St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-11-22
From MONTPELIER.
MONTPELIER, Nov. Ia, 1873.

ed to hear from me in regard to matters
and things about the Legislature; but
the great event of the session, which
has to-day occupied the attention of
the General Assembly, has drawn hith-
er large attendance upon the "Third
House," as outsiders are accustomed to
style themselves, and among the num-
Der your correspondent finds himself
taking a peep once more at the assem-
bled wisdom and virtue of the State.
The "great event." to which refer is
the
ELECTION OF STATE OFFICERS.
1t has been my fortune, in former
years, to witness the assembling of the
two Houses in Joint Assembly for the
purpose of electing such of the State
Officers as are not elected directly by
the people at the September election !;
but think / never witnessed more in
tensity of feeling, and sharper array
of the friends of the various candidates
for some of the offices, than was evinced
to-day, when the nominations came to
be made. Such wholesale laudations
were seldom, if ever, bestowed upon any
set of men whose fortune it was to be
proposed for the various offices; and
one might well consider the State of
Vermont fortunate beyond all her sister
states in possessing within her borders
men of such "unimpeachable charac-
tiers" such "unswerving integrity" such
"undO6bted ability" such ''genial and
honorable companionship," and such
''exalted craftsmanship" as was attrib-
uted to the nominees of to-day. And it
is not to be wondered at that the chap
lain of the House said, upon the ad-
journment of the session, that he had
never expected to find, in this world,
anything represented to be so near
perfection" as were the men to-day
put in nomination for the State offices.
And then the manner in which these
men had endeared themselves to their
various champions, and the affection
and love, evinced for them why, it
was much as though the very millenni-
UNI had come, and men could no longer
do any evil thing whatsoever. But then
it was election day, and there were two
hundred and fifty men composing that
joint assembly, each one of whom had
ballot, and very few of whom knew
of the peculiar virtues and abilities of
the men brought before them for their
sutfrages Indeed, judging from the
number and length of the speeches
made in eXaltatiOn of these men $50
peculiarly fitted to fill the office" for
which each one was named, one must
judge that the days of ''lobbying" and
interviewing" had passed, and those
happier days had come when none but
the tittest could by any manner of
means be elected to office. But can't
begin to describe to you the hop it was
done so L will content myself simply
with results.
Of course the Gable, efficient, expert
enced and genial" DR.. George Nichols
of Northfield, was reelected to the Of
flee of Secretary of State; no man being
found with sufficient "cheek" to ven
ture as his competitor. And indeed it
is doubtful if man better qualified for
the position can be found in the State
and so his reelection was one of the
fittest things TO be done.
The prediction in one of my earlier
letters, that change would be made in
the Office of State Auditor, has been
fully confirmed by to-day's election,
and Hon. Jed P. Ladd, whose election
was obtained two years ago by a mere
accident, is now permitted to step down
and out to give place to Col. E. Henry
Powell of Richford, who has won the
office in an open, free and fair fight,
commenced early in the session and
honorably maintained to successful
result. That Col. Powell will make an
efficient guardian of the State Treasu-
ry, no one who knows him can for
minute doubt; and his election OH the
first ballot, against seeming odds, is but
the triumph of brains over demagog-
ism.
Truman C. Phinney of Montpelier
was reelected Sergeant-at-Arms,b by a
very complimentary vote over Col. A.
c. Brown of Montpelier, as almost eve
ry one expected he would be. Not
withstanding the mistakes of Mr.. Phin-
ney to which have previously alluded,
he is a man whose genial manner will
win for him friends everywhere, and
whose business relations are stepping
stone to success at any time. And then
possession is nine points of the law"
even in the Office of Sergeant-at-arms,
with his twenty or more appointees to
lobby for him.
Gen. James S. Peck was reelected
Adjutant and Inspector General with
out opposition, which is deserved
compliment to an efficient officer. Prob
ably no man in the State is so familiar
with the military records of the State
as is Gen. Peck and so long as so
much use is made of these records by
the men interested in them the State
cannot afford to dispense with Gen.
Peck's services.
For Judge Advocate General, Col F.
G. Butterfield of Rockippha was