The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1891-07-31
Ex-GOv. PAUL DILLINGHAm.

Ex-Governor Paul Dillingham; OF Wa
terbury, died Sunday night.
Mr.. Dillingham; at the time of his death
was the oldest Ex-Governor of Vermont.
He was born in Shutesbury, Mass, Aug.
10th, 1893. His parents were Paul and
Hannah (Smith) Dillingham;. The Dill
lingham family trace their origin to John
Dillingham;, who emigrated from Eng
land as a member of the Winthrop Col
ony. Gov. Dillingham's father was a
farmer by occupation, and removed to
Vermont in 1904 and settled in Water
bury. Paul was the seventh son of a
family of five sons and seven daughters.
The grandfather of the Ex-Governor was
a soldier in the 'Old French War;" and
was slain in the. conflict prior to VOLTS
capture of Quebec in 1859. His father
was patriot-soldier in the Revolutionary
army and performed excellent service in
the Continental army from 1777 to 1880.
The subject of this sketch was six years
old when his parents removed to Water
bury, where he has since lived, beloved
md honOred by all who knew him.
Young Paul Dillingham; attended the
common school in Waterbury, and in
1918 he entered the Washington County
Grammar School at Montpelier. In 1920
he began the study of law in the Office
of Judge Daniel Carpenter in his adopted
village. Paul Dillingham; was admitted
to the Washington county bar in March,
1928 and the following year was further
admitted to practice in the Vermont Su-
preme Court. He formed law partner
ship IN 1923 with Judge Carpenter, under
the firm name of Carpenter & Dilling-
ham. The firm was dissolved in 1927 by
reason of the election of Mr.. Carpenter
as assistant judge of the Washington
County Court. From that time until
within few years Mr.. Dillingham; was
an active legal practitioner in the courts
of Vermont. For many years he stood
at the head of the profession in the
State, and as a jury advocate he had no
superior. His marvellous power over
the jury was a notable feature of his
practice. He was logical and eloquent
and had musical and reaonant voice.
His popularity was frequently attested
by his election to office. He was elected
town clerk for 16 successive years. He
was member of the state constitutional
convention in 1886. In 1S41 and 1912 he
served as Senator in the General As
sembly. There his services proved so
valuable that he was nominated for
member of Congress in 1S43. Ho was
the only Democrat in the Vermont dele
CATION in Congress, and differed from his
colleagues in the matter of the annex
alton of Texas as widely as in other re-
spects.
Bybirth and education he had hlther-
to been Democrat. But first and fore
most.he was a patriot and an advocate
of national unity, liberty and the pre-
servation of the Union. The traitorous
attack On Fort Sumpter in April, 1861,
called Paul Dillingham; into new and
utterly loyal political alliances. At a
mass convention held in Montpelier soon
after the outbreak of the rebellion he
avowed his sympathies with the National
Government and declared his allegiance
to the Republican party. Thenceforward
he knew no party but that of his coun-
try;e6Or didhe spare aught of time,
moneygor energy for the preservation Of
the Union.
Mr.. Dillingham; was elected Lieutenant
Governor in 1862 '63 and '64. In the
Presidential canvass of the latter year he
took the stump for Lincoln and Johnson.
He was inaugurated Governor in 1865.
1t became his duty to appoint two
United States Senators to fill out the un-
expired terms of Senators Collamer and
Foot. The venerable Ex-Governor had
the satisfaction of seeing his son, Will
liam P. Dillingham;, elected Governor in
1888 by the largest majority ever given
candidate for this Office in Vermont. His
funeral was held on Wednesday after
noon at o'clock.