The Rutland weekly globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-05-19
The Governorship-Will Money Buy
It2


lance.
What first attracted my attention was
the number and zeal of the political mis-
sionaries whom the aforesaid good Deacon
Estey has sent out to perambulate the state
in all directions IN his behalf. encount-
cred them at several points myself, and
heard of them everywhere always en-
gagged in chanting the praises Of that
highly intelligent, benevolent and christian
statesman and philanihropist, Deacon
Jacob Estey in comparison with whom,
ne they told it, any other man that ever
lived would have but poor show. An
his supposed competitors for the chair of
state, whichever of Ihem might happen to
be named. were bad lot indeed utterly
destitute of positive merits, and full Of all
manner of personal and political sits,
lesque. Some of the best men in the state,
at least some of those whom, &c III our ignor-
ance, have been accustomed to respect aud
esteem as such, were thus unCercmoniousiy
pronounced the worst kind of corrupt po-
litical hacks, whom nobody ought to trust.
The next thing that impressed me WAS
the absolute certainty of success which an
imated the disinlerested bosom Of each one
of these Jealous perambulaiCrs. What
Doubt that the great, the wise, the benov-
olent and the good Deacon Estey is 10 be
the next governor Of Vermont ? Impossi-
bic Why, everybody supports him
Every leading man, aud every led man, ,too,
in Brattleboro and throughout Windham
county is his sworn friend. Nobody, tx-
cept perhaps little handful of disroputa-
BILE malcontents, who hate the good deacon
simply because he is so good, benevolent
and wise, think of opposing bin. 1t is,
they protest, with tears of gratitude in
their eyes, and not unfrequently the odor
of whisky on the lips (thcse last are Col.
Hooker's "siunere," of course), the most
surprising spontaneous uprising Of tie en-
tire people in behalf of true goodness that
was ever witnessed. And what is true of
Brattleboro and Windhsm county, they
say, is equally true Of other parts of the
state. Everybody, with Insignificant ex-
ceptions, is enthusiastically, nay affection
ately, for the great and good deacon.
In the third place, the contents Of Ger
tain newspapers indicate that the good
deacon must have in his service, devoled to
his fortunes, score, or so, of expert rrO-
fessiona scrbblers, who furnish the vera
cious and highly entertaining correspond
ence that ornaments, from time to time, his
speclui 'i-- -' ",nsical Instruments, to wit.
his organs, which are supposed TO differ
from the common organ in this, that they
receive instead of giving notes. The pen
and ink portraits of the good old deacon,
draw. ~ tL~ aa-,hhia-a n nInraaa;.l a-a ..,.-L
marvellous masterpieces of high art as to be
a perfect surprise to his nearest neghbors,
and even his own family, it Is said, tail to
recognize him in his new war paint and
feathers.
Now, all this must be paid for by some
body, even to the whisky and champagne
which aids so materially in fixing the
sinners" An army Of travelling mission
aries, even political ones, who are general
ly go very disinterested, can't subsst en-
trely on mere gushing love for the good
deacon nor can penny-a-liners eat their
own words and grow tat nor can high
toned organs thrive on such vain and
empty sounds as they give forth to others.
1t is the crisp notes they receive, and not
the fraudulent and mercenGry ones they
utter that constitute their chosen music.
These things cost money, and somebody
must pay the piper, and roundly too. OF
hn frnnA Haannn lf,ff do c. 1,
wouldn't be proper, bit somebody does, be-
yond doubt. Money is said to be very
plentiful among the faithful. But what
puzzles me is, if the good deacon is so
spontaneously popular as his runners claim
and everybody is spelling for a chance to
vote for him, why they are making such
unheard-of efforts and resorting to such un-
usual and questionable meals to bring him
into prominence as a candidate, and why,
further, his adheranis should think it nee
essary and proper to belittle and bespatter
every other man nh0 happens TO have been
mentioned as a possible candidate?
Having in mind the great popularity so
boldly claimed for Estey, especially at
home, | made it a special point, during a
recent trip, to confer generally with all
classes of people in Brattleboro and in
several other places in Windham county
lawyers, politicians, merchants, labolers,
mechanics, doctors and farmers-about the
governor question" The result in the
aggregate, was surprising, even, to me !;
tor, though no Estey man, us you have dis
covered, q knew him of old, before he put
on the lions skln) had almost unconscious
ly given certain amount OF credence to
the sweeping claims so confidently put
forth, and so constantly reiterated, by the
electioneering phalanx. Estey has no such
strength at home as is claimed for him on
the contrary, it ia uphill work forcing him
on the public. 1t is my firm belief that if
the election could come off to day, he
would be very badly beaten both in Brat
tleboro and in the county; and it is claimed,
apparently with reason, that he is now con-
stantly losing, rather than gaining
ground. The common expression is :
'Well, I've nothing against Deacon
Estey he's all right in his place but
he's no more fit to be governor than am,
and can't support him." Two men out
of every three you talk with will say this
or something like it. The fact is the peo-
pie of Windham county know Jacob Estey
and understand better than we do his utter
inability, by himself, to discharge the du-
ties of governor. Their reluctance to sup
port him, which neither importantly nor
threats nor money will be likely to over
come, grows out of no personal i'll will to
him, but is simply the manifestation of a
proper sense of the fitness of things.
No other candidate, so far as can learn,
has sent out any runners through the state
to solicit support for himself, or to blacken
the character Of his opponents and no
other has expended, or proposes to expend,
a single dollar to secure the nomination.
end as began. with the question, "Win
money buy it?" ADDISON.