816 



VERMONT. 



Resolved, That the Democracy of Vermont at this 

 its first convention since the consummation of the 

 great crime does, in the interest of constitutional 

 government and in vindication and preservation of 

 the sacred right of the majority to choose their 

 rulers, denounce and condemn with most earnest 

 indignation this foul crime against our institutions 

 andliold it up to universal execration. 



Resolve!, That the thanks of the people of the 

 United States are due to the patriotic men who origi- 

 nated and in the face of the most determined oppo- 

 sition are carrying through the investigation of the 

 electoral frauds in Louisiana and Florida. 



Resolved, That the revelations already made be- 

 fore the Committee criminating the Secretary of the 

 Treasury and the ^Republican Senator from Ohio 

 leave no room to doubt the wisdom and necessity of 

 this investigation. 



Eesolved, That while we would sanction no as- 

 sault upon the official title of President Hayes, we 

 urge the criminal prosecution, conviction, and pun- 

 ishment of all who aided and abetted the infamous 

 frauds by which the Presidency and Vice- Presi- 

 dency were wrested from their lawfully elected pos- 

 sessors. 



Resolved, That the Democracy of Vermont will 

 earnestly labor for purer and more economical ad- 

 ministration ; that the State ticket nominated to- 

 day shall receive our united and hearty support, and 

 that we hail with satisfaction the evidence of a grow- 

 ing desire on the part of the people to emancipate 

 themselves from the party of political bigotry, in- 

 tolerance, and unjust rule, which has for twenty 

 years controlled the State. Convinced that this 

 party, made infamous by the most gigantic crimes, 

 can not always prosper or maintain its ascendancy 

 over a free people, we call upon all who believe in 

 honest government and desire the perpetuity of our 

 institutions to aid in strengthening our organization, 

 which must be the ultimate hope of the State and 

 nation, when political crime shall become exposed 

 in all its hideousness, and the people are thoroughly 

 aroused to the danger that threatens them from 

 those who have turned the Government into a ref- 

 uge of thieves, and who to-day are prospering on 

 crime. 



The Democratic candidates for Congressmen 

 were : First District, J. J. R. Randall ; Second, 

 Asa M. Dickey, of St. Johnsbury; Third. Brad- 

 ley Barlow. 



The National party assembled in State Con- 

 vention at Burlington on the 1st of August, 

 and adopted the following platform : 



1. The financial system needed is that all money 

 must be issued by the Government ; that, whether 

 made of metal or paper, it must be perfect and com- 

 plete in itself; be full legal tender in every case and 

 to any amount in the payment and lawful discharge 

 of every species of indebtedness, no matter of how 

 little commercial value the material of which it is 

 made. 



2. Congress shall create a suitable amount ot 

 money in a safe arid convenient form to meet the 

 necessary requirements of the business and labor of 

 the country. 



3. There shall be no privileged class of creditors; 

 official salaries, pensions, bonds, and all other debts 

 and obligations, public and private, shall be dis- 

 charged in legal-tender money of the United States, 

 according to the stipulations of the laws under 

 which they were incurred. 



4. The public lands are the common property ot 

 the whole people, and should not be sold to specula- 

 tors or granted to railroads or corporations, but 

 should be donated to actual settlers in limited quan- 

 tities. 



_ 5. All useless offices should be abolished, most 

 rigid economy enforced in every branch of the public 



service, and severe punishment inflicted upon public 

 officers who betray the trusts reposed in them. 



6. That a graded income tax on all net incomes 

 exceeding $2,000 be increased on each additional 

 1,000 of income. 



7. That the passage by Congress of the joint reso- 

 lution declaring the principal of bonds payable in 

 coin was an act of flagrant injustice, and "a grave 

 breach of the public trust, which ought to be im- 

 mediately rescinded ; and the issuing by the Secre- 

 tary of the Treasury of a larger amount of 4> per 

 cent, bonds in advance of the Government's need of 

 money, and when 4 per cent, bonds could have been 

 floated just as well, was an act of unaccountable folly 

 or impeachable fraud. 



The Convention adjourned, to meet again at 

 St. Albans on August 22d ; at which time and 

 place they nominated their candidates for State 

 officers, as follows : For Governor, Charles 0. 

 Martin, of Ferrysburg ; for Lieutenant-Go vern- 

 or, John W. Currier, of Troy ; for State Trea- 

 surer, Fletcher Torbee, of Swanton. 



At the election in September the Republican 

 nominees were elected by large majorities. The 

 whole number of votes cast in the State for 

 Governor was 57,956, of which Redfield Proc- 

 tor received 37,312 ; William H. H. Bingham, 

 17,247 ; Charles C. Martin, 2,635 ; C. W. Wil- 

 lard, 730 ; scattering, 32. For Congressmen, 

 the Republican nominees were elected in the 

 First and Second Districts. In the Third Dis- 

 trict there was no election. The Democratic 

 candidate received a very large majority of 

 votes over the Republican, but less than re- 

 quired to secure an election. The whole num- 

 ber cast was 19,506, distributed among three 

 competitors, as follows : Bradley Barlow, 9,119 ; 

 William W. Grout, 6,679; George L. Water- 

 man, 3,572 ; scattering, 136. The Legislature 

 is divided as follows : in the Senate, 29 Repub- 

 licans, 1 Democrat ; in the House of Repre- 

 sentatives, 173 Republicans, 41 Democrats, 11 

 Nationals, and 4 Independents. Nine mem- 

 bers were not elected. 



The Legislature met for the biennial session 

 of 1878 on October 2d. On the first day of 

 the session, Governor Fairbanks delivered his 

 valedictory message to the Legislature con- 

 cerning several matters brought to his official 

 attention since the presentation of his message 

 in 1876. He states that in this he departs 

 from the usual custom of his predecessors on 

 going out of office, but does so, judging that 

 the knowledge he now imparts to them "will 

 be not only helpful, but important, for the 

 proper discharge of their duties." 



The financial condition of Vermont is most 

 satisfactory, she being virtually out of debt, as 

 appears from the following statement made at 

 the close of the fiscal year ending July 31, 

 1878: 



LIABILITIES. 



Due towns from United States surplus fund $11,519 96 



Due on soldiers 1 accounts 11,074 S 



Due suspense account (outstanding checks) 1,883 80 



Bonds due December 1, 1S76 6.500 00 



1,1878 .' 88,50000 



Due Agricultural College fund 185,500 00 



Total $199~928 11 



