The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1894-06-15

I One funny thing happened to these
boys, whose portraits you see above,
and whom you will meet above some
day, if you are good and never use pro-
fame language. 1t happened very ear
ly in life. They were born, one Re-
publican and the other a Democrat,
and there has never been any difficulty
among their very intimate friends in
telling which was the Democrat and
which the Republican, particularly the
Republican. Anybody could tell after
hearing either of them talk politics half
day, as they have both been known
to do, if you could only just get them
started in right. Neither was ever
known to spoil good story-political
story-for the crowd, for the sake of
sparing the others feelings. For ex-
ample,-"Say, Barron, have you heard
the latest? What? Rain is a bad
thing to have, bad for the country.
Rain raises corn, corn raises whiskey,
whiskey raises Democrats, and Demo
Gratis raise the Devil"
Johns republicanism has always
been of the democratic variety, so to
speak, -"red-hot and reliable" You
always know where to find him. First,
last and all the time, yesterday, today
and forever, in season and out of sea-
son, always and everlastingly repub-
lican. Look at his picture. If that
isn't republican "double dyed, all
wool and yard WIDE" then what is it !?
Is John G. Stearns a republican?
Nobody has ever been known to ask
that question. From the organization
of the party to the present time his
faith has never wavered. From Feby
| 1870 to June 1873 he was the Z. S.
Assessor of Internal Revenue for the
| Second Congressional District of Ver-
mont, appointed by Gen Grant, then
President; Collector of Internal Rev.
enue for this State under President
Garfield from May 1881, until removed
for "offiensive partisanship" by Presi-
dent Grover Cleveland; appointed by
Hon. Redfield Proctor, Secretary of
War, as one of the commissioners TO
mark the lines of battle of the army of
the Potomac and the army of Northern
Virginia, and the positions of the reg
ular army of the U. S. at the battle of
Antietam, Md, and now engaged in
that work. He was the republican
senator from Orange County in rs,
and member of the House from Brad
ford in SO. In 1868 he was delegate
to the Republican National Conven-
ton at Chicago that nominated Gen.
Grant for his first term, and in 1888
he was an alternate delegate to the con-
vention that made Benjamin Harrison
President. Since 1888 he has been a
member of the Republican State Cen
trail Committee. He was one of the
original trustees of the Soldiers Home
of this state, incorporated Nov. %,
1884. Nov. l, 1890 he was elected |
treasurer of the Home, on the resigna.
ton of Gen. p. 2. Pitkin, and he still
continues to hold this office.
In 1868 he served as Col. and Aide.
de-Camp on the staff of Gov. John B. |
Page. His war record of 1S61-4 is |
well known 10 all his townsmen. The |
last of the war he was married to Miss !
Martha f. Pickett, and the same year
purchased the home of his wife's ia
Their, where they have ever since re-
sided, and will continue to reside until
called to take the long journey. For
few years they have spent their win
bOl . III w oShIhS WI as OAlNiol NuIiOS
required.
No politics in Vermont, in the last
twenty-five years, has been complete
without John Stearns. He is known
from one end of the State to the other
and has figured prominently in every
political move made during that peri
cd. That his work has been appre-
ciated is evident enough from the Of
fetal responsibility with which he has
been entrusted.
No sketch of Col. John G. Stearns
would be complete that did not men,
ton his partnership in a general in
surance business with Mr.. Charles
Jones. This partnership was entered
into Sept. /, 1869, and has continued
since without friction or break of any
sort. The business has been profitable
and is the oldest in its line in the State. t
Barron Hays career, if less varied
and eventful, has been no less useful !
and valuable to his fellow tewnsmen.
Since he was born &C years ago, with
the exception of seven years in Oxford, i
n. H., when young boy, he has lived
in Bradford. He remembers very well
when there were but handful of peo-
pie in town, as compared with the pres
emit population, and when there were {
but seven buildings of all kinds on the {
east side of Main street from the river !
falls to the depot road, and but nine
on the west side. On the east side 2
we're the mill, the residence of Col. t