, 1880-09-06
Hancock In Vermont.

NORTH BENNINGTON, Aug. 8, 1880.
DEAR GRANDSON Not having heard
from you in about three months. thought
l would resume correspondence with you
in hopes that it will be continued during
the short remainder of my life on this
earth, which, according to the course of
Nature, can not be very long, as am now
four score and seven. suppose you are
interested in the political situation of the
country, and a few lines on that subject
applicable to this section will not prove
wholly uninteresting. For quarter Of 8
century 1 was Republican. before that,
Whig. sat in the Legislature Of Ver>
mont for 10 years as Representative
Of the his' oric region OF Bennington,
elected by the suffrages of the Republi
can party, but when Tilden was elected
to the Presidency by popular majority
of a quarter OF million votes, and was
defrauded out of the seat to which he
was entitled by the Republican leaders,
and this great fraud, not only condoned,
but justified by the Republican party
throughout the country, I, as citizen,
too old to be dishonest or approve dis
honesty, dissolved my connection with
that party, and have taken no interest IN
politics till the Democrats honored them
selves and honored the country by puts
ting before the people, as candidate for
their suffrage, Gen. Hancock. man whom
I have ever loved, honored and admired
for his patriotism, prolity and courage
old as l am. new courage was infused into
me, new life and energy given me. and
notwithstanding my physical and mental
intirmities. feel almost young again. I
am young enough, at least. TO walk to the
polls in November next Gf alive) and de-
posit my first Democratic vote, feeling
glad that it will he cast tor man as pure,
honest and high>minded as Washington,
Of whom he is the prototype. This re-
gion is ablaze with Hancock enthusiasm.
and believe every man in the old 18th
Vermont. which was hnnored on the field
OF Gettysburg by the thanks of the gal
liant corps commander, will vote for the
hero of that decisive conflict. Col. Ran
dali. the old Colonel of this regiment,
lifelong Republican, is working like
Trojan for Hancock. Your cousin, Eli
mer Allen. a Colonel of volunteers dur
ing the war, the great grandson Of Ethan
Allen and son Of the Congressman Allen.
also life long Republican. is working
for Hancock. Though doubt much if
Vermont can he redeemed. yet the signs
of the times are encouraging and much
can be safely promised. I received a let
ter from your Uncle James at Mendoza,
Ills. eighteen miles from Chicago. He
saws he has accumulated fortune, which
is principally in Government bonds; that
he has never voted for Democrat in his
life, but proposes 70 vote this time for
Hancock. He is personally cognizant of
the snIt of Chittenden vs.. DeGolyer and
McClelland, which was tried in Chicago,
of which you, no doubt, have read, and
SAYS he can not conscientie usly vote for
= bribe-taker if he is Republican. He
writes thet Hancock is booming. and his
guns mean victory now as much as they
did at Gettysburg. Now, Tom. no doubt
you think am crazy to take such an in>
terest in politics. and 1 so old but can't
help it. I never mean to vote for thief
or bribe-taker, or man concerned in the
Electoral Commission.
To T. NJ. Draper, G. R. DRAPER.