Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-11-18
THE OLD DEMOCRACY IN VERMONT

The death OF Hon. Bradley r. Small
ley has served to emphasize the
change which has been going on In
the character of the leadership of
| the. Vermont Democracy. Time was
when the destinies OF the small but
sturdy democracy of the Green
Mountain State were practically
| shaped by two men. In discussing
do in certain connection the late
| Hiram Atkins, who was the nevspa-
per autocrat Of the party in this
state was wont to speak Of Brad
and l." as the determining factors.
and whit good reason.
graphic pen picture OF the situa-
tion Of tho Vermont democracy OF
those days is pointed out in the cur
rent number Of the Northficld News.
Editor whitney, writing on the eve
OF Col. Smalleys death s.id:
For years Col Sralley, with the
late Editor Hiram Atkins as captain.
assisted by a few aDic l.eutenants.
Of the Vermont Democracy. Col. Small
ley himself, gained prominence in
National Democratic councils out Of
all proportion to tho small State he
represented. dominated as It was by
the Republican party. The wise dem
| ocratic heads. including the late Elk
President Cleveland had great conf
dence in the cool. quiet but forceful
Judgment OF the Ncrnontcr.
'.There arose, however. an element
in the Democratic party in Vermont
that refused to be dictated to by the
old leader and several hot Democrat
ic conventions resulted. Col. Smalloy
fought for continued leadership and
with Editor Atkins, as an able ally
beat the "insurgents" to standstill
At every trial. Things changed. Editor
Atkins passed to his final rest. Rry-
anism triumphod in the party and
with nothing more to fight for Col
Smallcr dropped to the rear and
new mon put their hands to the plow.
"Thc old days OF Tho little brigade
Of loyal Democrats in Vermont, sal
utine and chewing the commands Of
their great political general are
and the aged commander himself is
on the brink of tho great divide"
The Bennington Banner. discusses
another phase Of tho subject as fol-
lows:
"The death OF Hon. Bradley r.
Smalley calls to mind the old group
Of whom are now gone. The number
included Edward ]. Phelps. Gov"
". II. n. Bin CLAM. Charles X Daven-
pert. Hiram Atkins, Il. b. Smal'cy.
and probably others whose names
are now hardly recalled by the present
generation. The five mentioned were
all men OF exceptional ability, but
their active life coming in the years
following the civil War their oppor-
tunity was limited by thor party az
filiations Had Vermont been a
Democratic state these men would
have been our governors and senators,
and some of them would undoubtcd
ly have risen even higher had their
party been in control OF the national
government"
When the new Democracy as
sumed control Of the party and
read out OF the organization all who
would not bend the knee to Baal Fry
an. the sturdy Democracy OF Vermont
suffered n blow from which 1t has new
err recovered II Thurman was en-
titled to be called the old Roman OF
the Ohio democracy certainly Small |
ley deserved the appelaton of the
old Roman Of the party In the Green |
Mountain State. lie realized at the very /
outset that the populistic element of |
his party would wreck it, but he was
too good n party man to vote against |
the democratic national TICKET. In
private conversation he did not hes
itate to bewail the passing OF the
Tilden and Cleveland democracy and |
the supremacy in the party of men
who surpassed the republicans In
standing for strongly centralized
government in Washington. and for
the extreme demand Of the free silver
demands.
With the forging to the front OF
Organism, Mr.. Smalley was content
to side step as a rule and allow others
TO assume the direction OF the AFFAIRS |
OF the part in Vermont.
1t thus came to pass that the sturdy |
leader OF Vermont democracy who In |
spite OF tho hopeless minority In which
he ever found himself In his own State |
was long recognized as one OF the
most able and adroit political generals
OF the national democracy-the trusted
advisor OF Tiden and later Of Cleveland,
the esteemed co-workcr Of William c. |
Hhu'cott and Richard Olney Of Mass