News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-10-26
FIXING THE CANDIDATE
From the New York Hour.1

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When old HauIlin, who had been .
member of the State Legislature fol
several successive terms, had the mis-
fortune to die suddenly on the morning
of the County Convention that was tc
have renominated him, there were not
as many expressions of grief among the
younger members of the party as q
proper sense of decorum demanded.
Old Haullin had voted for many doubt
full bills, and been the slave of every
one who could afford to buy him, while
in his own county he had established
his political supremacy by means SO
reprehensible that honest members of
his party were ashamed to meet those
of the opposition at any place where
conversation was possible.
As no one had ever imagined that old
Haullin could die, the deceased mem
ber's personal adherents were so de-
moralized by their leaders sudden dis.
appearance that they went into the
Convention without any definite plan oi
operations worse still, for them, old
Haullin's special political partner, Sed-
gar, an ex.State official, was temporarily
absent on larger political business, SO
the reform wing of the party in the
county succeeded in nominating young
Lamberson, popular merchant who
was credited with unlimited honesty
and intelligence. AS the nomination
was equivalent to an election, the nomi-
mating party being largely in the
majority in the county, the reform wing
considered the district as practically re-
deemed.
Mr.. Sedgar, when he returned, en-
tirely disapproved of all that had gone
on in his absence. He had been inter-
ested, with the late lamented HaulIin,
in new scheme or two requiring legis-
lative sanction, but to succeed, they
would have to be proposed by the mem
Der from the district, and their charac-
ter was such that Mr.. Sedgar was quite
positive that Lamberson would have
nothing to do with them. So the vet
eran schemer, without waiting even un-
til he had dropped a tear on his late
partners grave, began maneuvering to
rid the party of the new candidate. He
suggested-purely from motives OF
friendship, he said-that as the conven-
ton had been taken unawares, and the
sober second thought of the voters in
the county might not be entirely
pleased with the results, it would be a
delicate and manly act for Lamberson
to decline the nomination, and thus give
an opportunity for reconsideration. The
candidate declined to regard the matter
in this light, SO Sedgar, through some
of the henchmen of the late member
quietly started petition in accordance
with his suggestions, but the reform
faction heard of it and circulated {
counter petition that soon contained
the names Of seven-eighths of the mem
bers of the party.
Then Mr.. Sedgar became frightened
He was so well known by the candidat,
that all his attempts to form politico
business alliance failed besides, al
though the prospect of the local 'jobs'
was tempting, he had to look afte
larger and better developed interest
elsewhere. He thought over the mat
ter seriously for few hours, and thel
ran off to a city a few hours distant b,
rail and consulted Mr.. Bernard Padian
a gentleman who had been of such grea
service to his party that he never wa
thrown away on such small business a
holding Office it paid him and his part.
better that he should earn his living b,
manipulating those who held officia
positions.
The upshot of Mr.. Sedgar's visit t.
Mr.. Padian was that the latter con
tracted to convert the new candidate f
Mr.. Sedgar's views for the sum of on
thousand dollars and quarter interes
in the Sedgar job that Lamberson wa
to work through the Legislature. Pay
ment was to be contingent on a writer
pledge being secured from the candidate
and, although Mr.. Sedgar declared tina
the price was far too high, he admitte'
TO himself that the late lamented Haul
lin would have exacted an even half in
terest, after charging up all expenses.
Within day or two Mr.. Padian pre-
sented himself at Lamberson's stor