The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-12-09
OIR ELECTORS

tors met at Montpelier on Monday,
Jan. 9th, and cast their (alas, unavail-
ingD ballots for Harrison and Reid. They
then choose one of their number as mes
senger, who will take the result of the
ballot to Washington and deliver it to
the president of the Senate.
The first Presidential election in which
Vermont participated was in 1892, when
W ashington was reelected; and Yer
mont gave him her four electoral votes.
The Electors were Samuel Hitchcock,
Lemuel Chapman, Lot Hall and Paul
Brigham great names in their day, but
as dead as CheOps, as far as the present
generation is concerned.
From that time to the present day Yer
mont has had 145 Presidential Electors,
most of whom (present company except
ed), have gone to world where elections
are unknown.
The premier elector, among the still
living, as to date of service, is Henry q.
Root of Bennington, who was one of the
five who cast Vermonts ballots for Abra-
ham Lincoln IN 1SG0-his associates be-
ing William Henry, Joseph Warner E.
A. Cahoun of Lyndon, and Dewitt c.
Clark, the founder of the Burlington
Daily Free PreSS-all gone to their long
rest years ago.
OF the electors of 1S64-Daniel Kellogg,
Albert l.. Catlin, S. NJ. Dorr, Ryland
Fletcher and j. w. Simpson-are there
any survivors? The three first named
are surely no longer with us.
The Electors of 1868 were George w.
Grandey, Horace Fairbanks, George A.
Merrill, II. w. Clarke and George Will
kins. The first and the last still live;
and Mr.. wilkins attained great distinc-
ton two years ago by his eloquent and
memorable speech seconding Gov. Pages
nomination, at the Republicans State
convention. Yes, Mr.. wilkins is very
much alive.
Harmon Garfield Elisha p. Jewett,
Alanson Allen, Abishai StOddard and X.
Ii. Start were the electors of 1872. The
latter-well and favorably remembered
in st. JohnSbury as captain in the old
Third Representatives and prospers. Of
Messrs. Garfield, Allen and Stoddard the
record is mute.
OF the electors of 1876, we believe the
survivors are ex-Gov. Farnham and DR..
A. f. Welch of Hinesburg This list was
made up of C. E. HoughtOh, jacob Estey,
H. N. Sollace, and Messrs. Farnbam and
WEIGH.
OF the electors of 1880, death has claim
ed w. w. Lynde, S. S. Thompson and
d. II. Beattie. Their associates were
Gen. w. Y. w. Ripley and j. X. Batch
elder.
The veteran 10 D. Hatch (may his
shadow never grow lessD Hiram Har-
low, George T. Childs and E. c. Reding-
ton were electors in 1884, and Messrs.
Harlow and Redington have gone over to
the majority.
Four years ago the list was composed
of II. C. Wilson of North Troy II. r.
Start of Bakersfield d. j. Stafford of Nor
ristown and II. G. McDuffee of Bradford
This year E. A. Parks of Waterford, f.
w. Baldwin of Barton, j. V. Carney of
Bennington and G. NJ. Wilds of Middle
bury are the electors. These last two
sets of electors are the only ones in the
entire list in which death has nOtclaimed
at least one victim.
1t may be added that the recent Ma
tional election was by no meals the first
in which Vermont has found herself on
the losing side. We have participated
in twenty-seven elections, and in nine of
them, or Just one in three, we pulled
painfully out of the small end of the
horn.
Vermont cast her electoral vote for
Washington in 1902 and John Adams in
1916, and found herself with the MAORI
ty. But in 1900 Vermont was for John
Adams, who failed of an election. In
1904 we were all right, voting for Thomas
jefferson, the successful candidate; and
for the five succeeding elections our can
didate was the winner Madison in 1903
and 1912, Monroe in 1916 and lS20, and
John Quincy Adams III 1924. Then for
a dozen years Vermont was with the mi
nority. Her vote went to j. @ Adams
in 1923, William Writ Ohe anti ,Masonic)
candidate in 1882, and w. II. Harrison in
1886, while the winners III these years
were successfully Andrew Jackson two
terms), and Martin Van Buren,.
In 1910 we came in all right with Har-
risOn; but in 1874 we lost with Henry
Clay, James X. Polk winning TIE prize.
In 1S4S we voted with the majority for
Zachary Taylor. Then we were out in the
cold for eight years. Winfield Scott had
Vermonts vote in 1862, but Franklin
Pierce was elected; and in 1856 buchanan
was elected, while our vote went to John
G. Fremont.
From that time down to date Vermont
has cast her electoral vote for tile cOndi-
dates of the great, victorious and yet-tO-
be triumphant Republican party-and has
twice unexpectedly found herself in the
minority.
But she is looking forward hopefully
to 1S96.-St. JOLnS6ury Republican.