St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-08-30
Letter from Judge Asa L. French.

Letter from Judge Asa L. French.
10 the Editor Of the CoieHonjon
DEAR SIR: As my name has been
somewhat mixed up III the newspaper
controversy. which is being carried on
in regard to Il candidate for Congress III
this district. | desire to make an eNpla-
nation through the columns of your pa
per.
have been reluctant to take amy
Dart i'm the, controversy. hoping that my
name would quietly drop out of the
fight. but II writer in the last number
of the II. Jnhm>hury Times. has seen fit
to bring me forward again. and under
takes hN me to convict Mr.. Rankin OF
making false statements. and have
come to the conclusion that any further
turhclrIncc oil my part would not only
cease to Ice virtue. but would hecom,
a crime.
The explanation desire t" make is
this: shortly after Mr.. Rankin received
IL note from Judge Steele announcing
himself H. Il candidate for Congress in
him (Ramkim). and expressed surprise
and regret thai Judge steele should
take such IL course. and Mr.. Rankin said
that Judge Steele had always held ont
to Judge P"lamd'> friends. that he
(Stcclc) should not hr Il candidate
against Judge Poland. but hoped with
his aid and thai of his friends Ia secure
the nomination when Poland was ont of
the field and told Mr.. Rankin that
Judge Steele had said substantially the
same thing To me. that We had talked
about the matter IN my office, and that
We had IL conversation at the comNcm-
ton ri Bellows Falls in which he con
vcNcd To me the same impressions. and
after the article came ont in the fuIc,io-
Hi0H in which the writer said. "a gentle
man c"uNc r>cd with Judge steele at
the convention at Bellows Falls. who
was especially charged to ascertain if
there WAS amy truth to the rIlmor. and
received substantially the same a>>Ilr-
imcc a. have been above detailed.
Mr.. Henry {. Idle called upon me and
said Judge Steele requested him to ask
me hat conversation We had AT the
convention. in regard I" hi~ going to
C"ngIc>>: and said he supposed | WAS
the person alluded to in the CUI,tioni0H
article "a> being specially charged To
ascertain if there was amy truth To the
rlImor." &c. | told him that / thought
the article did not refer to me. ~ | had
II" such mission and that the con>-r-
>iitinm We had about the matter came
up Incidentally after We had discussed
the matters pertaining to the c"nNcm-
tion. But said distinctly t" Mr.. Idle.
that We did have Il conN CESSATION at the
invention. about his going To Con
%rc>>. and that | could not give the cN-
act words that were used. hut thai did
understand from him that he did not in
tend {" try t" run for Congress. while
Judge Poland Mas III the field.
soon after this conNr r>atiun with Mr.
that TdS the person alluded To in the
CuicdonioH article. and that hc did re
quest me Ia ascertain about the rlImor
that Judge steele WAS to hr Il candi-
date. Now this request from Mr.. Ran
Kin. had entirely forgotten. and can
net now rrcollecI il but | have no sort
of doubt hut that Mr.. Rankin did re
quest me H. h" SAYS. a. his i positive
testimony and mine l. only negative.
have forgotten il.
Now nobody denies but VIVA! Judge
steele had Il right to take such It course.
and I'LL of this talk in the Times about
Judge Poland'> friends claiming that
there WAS an agreement between Judge
Poland and Judge Steele about going to
Congress. l. Just hoSh, nobody claims
any such thing. The question is. What
the straight forward intelligent voters
in the second congressional district in
Vermont will say To this purrimg around
Judge Poland and his friends. and bid
ding them '.remcmhcr that Goblin is
the friend. and not Short" while, he WAS
negotiating with, and promising the en-
emjcS of Judge Poland that he would he
their candidate against him and while,
he was laNi ing his cornS for the cam
paign intending thereby To steal Il
march upon him, and take him com
pletrlN 10y surprise: and whether they
wont think it sounds little too much
like the Joah and AmaSa story in the
old Testament. or like the other story
III the New Testament about the person
VII" betrayed with kiss and whether
after all. u Is exactly the right thing to
Ito. for Il gentleman who has brought
himself forward AZ their candidate. and
asks them to substitute him for one of
the ahlcSt and most useful men in Con
"rc>>. Asa l.. FRENCH.
Windsor County
.Nr. Editor: There are some voters
i'll Windsor county. after having exam