Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1880-11-12
The AntI-Masonle Defeat.
THE SEw YORK TINES "FUNNY NAN DISCUSSES
THE CAUSES WHICH LED TO IT.
[From the Times Of the 9Th instl


tFrom the Times Of the Ith inttl
Up to the present hour there is good rea-
son for believing that the Ant-Alasonic can
didates for the Presidency and Vice Presiden-
cy have been defeated II is true that there
are remote districts from which no returns
have yet been received, but it is hoping
against hope TO imagine that the returns from
these districts, when they do come in, will
make any material alteration i'll what now APP
pears 10 be the result of the election. Messrs.
Phelps and Pomeroy have been beaten and
the banner of Anti Masonry has once more
gone down. FreemAsoury has again triumph
ed, and the country will have to reconcile it.
self to this painful fact.
Now that the battle is over and lost, we can
calmly examine the reasons for the defeat of
the Anti-Masouic ticket and it might be
marked that an examination of this kind is
always Il more satisfactory proceeding after
a defeat than before it. II is conceded by all
that in many districts there have been large
Anti Masonic gains. In Smthtown, Ohio,
where the Anti Masonic vote in 1876 was |,
it is this year =, a gain of precisely 100 per
cent. In Browuyille, Nd, 3 men voted on
Tuesday for Phelps and Pomeroy, whereas
last year only men voted the Anti-Masonic
local ticket at the annual election for the Su-
perintendeucy Of Providing Pigs. Here is an
H., Phelps and Pomeroy received vote,
which i, a clear gain of more per cent than
can well be estimated inasmuch as the Anti
Masonic ticket in 1876 in that town received
only the vote OF young man, aged Is, and
this vote was afterward thrown out by the
reckless and perjured men who superntend-
ed the counting. Iu Thompson City, Wis,
an old lady publicly announced that she
would have voted for Phelps and Pomeroy
Al. 4
may fairly be counted As an Anti Masonic
gain Of several per cent. in town where
hitherto no Anti Mason, Of any well defined
sex, has ever been seen. These figures, tax
en- almost at random from the returns from
four different States, show an enormous Anti
Masonic gain, and cannot but awaken the
utmost uueasinoss for the future in the minds
of Freemasons.
How it has happened that in spite of such
tremendous gains the Anti Masonic candi-
dates have been defeatedI As in the case OF
all defeated candidates, the explanation is, of
course, fraud and corruption, though in this
especial instance the maiign influence of Free
masonry must be considered. 1t can be
proved that vast sums of money were ex-
pended both by the Republicans and the
Democrats TO procure the defeat of Phelps
| and Pomeroy. In one Town in Ohio, the
| name OF which is for obvious reasons with
held, prominent Democratic politician is
known to have had upward Of ~ cents in his
possession during the week before election
and to have boosted that with this money he
could buy the support of three small boys,
sons Of a worthy widow lady, who were out
spoken advocates OF tho gallant Phelps and
the glorious Pomeroy. In another town in
Michigan the grossest intimidation was prac-
ticed by the physician of a lunatic asylum
who locked an Anti Masonic patient in his
cell, and prevented him from going to the
polls in a state of nature-emblemati of pu-
rity-and voting the Auti-Masonic ticket
Thus, with the aid of money and violence, the
Republicans and Democrats in unholy alliance,
succeeded in multiplying the will of the people
and placing a Masonic Administration in
power.
The opposition to Phelps and Pomeroy did
not hesitate to descend to the use of the basest
means to influence the minds of the people
against the Anti Masonic candidates Not
| one word or syllable of abuse was hurled at
either of them. This studied refusal to ex-
tend to them the courtesies to which every
candidate is entitled admits of no excuse. It
| cannot be pretended that either Mr.. Phelps
or Mr.. Pomeroy deserved this brutal neglect.
| Nothing would have been easier than to have
| charged Mr. Phelps with congenital lunacy
complicated with subsequent idiocy. To the
shame of the Democratic and Republican ed
itors, it must be said that they persistently
refused to make any such charge. The past
| public life of Mr.. Pomeroy, who was at one
time elected Senator from Kansas aud at
another time was not, afforded every oppor-
tunity to his opponents for vigorous and eff
fective campaign charges but, nevertheless,
he was treated with a systematic and silent
| contempt which must have made the blood
of every earnest Anti-AIason approach the
| boiling point. These men could not have
been treated differently had they been quiet,
respectable citizens, who had never been con.
victed of having been candidates for Office.
The utter refusal Of their opponents to aid
them by making charges against them was
essentially fraudulent aud in direct conflict
with the spirit of our institutions. 1t remains
| to be seen whether the matter cannot be
| brought before an Electoral Commission, and
the votes Of those States which have been un
fairly secured by Garfield or Hancock thrown
| out.
This crushing defeat should not, however
discourage the ANTI asons. Their cause il
a noble one. Garfield, Arthur, Hancock and
English are all Freemasons, and as such viii
unquestionably aid one another in the future
as in the past, in every variety of crime. The
accursed spirit of Freemasonry must be pu
down, and the Anti Masons must never cease
TO nominate candidates until they finally tri
umph at the polls, in spite of the desperat,
J and corrupt devices of their opponents.