Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-07-20
THE NEW HAMPSHIRE sEyATORsHIP.

Inc long contest In the New hampshire
Legislature over the Senatorship is complica-
ted rather than ended by the withdrawal of
Senator Rollins, whom the Republican eau
Gus had nominated. Senator Rollins's course
was creditabe to him, though it had long
been evident that his success was very i'm
probable He docs not stand for much, ca
cept as political worker and as leading
member of that close corporation which has
for so long a time exercised paramount in
fluence in New Hampshire politics. AS a
party manager he has but one equal in the
State. Sagacious and skllful, bold and reso-
lutte, he has successfully carried the party
through many close campaign, and the can
vases which he managed have been almost
miracles of political skill. But as United
States Senator he has, as would naturally be
inferred, served but passably well, and the State
might easily improve upon him. The one
man who occupies no second place to Mr.
Rollins is William L. Chandler. Mr.. Chan
dlcr has had long experience in public life
and has held many important and rcsponsi
bic public p!accs-reportcr of the State SUI
preme Court, speaker of the State House of
Representatives, Judge Advocate General of
the United States, assistant Secretary of the
Treasury, Secretary of the United States
Maryland he is now only forty-seven years
old. AS political manager he has no su-
perior anywhere. He is not of the class who
let 81 dare not" wait upon II would" He
is quick in thought bold and resolutc in ac-
ton. The only charge we ever heard brought
against him is that he is less scrupulous as 10
the means by which party successes are to
be achieved than the advancing sentiment
of the times demands. Personally he is a
man of honor as well as of grea. ability aud
if the Senatorshp falls to him he will, we are
confident, render his constituents and the
country excellent service.
10 all but one of the qualifications that fit
man for the public service, however, cx-
Senator Patterson stands head and shoulders
above all the Senatorial candidates For
many years prior to his election to Congress
in 1862, he was professor in Dartmouth Col
lege, and he is a man of sound scholarship
and wide and accurate information. In the
House, where lie served four years, and in
the Senate where he served six, he took u
foremost place, and his name was upon every
ones tongue. lleis man of stately and I'M
posing presence and IL magnetic, brilliant and
eloquent orator; aud there are but very few
men IN public life, very few indeed, who can
be compared with him. But that discredit-
able Credit Mobilier episode in his career an
episode in which by a faulty utterly incom-
prehenslble he played such part as his thou
sands of friends and admirers have never
ceased to marvel Intellectually hoored him,
as it ought to have foored him; and it is a
discouraglng sign in New Hampshire pol
itics that his present candidacy has so strong
a backing.
OF the other candidates not much can be
said They are decidedly an ''or'nary" lot.
Gilman Marslon is an old man of seventy
two who has been named for every office
which has turned up vacant during the last
twenty years. Aaron +. Stevens is sixty
four and has served two terms in Congress
without anybody outside New Hampshire
being the wiser for it. James f. Briggs of
Manchester also served several inconspicu-
Gus terms in Congress. Mason W. Tappan
is distinguished Concord lawyer who has
been member of several parties and never
attained any high office under any. o. q.
Moore is Nashua editor of no very heavy
callbre. But while these men are not dis
tinguished by brilliant abilities, they are
sound, safe and trustworthy, and any one
of them will, if elected, serve the State, not
with prestige but crediably and respectfully.
New Hampshire ought to do better, though.