Litchfield enquirer., 1869-03-18
Sheri6.
TIE DEMOCRACY FIsH IN TRoUBnED WA.
 TERs.-THE BAIT. A 3

| TIERS. .-THE BAIT. H l When the Democracy of this Town, Dis trict, or County, are extremely anxious to catch an office, they bait their hook with MT. George H. Baldwin. He is the prince of what politicians call the "work. ers" Starting 364 days before election, he labors straight through till the polls close. He knows every doubtful voter within a radius of miles, and can, or could, before the gloss had worn off his popularity, J poll moro votes for any office for which he was eminently unfit, than any other Demo crat could poll for the same office, though eminently fit. He seems as inordinately fond of political, as some are of alcoholic excitement and hence we find that, dur ing the past dozen years, besides managing local Democratic politics and serving sev- eral years on the Democratic State Central Committee, and besides starting and for three years publishing Democratic Coun- ty newspaper, he has been elected to, or put in nomination for, offices, great and small, no less than nineteen times. From the peculiarities of the man, and of his position, therefore, he is just the nominee for all doubtful Democratic chances-often lending his name. in effect, to elect other people. In 1866, our present Judge of Probate was defeated by few votes In 1867, the Democracy nominated and elect ed MT. Baldwin. Nevertheless, our pres ent Judge transacted the business of the office, for which he was entirely compe- tent, and for which Mir. Baldwin was not competent. In 1868, the Probate District becoming more strongly Democratic, Mir. Baldwin was set running on forlorn hope for the Senatorship, and the real man was elected Judge of Probate. This electing a wrong man to an office, and then letting a right man transact it's business, seems rath- CT queer style of popular election it teaches the people hereabouts, when MT. Baldwin is once more nominated for an of- flee for which he is no way qualified. to look from the bait to
 THE HOOK.
 And very ugly hook it is. On the first day of April MT. Edward O. Peck leaves the jail he has held directly or indirectly since 1858. If Mir. Baldwin is elected, a determined attempt will unquestionably be made to re-instate him in that position, and he must take also the chief executive business of the county-a business in which the apparent candidate for Sheriff, has no experience, whatever.
 The reward of political treachery seems to be the chief business of the Democracy, this Spring. James Dixon, who went over with his Senatorship James F. Babcock, who went over with his Custom House, pressed for their pay and got it. Sheriff Peck, too, presented his little bill but there Was this difference : Dixon and Babcock brought over offices with them !; Peck came over to get office. Up to Feb ruary, 1868, he had acted, occasional treacheries excepted, with the Republican party and he was then assisting, as town committee, in making out their canvass. Hereabouts, MT. Geo. Fl. Baldwin was en- abled to offer him the present position connected with the Internal Revenue De- partment in New York City, and the hope of permanent position as mail detective. He was. doubtless, further enabled to convince Mir. Peck that matters then indi- cated a Democratic victory, this year-that the only hope of his continuing in the County House and becoming High Sheriff or Chief Deputy, lay in his immediately seeing the error of his Radical ways. MT. Peck thereupon saw the error of his Radi- cal ways; and so successfully did he see the error of his Radical ways, that por- tion of last weeks Democratic convention were for nominating him for Sheriff, out and out Other considerations, however, prevailed. In close canvass, candid ate with the thirty pieces of silver that bought him plain to be seen in his hand, might lose even Democratic votes. Be- side Democrats with troublesome con. sciences, too, there were Democats with troublesome memories. So it was consid- cred running too great risk to offer the hook to the people bare and they baited it.
 On the question of MT. Peck's continu- ing to hold his present positions, we think there is but one opinion in the county, outside the politicians. For many years we have heard much eloquent Democratic discourse regarding his extortions, his pet ty tyrannies, his meddlings, his brutalities. Though Republican opinion may not have been quite so unfavorable, it has been un- favorable enough. In deference to that opinion formal change was made in the jailership, three years since, and his ap- pointment as deputy was for sometime de- layed. Those appointments were the most unpopular acts of the present Sheriff, and most thoroughly has the appointee contri- ved in various ways to punish him for his mistake. t.-
 While we are greatly pleased at