Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-08-30

Mr.. Editorials am neither a politician nor
an office seeker. 1t may seem out OF place for
plain, unettered old fogy to attempt to write
letter trying to refute the charges which certain OF
our one-horse editors and cheap ring politicians
now making, to the effect that the present nom
nation of Mr. Poland was brought about through
still hunt inaugurated and conducted by him, and
that the boilers Of 1874 will bolt him again in 1882
Now am not office seeker, having filled no Of
flee above that of delegate to the boilers con-
vention at White River Junction in 1874, where
was one OF the immortal thirty. eight Ia position
which | have never felt like Dragging about
who, perched upon molasses hogsheads, tobacco
boxes, etc, in the freight depot Of that place
truly republican place. not aristocratic at ALL,
without the least expectation OF ever being heard
OF again. organized the bolt that defeated Mr..
Poland and elected Mr., Denison. Such being the
case. you will allow me to state what know con-
corning that bolt and not charge me with egotsm
when give the manner in which the bolt was
first started and how it WAS carried out,-not so
much because there was any particular hatred OF
Mr.. Poland, but because we liked Mr.. Denison
and wanted some fun. So first will give what
believe to have been the first conception OF what
] have ever considered most disastrous bolt,
not only TO our state but to the whole nation. In
the early summer OF 1874 friend OF mine visited
me, and during our conversation said " While
riding over the mountain, the other day, the
thought occurred to me that everybody was stirred
to fever heat upon the salary grab, and as Uncle
Luke Poland was one OF the grabbers, we might
get up a political muddle Of our own and have
some fun. What do you think OF it?' told him
that | was all right, that had always been
strong Denison man. and that we would shout for
him. that we should accomplish anythiDgat
that election, but that 1t might bring Mr.. Denison
before the people, and that when, in after years,
the people really wanted new man to send to
Washington, they might take him up, and that in
asmuch rs the people were excited over the sal
airy grab, we would pitch our tune upon that text
Accordingly, the next week there appeared in some
paper letter advocating Poland's retirement and
MIR DeDiaOn'a election One Of DangOn' n hqa yaat
supporters has since told me that that letter did
more to elect him (Mr. Denison) than any other
thing OF course ! did not know who wrote 1t,
any more than did a large proportion OF others
that followed It, In the meantime my friend and
] sat back and laughed at the hubbub that was
going on among the little politicians who imagined
that they were really doing the nation service by
crowding the matter, while we two fellows began
to grow serious and doubt our patriotism that
we loved Mr.. Denison less, but Uncle Luke more
and to feel that we were not doing the country
much good by advocating the swapping of an old
and well-tried servant for a new and untried
one. But as Mr.. Denison was started without his
seeking the place, we were bound to push matters
as far AZ we could. When the convention came
at the Junction my friend went as lobby mem
ber while was sent as a delegate, and OF course
left the regular convention with the boilers. In
the regular convention had noticed several par
ties, whom learned to be grangers, and as the
understanding among us was that the one Mead
or Denison) who received the majority OF votes
yention, was anxious lest Mead should receive
the nomination, for was so well acquainted with
nearly every member that knew the votes to be
very evenly divided between the two. Conse-
quently, when i saw several votes deposited by
those not delegates, | challenged the vote, and
the vote that followed gave Denison twenty and
Mead eighteen. Had the vote remained unchal-
lenged there Is no doubt but what Mead would
have been nominated and Poland elected, as
Mead could not have run against him had he re-
ceyed the nomination. My friend and | have
often talked 1t over, and concluded that we had
TO reason TO brag over the result OF our maiden
political adventure; and last spring we both re-
solved, unbeknown TO each other, that we would
this year use our feeble efforts to re-eect Mr.
Poland, and have done so. And we think that
both OF the towns In which we live are as firmly
fixed for Poland in 1882 as they we're for Denison
In 1874, and this has been done spontaneon BY
the people, from the fact that they believed Mr.
Poland the best man 10 be found in the district
for the position. A REPENTANT SINNER
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