party was
born, there was a faction of the Demo-
cratic party in New York state popularity
known as the "Barnburners." They ac-
quired this name because of their radical
pretensions of reform and their extrava-
CANT propositions for a political house
cleaning. They went so far in their lin
dependent movement to disrupt the Dem
ocratic party that they became known
as the "Barnburners' in facetious al
fusion to the thick-headed Dutchman Of
the old story who burned his barns TO
free them from rats.
History repeats itself. We have had
successive waves of political and civic
house cleaning, state and national since
the days of President Polk, and we have
had the same old lineup for and against
or betwixt-and-between and non-com-
INITIAL altogether, that are characteristic
OF the varying temperaments of human
nature. Today Vermont is in the
stages OF a Observation-Disclosures might
say in the somewhat advanced stages
because the work has been under way in
one form and another for at least four
years and the hardest part of the task,
that of persuading the people to make
any start at all toward a change, after
years OF more or less inertia or in
dlnerence, has long since been overcome.
The work of political house-cleaning has
fallen to the Republican party because,
having been in control OF the government
continuously for half a century. II has
been and is at the same time both respon-
sible for the evils that may have crept into
| the administration of public affairs and
is the natural source OF their correction.
The proposition is a simple element Of
praeucal common sense, that a party
| g.. OF
clean house for the state. The Republl-
can party has met this test 1t has done
| ana is doing both. 1t is rehabilitating It's
| own organization along lines of more
active and perhaps broader gagged pro-
gressiveness and it is standing for the
euoplion OF a similar policy in the gov
eminent of the state. And in this pub
lie spirited policy it has for three
campaigns now solicited the suffrages
and cooperation of all public spirited
citizens.
History repeats itself. Vermont has
her faction of so-called Independent
republicans that profess to believe that
the way to reform" the party is to join
hands with its enemies to destroy 1t. The
Republican party, bent upon house-clean-
ing, has its radicals TOO, that believe the
best way TO clean the house is to burn
II down. There were "Barnburners'' in
those days Of long ago-there are Barn
burners" here now-men who will not
take hold to help clean from the inside
the old house lin which their political
faith was born and Graded, but who pre-
Ter TO go outside and join the Democrats
and the Prohibiuonists and the Socialists
and all It's avowed enemies in setting fire
to II and watching 1t burn. Their idea
OF reform" Is destruction
The Messenger believes that before this
campaign is over some of our right mind
Cd high-purposed friends that are thus
deceiving themselves now will come to
realize how utterly Illogical are their sit
uation and their intentions and will reioln
the ranks OF those Republicans that want
house-cleaning just as much as they do
but want to save the house TO live IN
after II is all over. BY the method OF the
Barnburners' all attempts TO save a
house by cleaning It must literally go up
In smoke.