Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-05-29
CLEMENT HOLDS A PRIVATE
CAUCUS IN BRATTLEB0R0.
NINE LOCAL OPTION DELEGATES WILL
ATTEND THE CONVENTION FROM
BRATTLEBORo.

In spite or calling an early caucus az
! the surest means of electing their del
egation and straining every nerve tc
/ accomplish this end, iu spite of resort
/ ing to more or less questionable poll
tics that Fletcher d. Proctor might
| have the prestige of carrying the larg
est town in Windham county, in spite
of the most arduOus labor In order
! that the machine" of this town might
not be overthrown, the supporters of
| Fletcher d. Proctor were defeated in
| the caucus of Saturday night by a
matter of three votes and a delegation
elected to support Percival W. Glen
ent. the local option candidate for
governor. in the state convention.
The caucus was undoubtedly the
largest ever held by one party in this
town and the total number of votes
cast-10JS shows in some measure the
height of political feeling which was
embodied. From the time of the
opening of the polls at , o'clock until
they were closed promptly on the min
ute of s there was an almost continu-
Gus line of voters from the door of
Festival hall to the ballot box, and the
excitement which reigned among those
appointed to challenge doubtful Re
publicans gave additional enlivenment
to the scene which was filled with tur-
moil from start to finish,
When the caucus was called to order
at o'clock the hall was filled with
people. most of them pledged to the
support of the prohibition candidate.
The call was first read by r +. Cor
don, chairman of the Republican town
committee, and the officers of the eau
Gus were then chosen. Col. George
W. Hooker was elected chairman and
II. i. Chamberlain clerk. The rules
of eligibility were clearly stated by
Col. Hooker, who said that any citi-
zen who had voted the Republican
state ticket two years ago, was a Re
publican now, and if he intended to
support Republican principles in the
coming campaign was entitled to vote.
As soon as the polls were thrown
open every Proctor man in the hall
suIged forward and attempted to be
the first to cast his vote in what was
expected to be the greatest landslide
which had ever occurred in Brattle
boro. For nearly an hour the Proctor
men seemed to have nearly everything
their own way and many were predict
ing plurality Of over 12o and offering
to wager large sums on their judgment.
After this pre- arranged stampede had
ended. however, it became apparent
that there was something doing on the
local option side and the Proctor men
began to work the challenging racket |
in an effort TO head off all the Clement |
votes possible. c. C. Fits, James
+. Hooker. S W. Edgett, r. c. Ba /
Thtp,yCnn f,anrpp NJ ]
Pierce and f. W. Gibson stood in a
semi circle around the ballot box and |
took turns in attempting to intimidate |
voters on whom the slightest suspicion
rested that they were not for the right |
man. 1t was case of Lets see how
YOU are voting or ''Hold on, who
are you for?" If the victim was off his
guard and happened to say that his
sympathies were for Clement or even
if he kept quiet and gave the
that he favored that
side he was subjected to all manner of
relevant questions and if there was
he slightest grounds he was sent
down before the deciding board, +. L.
4. +. Schwenk and G.. K.
Crosby Here he was questioned as to
lis politics and his eligibility to vote
n the coucus and if there was a diff
erence of opinion among the members
If the board an appeal was taken to
he chairman whose decision was final.
The number of old reliable citizens
whose votes were challenged was so
.reat that the board were kept busy all ;
he afternoon and when the polls were
,losed there were nearly 20 waiting in I
he selectmen' rooms to undergo the -,
,rdeal H. E. Taylor acted as chal-
enger for the Mccullough men and !
|. Il. Lawrence. f. W. Blodgett, j.
l. Roess and L. H. Corser for the ,
Element men, but fully 80 per cent of ;
he challenges were made by the Proc 5
or men. !
The lower hall during the voting
vas filled with vote peddlers for the I
Iitferent candidates and the wholesale ,
distribution of ballots which took I
lace must have been delight to the !
rinter who had the contract. Every I
otter was obliged to run a gauntlet t
rom Randall n Clapp's store to the i
ead of the stairs. Along with the '
allots for the Proctor and McCul- ;
ough delegations were distributed cir |
ulars intended to convert wavering c
mes. a
1t was jJst before supper time that 9
he Clement strength began to show y
tself and from that time until the end
increased steadily. In spite of the i
teady work of the several teams EN- f
loved by the Proctor contingent the v
oters for that candidate did not seem 4
} show up as fast as had peen expect :
4 and men were sent out on foot to i
ather those who had not yet done o
leir duty As the Clement voters in Ii
reased in numbers the Proctor chal a
,ngers redoubled their efforts to re-
uce the strength of the opponents and il
early every other man who stepped up d
, vote was obliged to go down stairs "
nd get a certificate from the eligibil- b
Y board. As O'Clock drew near
orkers for the different sides could
e seen hurrying out in search of diff
rent ones whom they knew were with
easy reach and who might turn the Il
ale one way or the other u
As soon as the town clock struck the .
our Col. Hoo er announced the polls y
osed and the work of counting began q
once with the following tellers: G.. 5,
Harris, c. W. Richardson, James +. "
ooker, Charles III. Thompson, III. G..
arber, III. Z. Taylor. While they were A
work the old town committee was VI
ected: X. E. Gordon, II. f. Taylor
Id F. II. Spaulding- all refused
serve. Col. Taylor remarking that NJ
! appeared to have but little weight Ii
ith the present administration. c. e'