The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1898-09-09

Our Representative Elect.

george u. Smith, representative
elect, is to the manor born and for
about thirty years has been in bust.
ness in this village and for sixteen
years was postma 'ter. He is a
thorough business man, well read
and we'll posted on political, state
and general affairs and his friends
have no fear but his record in the
Legislature will honor himself and his
town.
Mr.. Smith, like most men who
have been long in business with the
general public has many warm
friends and some bitter enemies.
1Of the latter the most active were of
the old ring, who for years doled out
the offices in town at their own sweet
pleasure, from whom Smith had pull
ed away and thereby called down
upon his head the anathemas of the
gang. Active work was put in by
these men, Notwithstanding their
numbers have for several years been
growing beautifully less, and it re.
minded one of the old days-ante-
SITTER days-when elections were
carried by threats, coercion and rum.
A number of these kind of cases have
been reported to the SITTER. One
voter was approached on Tuesday
and chided for voting as he was sup
posed to and upon failure to convince
him of his error pointed to the cap
he was wearing and asked why be
wore it. The answer was that he did
not have hat and he thought the
cap good enough He was then told
to 90 to Landmarks store and get
him hat and then come back and
vote for Ii. w. Smith. He did not
go. Another worker" went to a
voter few days before the election
and demanded small bill due him.
This the voter could not pay but he
brought out gun he owned and Of
fered to let him have it in discharge
of the debt. This he agreed to do if
he would vote for II. W. Smith.
The voter was shrewd; he got his
debt cancelled, came to the election
and voted for G. g. Smith, notwith-
standing he was closely followed and
watched. Thanks to the present sys-
tenn of voting men can't be followed
to the ballot box. The same man
went the next day after the election
to another voter and said: "Now
you've voted for that id, stinking,
miserable, rotten cuss you can pay
me what you owe me-" And this
from church member, too. Well,
be got his pay and some good chin
music with it.
In marked contrast with friends of
the victorious party, who never failed
to speak in the highest terms of H.
w. Smith and c.. M. Eames, the
two leading opposition candidates,
these fellows had only reviling on
their tongues. In fact their ''work"
was too dirty to tell or talk about,
and richly deserved defeat. 1t was
not brain work. And we do not be-
lieve it was done with the consent of
H. w. Smith, whoIs universally rec
ognized as a high minded, honorable
citizen.
The tactics of the victorious party
was not understood by the opposition,
at least until too late. No effort was
made by the victor, either in the few
days preceding the election nor on
that day, to take the lead. It was
thought by them, and correctly, as
the result proved, that no choice
could possibly be made until the
third ballot and with this in view the
entire "work" was put in for that
trial Of strength Every pledge that
could be secured for the third was
obtained. This worked charmingly
aud the changes made were great
surprise to the opposition who were
boastihgly confident OF victory at the
| announcement of the result OF the
second ballot.