Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1874-10-28
Gath" ON Judge Poland.


George Alfred Townsend. (Gatl0 the reg
ular Washington correspondent of tine Chi
cage Tribune, has at one time and another
written sharp things OF Judge Poland par
tcularly of his course against poygamy.
lie is one of the raciest newspaper writers
of the day, and whether for or against. his
letters are more than commonly readable
and generally able. showing a keen insight
into the case which he is taking mp The
following is his regular letter to the Tribune
under date of September 18th, Immediately
after the result was known of the contest In
the second district. 1t did not come to our
notice until the present week, but as one
of the opinions in the case it is worth put
ting ON record. 1t will be especially inter
esting to those politicians born since the
credit mobiler investigation, and who have
in some way received the impression that
the chairman Of that great Congressional i'm
quest is a "whtewa,her." No more exact
measure Of the occasion and the man has
been put on record than Gath gives in
til' 'NNih'N lh'Nfh bilNN
Judge Poland's defeat Las been ,ariou-ly re-
ceiyed, by some with a ch1ckle by others with
moral, by good many with personal regret As
he is really defeated or Withdrawn. aud n, the
evils which men do are said To live after them. lct
not the good be wholly inferred with his bonc,
II he was not personally honest that quality OF
honesty was deiunct amongst his contemporaries
" He was % man 10 strike one with interest at
first view and, after while to Dee wholly forgot
ten, and after some years 90 recover his position
Ia the mind, with strengthened consideration and
respect lie was a very moderate and conscra-
tive man,-sayery being no issue where hc lived.
and without advocates SO that, although anti
slavery, he was anything hut radical lie WAS %
Judge by long career, and firm though mild
Judge,-not reckless nor icrodous in any sou-
tence he administered but, within the orbit of bis
severity, unhmchiug Asa Judge, he served his
state faithfully as a lawyer he performed the
most laburiouS and mgT,teful work Of this period
the revision Of the laws which Dee ,tuc, to. with
a small ioriou hope. until the mighty task was
done, and if he be politically buried now thi,
tome in granite might Dee his covering newas
national man aud q Magistrate. as "a senator !.
Magistrate by the constitution advisory of the
Chief Magistrate and, as q senator. his work wa,
mild, diigent and broad,-comected with Ilo-
portion Of seli-respect which more ardent men are
apt To forget in their inscriptions piociWtancy
10 be scrupulousy earnest As Magistrate m
the House Of Representatives lac led the van Of
Investigations and expired under the growing
Jacobinism Of that kind Of fury, as Vanguard and
Lafayette were trampled out 10y a lower and
wilder order Of refomers That he was not i'm
different to the public outcry, was shown in that
process against the Credit Moblier people where
every agency of the party, and all the imploutcn
of the opposite party, were eXerted to procure
mere exhortation without a victim He brought
in both finding and culpnts, and they were the
actual culpnts. Other men were inyeiged by,
through, or with them; but these latter public
opinion or private pain punished sufficiently.
The two men Poland presented To Congress with
out the fortitude to expel them as he suggested,
were the most powerful'in their parties. Brooks
was the governments own sworn and trusted di-
rector. To his trust he was a npacious traitor.
Ames was the representative Of that mercenary
Dizziness in the North which is color-blind on that
part Of the moral spectrum where honor stands
For his besotted obtuseness he was presented To
Congress for expulsion, as was Brooks for that
kind of betrayal involving little Of the crime
called matchmaking, so popularity referred to Of
late, by his obituarians aud executors
The work Of the Poland committee at that
period bore a moral significance scarcely less than
the impeachment Of Stafford BY Pym and
Coke. The chairman, in his venerable white hair
straight carriage, blue coat, and buff vest pre-
served health Of skin and hue Of eve and respect
full grave address, conducted the proceedings like
a Moderator, extracting the truth without raising
his tone of voice or losing his mien Of behavior
and, when he brought In the report, and stood up
To defend 1t against General Butler, James b.
Beck, Fernando Wood, and number OF very
capable debators, all hoty committed To save the
culprits, he prevailed with that great grand jury
which desired justice sufficient but 20 more |
have always thought that, for his temperament,
50 respectful and inoifensiye it required the high.
est kind Of legislative foritude to face Brooks and
Ames, and face them there, in the midst of
hostile Congress, facing them both as he spoke
those sentences so terrible because SO calm sub
sequeni investigations have contained more pyro-
technics, and have been supported by an outside
pressure, threatening and baleful and, as in all
such cases, dignifying the defense The report Of
the Poland committee was no mere nosing affair
in search OF chops and tomato-sauce it was a
Congressional inquest, Passing up to the Senate,
1t reached subject there as well Amongst the
many who rejoice in poands defeat are some
who could never forgive that man for his work in
1872. Like some Of them, he Is retired, but with
none Of their reproach lie is retired by this fact
more than any other; restveness Of other men
long kept ont OF public career by his long tenure
of office | was in Vermont in 1912, and found
at that time loud complaint that Poland would
never die nor retire. The same is the case in
every district where man Of predominant ex-
perience and fitness lives. The English, wise in
this respect, provide against such instability Of
the constituency by extending the opportunity Of
other boroughs to their statesmen"