The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1875-03-15
JOHNSON AND ANTI.MASONR

If Oliver johnson is only as well inform
ed as to other matters, in reference to
which he testified, as he is relative to Yer
mont anti-masonry, we wish Mr. Beecher
and his counsel Joy in their witness He
testified that he became the editor OF the
Middlebury Free Press in 1888 or 1884,
that the paper had been an anti-masonic
paper, but that at the time he had charge
of it the question of masonry was no long
er before the country, and that the anti
masonic question was then entirely OBJ
solete. johnson is sadly at fault that
worse tbs midsummer madness was not
obsolete, but continued to occupy the at
tention of Vermont for years after. 1t is
true that prior to that time, in 1882, YER
mont had, solitary and alone, gwen her
electoral vote for anti-masonic candidates
for president and vice-president of the
United States, and had several times elect
ed an anti masonic governor. The party
was formed in 1920, but it was not until
November, 1888, that the law against ex-
ira judicial oaths was passed-a measure
advocated by that party under the pre-
sumption that it would kill masonry. That
law is still on our statute book but mason
ny still lives. 1t was that same year, we
believe, that one of the great apostles of
anti-masonry, the founder of the Free
Press, then the representative from Mid
dlaburxr ,,racopfoI hiu varv cnlap,u ond
elaborate report on the subject of masonry
in general and extra judicial oaths in par
ticular, demon stratlng that they were anti
religious, interfered with the due admins
tratlon of justice, and were dangerous to
the peace of society, the liberty of the
citizen and the security of the state, and
which was temporarily disposed of by the
suggestion of the representative from Fer
risburgh, that she was sure the house
could not safely resume the ordinary bust
ness of legislation without appropriately
closing the religious exercises of the &C.
casion and he therefore moved that the
members sing 'Mortality.'" The effect
was electric, the report was cast aside, but
the anti-masons finally rallied and passed
the law, which, as we have said, still re-
mains on our statute book. The same year
October 1S33-the grand lodge of ma
sons,b vote of seventy mine to forty-two,
refused to recommend that masons should
submit to the demands of the public, to
cease their meetings, and that the lodges
surrender their charters" In 1884, William
A. Palmer was the anti-masonic candidate
for governor, with William G. Bradley and
Horatio Seymour as the candidates of the
democratic end wing parties. There was
no choice by the people, but Palmer
was elected by the legislature. Again
in 1895, the anti-masoric party
was in the field, and again there
were three candidates for governor,
and, as Thompson says, "The continuance
of three political parties prevented the
election OF II governor by the people, but
the anti-masonic candidates for lieutenant
governor and treasurer were chosen by
large majorties." These dates cover the
whole period of Johnson's connection with
the Free Press whether he became its
editor in 1888 or 1S34-and, If in the lat
ter year, his departure was the signal for
the elimination of anti-masonry from Yer
mont politics. Johnson's autobiography is
better authority than Johnson's sworn tes-
timony, for he says in the former, refer
ring to the year 1888 or 1884, "Then went
to Middlebury, Vermont, where he re-
manned two years, during part of which
time he was editor of the Free Press, an
anti-masonic paper"