The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-07-03
MIR. HASKINS
WAS DOWNED
Mortified Candidate Won
by Majority Of So.
STRONG IN NORTH END
Little of tho Expected support Came
from Orleans County Convention at
St. Johnsbury Tuesday the End OF
Spirited Contest in This District.

II 1
When the delegates from the town ,
Barnet in Caledonia county arose at ti
call OF their names and filed solemnl
down the central aisle Of ST. Johnsbuy
rein enaied music hall Tuesday Afternoon
the supporters OF Congressman lIaskins i
the republican second district conyentio
had suspicious that 1t was almost all owe
but the Plumley demonstration. IL was
highly impressive featup Of the conyen
tion, this record OF the outcome OF th
campaign between the Plumley and Has
kins factions. IL resembled very mucl
the ceremony OF taking last look at th
nmains.' The delegates from Caledonia
Washington, Windsor, Orange, Orleans
Windham and Essex counties wake,
down TO the front OF the hall as the rol
was called in the order given, and one bl
one dropped their ballots In an inverted
Amours canned beef box which pesteC
on the top Of piano in the orchestra pit
Lined up in dignihed array behind what
proved TO be the coffin OF the Iaskin,
political hopes stood the tellers: Z. C.
Fits of Brattleboro, John W. Gordon OF
Barre, .. w. Daley of White River juno
tlon, Porter II. Dale Of Brighton, q. c,
Frye OF st. Johnsbury and ;. {. Wilson
of Chelsea. Some OF them bore express
sions of suppressed triumph and Others
appeared TO be bearing up under the sting
of defeat; all OF them looked hot and tired.
| The delegates themselves looked like any
other bunch Of men brought together in a
political meeting OF this sort; they were
OF all kinds.
Ii was evident at the outset that the
convention was Plumley affair. In the
first place the red badges OF courage"
worn by the supporters OF the Washing
ton county candidate indicated that he
had formidable array OF delegates on
his side of the fence. And the roars OF
applause that We're loosened whenever the
name OF Plumley was mentioned pointed
all too plainly to what would be the re-
suit when the ballots in the meat box had
been counted. The result OF the vote was
as follows:
Hasklns ....................... l59
Plumley ............,,,..,.... III
As nearly as can be estimated Congress
man Haskins received in addition to the
solid vote OF 81 from his own county, 81
from Windsor, u from Caledonia, from
Essex and II from Orleans The striking
feature of this tabulation is the small
number that Mr.. Haskins received from
the bailiwick of Handsome George" Or
leans county was the territory from which
the BrattleborO candidates political man
ayers had hoped to gain enough TO insure
a victory, and when he fell short by a
of 5S there was no doubt as to
who had failed to come up to the scratch. |
The straddlng attitude of the Orleans |
county delegation was brought into promi. |
nence by the speech of o. 5. Annis of
North Troy, who announced that on ac-
count OF what was likely to happen at
Montpelier the next day there would be
no seconding speeches from Orleans county
for either candidate. 1t was an extremely |
bare,faced attempt at straddle, and 1t
was what the Windham county delegation
talked about most freely after the con
rention was over.
As spectacle the convention was not
There were some amusing
eatures-notably when Sherman Evarts OF
Windsor literally talked his teeth out"
n the interests of Mr.. Haskins, but as a
whole the gathering was just about what
night be expected, judging by conventions
If past years Ex-Governor w. W. Stick
ley of Ludlow made a very satisfactory
presiding officer and his brief speech in
audation of the G. O. p. was extremely
afe and sane. Both nomination speeches
we're good, although perhaps that of Mr..
litts was trifle more to the point. The
OF was announced and in this the Plum {
ey delegates as well as the visitors in the {
alcony showed themselves to be very en-
husiastic rooters. The successful candi- [
ate's speech of acceptance was very brief {
nd very sincere. 1t was obvious that Mr..
'lumey was as pleased as a boy over his I
ictory and the way he thanked those who '
ad pulled him through left nothing to be
esred. As for Congressman Haskins, C
I 4 %to
of the outcome far more c
than did most of his sup d
orters, and at his headquarters in the st. h
house his manner was cheer
Il and dignified. 1t was a significant fea- r
Ire of the convention that no one word il
criticism of Colonel Haskins was heard b
ON beginning to end.
The Convention in Detail. t.
It was not a great while after 2 o'clock II
hen the convention was called to order !,
Y Gen j. II. Lucia of Montpelier, chair T
an of the republican district committee, :.
I'd the call was read by DIR. George Il. :;
orham of Bellows Falls. A prayer by j
ev. j. M. Frost of st. Johnsbury fol- 81 81
wed (some of the Brattleboro delegates i
terwards said it was Plumley prayer Il
1t that is immateriaD and the committee e.
credentials reported that every one OF -
IL 90 ucltSdlcS was plcocHb VI uS1ouhbSo
+. j. E. Pollard of Chester moved that ia
e reading of the roll be cut out and his cl
otion prevailed. The chairman then Ut
lied for ex-Gov. Stickney, who buttoned al
S gray frock coat and strobe to the plat &c
rm where he was hailed with cheers. At oe
e close of his speech of acceptance E. w.
NTH of Wells River (who is well remem- pl
red by some people in Brattleboro as at DC
rney for j. FL. Albin last summer) ao
,ved that the temporary organization be SC
,de permanent. This done and Col. II. dl
Parker of Bradford moved for the ap- Oh
of a committee on resolutions. ne
dge z. H. Allbee of Bellows Falls was
e member from this county. fr'
The next business in order" said the Jo
airman after he had named the commit pr
), sis the nomination of someone to tn
We for you as chairman" There was tn
ef stir of suppressed excitement all over pa
, hall as Clarke c. Fits arose. No dis. fat
ct convention in Vermont, he said, had m;
er assembled with a more weighty duty bu
its careful consideration. The inter vo
s of the whole state demanded the tn
mination of the man who could alike VIC
We his country and his constituency lie
st ably. The question of tariff revision ce;
8 coming up and Vermont needed in ga
lgress a man who knew every turn and -
ner. Congressman Haskins, said Mr..