Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1850-10-24
To he Freemen of Chelsea

notice that Harvey Lincoln, in commnni-
cation to you, purpOrting to have been written
by him, for the town committee, is made to say,
IN relation to the Chelsea election;
avery muny of the votes of the smaller size
above named, are in the hand writing of Cal,
Sym B'odgett, Of Waterbury, the personal friend
md boln companion of Mr.. Villas, who came
+" 10 Chelsea on the morning of the election, vot-
" ed and assisted in sorting and counting the
votes. And we think with the assistance OF
|" Judge B.olgeit, who wrote so many of those
"v.ry lutte votes that we shall be able 10 make
" strl further discoveries. and strongly hope that
" We NAV have his hearty cooperation, as he
" will probably be able to tell us who employed
d" hm to write those votes; why they were writ
/" ten so snmI: to whom they were delivered -
" and many more interesting and important facts
d" in the case
In the foregoing quotation no direct charge of
fu,m is mad, against me, but the writer, mot
Harvey Lncon5 evidently intended that YOU,
and the pubic generally, should infer that some
wrong was intended by me, and Understand
that great pans have been taken toglve wide
circulation to these circulars.
But, gentlemen, if | were certain that no per
SOL OUT of Chelsea would be misled by them,
should surely make no reply, feeling perfect
confidence that IN Chelsea, where all are more
intimately acquainted with me, not one lhdlvld-
nal OF you all, do, Or will believe that mad any
thing either much or MtIe, to do with anything
fraudulent or improper in relation to the matter
in question; notwithstanding the fact that IN
Chelsea the base SANDER originated, and perhaps
from the individual who wrote so many OF those
very little votes" 1t is known to some otyou.
al least, tbs, an individual now residing IN Chel-
sea, a personal and political friend OF Ellhu
hyde can, when he chooses, initiate my hand
wrlung so closely, that most OF you womb oe
deceived by it; and he could as easily write ana
tim down to small size, votes Tor MT. WAS
after, MS before election, and palm them oil upon
the public us mine.
The history of the matter, go far as am con-
cerned, is briefly as follows:
Irenoved with my family from Chelsea, on
the 18th day Of June last consequently was d
legal voter in no place except Chelsea. at
tended treemen's meeting in that Wn' ana VOL
ell the several democratic tickets. For town
Representative I voted for Mr.. Villas on the two
several baotngs on each of which put IL in one
ballot, and one only. On that morning my friends
requested me to take the stand had formerly
occupied and challenge the voters seated
myself on the right of A. A. Goodwin Esq, one
of the selectmen, and who stood at the nght
hand of the constable during the whole OF lne
first ballot. assisted in the sorting and count.
ing by the conshbe's request, Mr.. GOODWIN on
my left, and think ]. Carleton, ESQ., on my, my
right. After the constable declared tial tnet re-
was no election, went to Downings tavern 9,, to
tea: On my way down stepped mo Wy,,.a an
& Davis store, ind while there the remark was was
made that there were left in the store larg ge
number af votes for Villas, but that they could
not be found. Afier taking supper at tne 'uV'
ern, stepped 10 the bar desk and from some pa
per lying there, in public and open m m NJ
there wrote some'sis to twelve votes for Mr., VI,
las, mot exceeding twelve, in common lorm'a5 az
fair mddling side, and in my ordinary aaa ,Sj
cut off moi more than one third the width Of .ne
half sheet, then split them-leaving them all con on
nec''d together BY the margin put mem M III hin my
pocket and returned to The Town Hall, by whlch