The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-10

in May, 1880, and at the following No.
vember election the people elevated him
to that position, for term Of fourteen
years, by majority double that given to
General Garfield. On the resignation of
Mr.. Window, at President Arthur's earn
est solicitation Judge Folger resigned his
honorable and secure position at the head
of the judiciary of the Empire State and
entered the national administration as
secretary of the treasury. BY those who
are we'll acquainted with his sdministra-
ton of the department, it is believed that
he was victim of overwork. From the
day he became secretary it was an often
heard remark that Judge Folger was over
taxing his strength. He brought with
him to the department, it is said, the
habits and methods of judge rather
than those of an administrative officer,
and the result was that in attempting to
review in judicial manner the vast
amount of routine business which was
brought to his desk from day to day, he
was constantly weighed down with bur-
den too heavy to be borne by any man
without injurious physical and mental
effects. His tenure of the Office of secre-
tary of the treasury was signalized by a
political episode that adds q pathetic in.
terest to his career, and which undoubt-
eddy had fatal agency in undermining
his strength and in precipitating the
disaster at Geneva last week. In 1882
the republicans of New York nominated
him to the governorship. Fraud in some
of the proceedings at the convention was
charged. Secretary Folger, or any one
entitled to his personal or political friend.
ship or confidence, was never charged with
completely, directly or indirectly, in the
irregular proceedings. Personal malice
or political Islander never dared accuse
him of any part in the dishonorsble
transaction. Indeed, friend and foe WED
with each other in their expressions OF
belief in the secretary's entire innocence
and cleanness. They paid tributes to his
great personal worth and purity, his
splendid abilities and distinguished public
services. 1t did not appear that the
alleged irregularity, committed by politi
cal parasites that infested both factions
alike, changed the result of the conven
ton. Still, in spssm of political virtue
which was in fact an outburst of a re-
vengeful factional spirit, so many of his
political friends whose votes two years
before, in distinguishing manner, had
made him chief-justice, either deserted
him or voted against him that he was
defeated by majority the phenomena
size of which was like turning the dagger
in the sore wounds of ordinary defeat
He had not sought the nomination. HI
was placed by it in position where hi
could not honorably decline, and he &C
cepted with the consciousness that he wa,
applying with his own hand the torch t.
his political funeral pyre. He was great,
loved by his subordinates in the treasury
department down to the humblest EN-
ploye, and their manifestations of grie
are as sincere as they are demonstrstive
The treasury building, it is said, neve
bore more profuse or more fitting emblem
of mourning. High national honors ar
everywhere paid the dead secretary, ant
the highest state and national dignitarie
attended his obsequies.