Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-08-14
a POLITICAL LETTER.

FULL lSAL LG EN-
The following letter was originally
written as an open letter for publication
in the Vermont Gazette GA years ago.
The appearance of the letter, which was
recently found among alot of old papers,
would indicate that it was never pub
lished. Believing that by reason of the
two parties concerned being at that time
prominent in Bennington county, the
BANNER publishes it at this late day.
A perusal of it will show that politics
are no worse now than they were then.
RICHARD SKINNER, ESQ.,,
Sir-Some few
days since l addressed few words to
you, sincerely believing it might do you
good, but more particularly the district
for which you present yourself as a
candidate-This district wish and want
man who is not only capable, but will
ing, reckless of his own popularity, to
protect all their rights.
Your beloved, Horn, which you have
gotten up in the town of Manchester,
you have made to say-that you are a
man who has done honor to all the sta
tions you have filled "both in public &
''private life-one in short whose talents
''wOuld shed lustre over the congression-
''al delegation of Vermont-and place it
Gin the sight of the whole nation mod
'el for imitation, etc."-From what
source sir did your Horn get this in
formation? What a halo of light you
scattered about congress hall when you
was last member-On what commit
tee was you appointed? Merely a SER
want to the house to carry bills passed to
the President for his signature-Was
you ever known at Washington in any
other capacity, either as a gentleman or
scholar-and if your name had not
been enrolled as member of congress
would it have been known that you was
there-whilSt other members of that
body at that trying & pententous period
raised themselves to honorable distinc-
ton & influence in the Union. You
basely deserted your post and shrunk
from the duty imposed upon you by
your constituents and your acceptance
of the Office-You ''thro' a lurtre oyer
1.-THE congressional delegation from YER
''montm You cannot ride even in the
wake of that delegation-You "place
yourself in the face of the whole Ma
''tion model for imitation?" Deliver
us from such models for imitaton-You
"a member of the sound discrimination
''& enlightened patriotism of our noun
tain Stater' Where is the evidence of
your enlightened patriotism?" Have
not the same men who now support you
heretofore treated you as perfect era
ven to every settled principle? Treated
you as perfect rotatory machine and
political demagogue? Men who former
ly in their more sober and rejecting
moments hated you from principle and
now nominate & support you from in
terest? How much did it cost you to
purchase in such men?-What offices
have you procured for them? and how
many have you promised them?-Do
you believe if you were elected mem
her of congress you would open your
mouth in congress hall unless it We're to
say yea or nay? and then not on any
question of doubtful political import
Did you or did you not while member
of Congress vote for the raising of a
number of thousands of Soldiers-But
when the sine qua non was to be voted
for did you not leave the congress hall
under pretense of sickness & retire to
your domicll in Manchester during the
session of the Supreme Court and attend
to your business then in better health
than usual presuming that as you was
hardly heard of at Washington your con-
character would not be heard of in your
district in Vermont?-Answer these
things sir upon your conscience for | I'M
derstand that you have lately professed
to have found one-But sir remember
the people will know whether they are
deceived whether their representatives
are true and trusty to the people & the
constitution whether they have any or
merely nominal infuenca aft Waehin0
ton. What influence did you use during
the last war in favor of that war on the
part of your Government? Nothing.
Yes, you did, you was appointed cor
poral in company of SLIDER GrduS and
once was called out on the fourth of
July: But did you not really turn pale
to think you was obliged to take so de-
cided stand in favor of your country.-If
there should be any other act which has
been omitted you will undoubtedly men
ton it to your "Horn," and command
the editor to blow thereupon and sound
it thro' your district-And if forsooth it
should so turn out that there are two
acts of your public or private career
of yalue-from mere sympathy las you
have seldom had your fingers in the pub
lie chest), your new purchased friends
may possibly attempt to sustain you
You have made your "Horn" to say
True the meeting was not in one sense
"a large one" neither was it in any
sense but was similar to a meeting got
ten up some few years since at the same
place for the nomination of counsellor
for your county. shall leave you for
the present l am
GIDEON OLIN.
BrattlebOro, August 5th. 1880,