Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1909-03-11

in hand, noted the number of each-the
red Changers and the blue Spencers. Il
had already been announced that every
delegate In the convention was present
and it appeared an easy task to forecast
the result.
1t took over an hour to cast the ballot
in this way. As each county completed
its vote, the box was sealed and a new
one provided for the next, so that the
vote by counties, as we'll as the aggregate,
could be ascertained.
BY this time, many had perceived
what the reporter was doing and under
stood its significance. "Phi" Annis des-
patched q messenger to attract his atten-
ton so that he would lose count, but
nothing else interested him. One by one
he checked them OF, G's and SIS, putting
down the number of each as he did 50.
Hundreds watched him as the last
squad lined mp. He represented Grang-
er newspaper and when the very last man
cast his ballot the result was clearly writ
ten in his crestfallen look-Spencer had
won.
He dropped to 9 chair, dashed of few
lines that he sent out by messenger boy
who edged. his way through the crowd,
aud then calmly remarked to his fellow
scribblers. "WelI, boys, Spencer's got it
two majority"
The news spread instantly. The sup
porters Of the Westmont man caught it
up.
"Hurrahr' yelled the first one Soon
there was q tumult. Every eye rested on
"Phi' Annis. His Waterloo had come.
But under it all Annis never changed
countenance.
"Pay no attention to fake counts" he
growled. "Wait P'
The demonstration soon ceased to await
the official declaration. 1t took hours,
so it seemed, to count those votes. Now
and then came report,
"Dresden county gives Spencer %,
Granger Is, or madison county gives
Granger 80, Spencer "a"
Not till the final summing up could the
result be known. Suddenly the teIlees
arose from their table and scattered, the
chairman banged his gRvel and shouted
"Your ballot, gentlemen, results as fol-
lows:-
Whole number cast, 72s
Necessary to choice, 1855
OF these Prentiss Granger has 367
Rollin Spencer has 36f
Y "And / declare Prentiss Granger the
nominee of this convention"
For q moment there was q stupefed ST.
lence. Then the Granger men, unexpect-
eddy raised from the depths of defeat,
joined in shout of triumph heard many
BLOCKS away. They cheered, flung bal
lots broadcast and tossed hats in air
Finally they Joined in call for 'tPhi''
Annis, who, they saw, had somehow
snatched victory from disaster. He mere
ly arose and bowed grimly, this way and
that.
The Spencerites were completely crest
fallen and mystified. They had only
awaited the official announcement to raise
the roof with an ear splitting yell, but it
died on their lips. They were struck
dumb and for the moment while tie air
rang with the shouts OF their adversaries
not one sound came from them. They
even raised no dissenting voice when the
nomination was made unanimous and a
committee despatched to break the news
to the nominee and invite him to address
the convention.
1t should not be concluded, though,
that the defeated side took the outcome
with good grace and a smile. Most of
the Spencer delegates did not remain to
bear the Hon. Prentiss Granger express
his gratitude and promise his best service
to the state. They filed out Of the hall,
muttering their discomfort. They
charged the result to the trickery OF
"Phi' Annis, who. in some mysterious
way, had twisted the real verdict into
success for his rich client. Just how it
had been accomplished they could not
understand, but that there had been
chicanery Of some sort was the settled
opinion Of every Spencer man.
"Tricked again, by goshl Say, wish
you'd explain how a majority OF blue
badges in front Of the box changed into a
Granger majority inside the box" said
one.
"Ask 'Phi' 'Annis. And perhaps-per-
haps he'll tell ye,' was the reply.
But most of the Granger men hustled
about during the noon hour and declared
1t to be all right-clean, honest and
above board.
"That reporter must have made mis-
take in his count. We knew where we
stood all the time. PHI Annis had II
figured to the identical one. He's a great
politician, Annis is. No use for anybody
to buck up against him."
After dinner the convention reassem-
bled and completed the ticket and bust
ness OF the Gay. having won NnagnOFnln-
alton, the Granger people, to mollify
Spencer and his friends, wrote into the
platform about all that Spencer had stood
for in his reform campaign, leading OF
with a strong denunciation against the
extensive use OF money in politics. In
deed, the leading planks were submitted
to Spencer for his approval before the
platform was adopted.
Spencer, who had remained at his hotel
quarters all the morning, remarked to
Raymond Gray as the platform sub-com-
mittee departed,
"What q farce it all isl To run
Granger on such 8 platform is like trying
to hitch mp the devil and the Ten Com
mandments. Not that ] envy him the
place, for, to be frank, Pm rather glad it
ended as it did. First, on-my own per-
sonal account, and secondly because it
has given Vermont q taste Of practical
politics that, predict, will prove so
nauseating she will not care Tor the like
again. II my-own defeat-if you call it
defeat-will serve to hasten better condi-
tions, I'll welcome it."