Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-08-28
The Burlington Caucus, Again.

To the Editor OF the Free Press and Times
Please allow me space in your columns TO
reply to an article in Yesterday morning
issue of the FREE PREss AND TIMES, under
the heading 1.-The Burlington Caucus. The
communication of Messrs Gibbs and Scully
contains many palpable errors. Some OF
the statements made never before came to
my notice. The first point. that the bal
lot box was not open till every one oil the
tellers elected by the meeting was present
and no vote taken till then" is absolutely
and wholly untrue. | was out OF the room
when appointed, and was called back BY
Mr.. {. =. Smith. Just as | reached the
box Mr.. Gibbs was already taking votes
Upon this point, refer, among Others, to
F. NJ. Van Sicklen and F. G. COggin. As to
the alleged agreement who should take the
votes, not one word was said TO me. l
have never heard any body object, certainly
do not, that Mr.. Gibbs took the votes /; he
was first appointed, and, as is the custom
in like cases, the chairman received the
votes. Neither Mr.. Gibbs nor Mr.. Sculiy
said one word to me about keeping list of
voters, whose votes were received under
protest. The undersigned did not
! keen such list except during
| the last half hour, when he did 50 on has
| own motion, without consulting with any
| 5ody. Some of the men whose names were
taken are such as are always controlled by
! leading Democrats, and think that fact Is
conclusive evidence as TO their party talth-
, The test rule. adopted by Messrs Gibbs
and Scully against my protest, waS,in bret,
whether a man voted for Grant or Grceley.
No Greeley Republican, known to me as
such, was challenged by me. Mr.. Newell
Lawrence did challenge Mr.. Roberts and
/ DR.. Harrington. Mr. Gibbs took their
votes and sald to me W hat do you say"
/ | replied, According to your test rule, you
/ will have to reject them, but they ought to
/ be received The assertion that decided
( that :" these votes should be thrown
out'' i utterly false. Now Messrs. Gibbs
and ScullY say that ga large number OF
/ aged voters were among the first To gather
at the box, whose politics could not be
doubted. but whose votes were rejected till
all the tellers were present, and the only
thing Mr.. Peck complained OF was that the
votes were taken from some of the first few
whom he did not know Now the aged
voters were the rfry ones, above all others
whom | did know, whom any one who has
/ lived here ten years would know Then again
! almost ererg man OF that class who attended
the caucu, voted the Ballard ticket M one
will dispute this. who knows anything
about present politics in Burlington. This
being -. certainly should not iind fault
with them Still again The chief ground
of complaint was taat well-known Demo-
crat- voted Now no one claims that these
aged voters are Democrats therefore
there was no ground for complaint against
that class nor was any made by me or Mr..
Billiards. friends. Now from the above
analysis of that orc statement of Mr.. Gibbs.
think every candid man Will see that
Mes>rs. Gibbs and Sculiy : own words prove
the ialsity oi that statement. And If erro-
ncous in one point possibly they may be IN
Others. Very respectfully,
II. ). plCk.
RurIinrton. AUG. igth. ISL