Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-10-26
Letter from Judge Ross.
ST. JoHNsBURY, Oct. 21, 1900,


Ny dear sir:-I most heartily thank
you for the uniform kindness and fairness
with which The Phoenix treated me
throughout the senatorial canvass While
you endorsed the candidacy of Mr.. Dill
lingham, unlike the most, think may
truthfully say, all other papers which sup
ported particular candidate, you did not,
when speaking well Of another candidate,
use such speaking we'll of him only as
stepping. stone to give the particular can
didate higher push. In other words,
they used highly magnifying telescope to
look at their candidate, and then reversed
1t, or turned 1t end for end, when looking
at any other candidate.
come from the canvass with no regrets
and cherishing no hard or unkind feelings.
1 should have done so If 1 had purchased
any of the purchasable press, or had tried
to obtain control of the machinery which
parcels out the state offices and to run 1t
for my exclusive advantage; or had can
vassed every county and town to see if
could secure candidates favorable to me;
and, not content with that, have pledged
them by resolution or otherwise to sup
port me; and not content with that, have
procured and sent three of my supporters
AS the Argus said-to the legislature to
see they kept their pledges, while some
other candidate had one or more there try
ing topersuade them to break their pledges; !;
or when, at regular caucus, candidate
had been duly nominated, procured some
other one to become a certified nominee
and then combined with, and elected
Democrat pledged to support me, and so
have defeated the will of majority of the
Republicans of the town. If had con-
descended to perform or countenance any
of these methods should have lost my own
self-respect and deemed myself unworthy
to hold the high office of United States
senator.
1 cannot regard that high Office in any
sense as prize to be contended for and
won, but as a most responsible serrice in
volving the welfare of millions, placed at
the voluntary bestowal of the legislature,
to be received and exercised purely and
honestly for the highest interests of all the
people of the Nation. Such understand
70 have been the views of the fathers who
framed the constitution. The Senate was
TO be the conservative branch of the ma
tional legislature, representing not the peo-
pie directly; but the states, that the small
states, like Vermont, might not be op-
pressed by the larger ones-elected, not di-
rectly by the people, but by their represent
atives in the legislature, who would be re-
moved from the unjust and hasty action
of cliques and cabals, wrought up by
bosses and political manipulators in the
counties and towns from which they are
to be elected. could not have used any
of the methods have named and disap-
proved of without the use of much time
and much money, and combinations and
machinery calculated to defeat the designs
of the founders of the government.
1t may be true as some newspaper has
said, that my political views are cut bias.
If so they are mine, and in my judgment
are the only views consistent with our
form of government, purity in politics,
and the preservation of the rights of the
people as understood by the wise founders
of the government.
Excuse this long letter. Ny work in
the political field is done. 1 have been
only an observer in it for years. may
never put them so fully on paper again.
do not criticise the methods of others, but
fear they shut out all opportunity for every
conscientious and poor though worthy and
able man, to be willing to enter upon a
canvass for any such Office, for they would
make such canvass wholly unavailing to
him. Yours truly,
JONATHAN Ross.