St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1880-08-20

His name was brought up at this time
simply because many believed him the
best man for the place. He is man of
large experience and is considered one
of the best officers in the state. The
fact that the boilers whom he fought SO
tenaciously two years ago, received his
name cordially, is the best evidence
that they were willing to let by-gones
be by cones. The story circulated that
Mr.. Smith and Mr.. Preston had an I'M
Outstanding by which Preston was to
be deputy in case Smith was elected
sheriff, is squarely denied by both these
men and they are both men that the
people believe.
Thus matters stood up to few days
before the convention. From that time
until convention day, Mr.. Sulloway and
his friends, including members of the
county committee, canvassed the county
thoroughly, and with what effect may
be estimated when it is known that
there were at the convention twenty
three Sulloway delegates from the little
town of Stannard, which polls less than
so Republican votes, all told. Of course
these men were paid for their atten-
dance. The people of Stannard are not
so rich or patriotic as to turn out en-
maSse and travel 25 miles to secure the
nomination of certain man for office,
unless some inducement is held out.
What was true of Stannard was tue of
most of the towns in the county. The
men poured into our town as never be-
fore at county convention.
| 1t will be remembered the county
committee called this meeting as mass
convention. When organized. one OF
the rings strikers moved star chamber
session, at which each and every town
in the county should have on the nomi
mating committee four representatives,
regardless of population or number of
Republican votes cast. When the in
equality and injustice and absurdity OF
this motion was shown up, as it was
very plainly by Messrs. H. c. Ide and
Charles Wilson, the ring managers got
excited and frightened. Judge Hall of
GrOton intimated that it was trick,
and unfair to his town, whose repre-
sentatives had come here expecting
things to be done in the good old way.
Judge Judevine followed in the same
strain. Judge Rogers was on his feet
most of the time, talking, but using no
argument-and threatening a bolt if the
majority of the convention decided
against the little plan of the ring. Their
fears were all grOundless however, for
the convention was SO packed that it
would have carried any motion the ring
might have made.
When the Trull motion was passed
upon, and the convention voted a rep
resentation on the nominating commit
tee according to the square miles of a
town, and not on the basis of the Re-
publican vote, the several towns went
into caucus. Some of these caucuses
were managed peculiarly. We are told
that four pronounced Democrats were
in the Walden caucus, and when a
prominent Republican protested against
this thing, appealing to the chairman
of the caucus and receiving no salts
faction, he withdrew from the body.
Other towns were managed in such an
openly disreputable way as to disgust
fair minded men of their own clique.
The st. Johnsbury caucus was man
aged in very sly and shrewd manner.
While pretending to make no issue on
the senatorial question, and claiming
publicly to all be for Fairbanks, the
anti Fairbanks element of the place
had secretly planned to go for Elijah d.
Blodgett for senator. This was un-
known to Mr.. Fairbanks's friends, SC
when Elisha May nominated E. D.
Blodgett for one of the nominating COM
mittee unsuspecting people supposed
he would vote for Mr.. Fairbanks but
when Mr.. Blodgett was elected, that
party was so tickled that they let the
whole matter out and as Fletcher
Billiard, Sylvester, Johnson, Calder
wood, Chas. Weeks & Co., had gathered
in about IS voters into the caucus OF
purpose to defeat Fairbanks, while pre-
tending to be friendly, they had ne
difficulty in choosing their other three
delegates, including DR.. Billiard. The
friends of Col. Fairbanks saw they were
tricked and said nothing.
On going into the nominating conven.
ton, when the time came, DR.. Billiard
nominated Mr.. Blodgett for senator
according to the plan. At this, mel
from other towns said they had sup
posed Col. Fairbanks was the man tt
be presented from this town. No, say
Billiard, Blodgett is the man we have
agreed upon, and so the committee
nominated him, although it was unex
, pected, aud a majority went into the
nominating committee room expecting
to nominate Fairbanks, and would hav,
nominated him had his name been pre-
sented.
After protracted session, the nomi
mating committee came in and made
their report to the convention through
= their chairman, Judge Morrill,, whc
o prefaced the report with speech il