The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-03-07
KEPT TILpEN OUT
Woodford Man Had Part in Stirring
Incident of 1878.

The following communication in
the Washington Evening Star of Feb
ruary 8, describing one of the excit-
ing features of the presidential elect
ion in 1878 will be of particular inter
est to Vermonters everywhere and to
residents of southern part of Ben
nington county for the reason that
the democratic elector mentioned
was Amos Aldrich of Woodford;
whatever discomfort defeat may
cost the unsuccessful participants IN
a contest like that at the polls last
November, there is some consolation
in having the result so decisive as TO
leave nothing to chance. When the
Senate and House of Representatives
address themselves next Wednesday
to their quadrennial joint task OF
counting the electoral vote, the air
will be free from sensational doubts;
for BIZ bedtime on November we
knew that Woodrow Wilson had car
ried states which assured aim so
large an electoral majority that he
could. if it were necessary, concede
number of votes to his competitors
and still remain well ahead OF the
game.
"The older generation OF voters
who read these lines Will recall two
occasions when the situation threat
ened serious trouble through Wlue-
spread uncertainty for some time al
ter election day as to whether the one
or the other of the leading candidat-
es had actually won. In 1854 the re-
turns from New York were held Dack
long enough to cause talk about the
use of force, if worst came to worst
to seat the democratic candidate ana
the final arrayal of the Empire state
on Mr. Cleveland's side changed the
current OF history by bringing back
to power a party which had been ex-
cluded for a quarter Of century.
Situation in 1876.
"In 1876 a much more perilous CON
dition confronted the country, whlch
was not dispelled till a couple OF days
before the date set for the Inaugural
ton of the new President. In that
instance public attention was concen-
trated on three southern states,
which were still under carpet bag
rule; for if one elector could nave
been procured for Mr.. Tilden in
technically regular way, in South
Carolina, Louisiana or Florida, no one
could have disputed his victory.
When the republicans showed that
they purposed holding their ground
and insisting that the count on the
carpet-bag returning boards should
govern, the democrats tried TO OBJ
tain an elector in Oregon, but failed.
Efforts were made also in tentative
way to induce James Russell Lowell,
chosen by the republicans an elector
in Massachusetts,, to take the his
toric rather than the political view OF
his duty and vote for Mr.. Tilden as
means of preventing a possible re
newal OF civil strife, but he stood
firm, believing that good faith de-
manded that his vote should be cast
according to the purpose he knew the
citizens of Massachusetts had In
mind in choosing him.
1T is not generally remembered
if, indeed, it is generally known-that
another state might have swung the
result of that presidential election
the opposite way In Vermont, as it
appeared late in the course of affairs,
the republicans had chosen for one OF
their electors a postmaster, Henry n.
Sollace. The Constitution, however,
is explicit in excluding from the
electoral college any person holding
an office of trust or profit under the
United States.
Democrats Deferred Action.
why the democrats should have
deferred action against Mr.. Sollace
till the electoral commission had
come into being and got nearly
through its work, is still mystery at
this remote day Suffice it that when
they did make an attempt to dislodge
him and have an elector of their own
party seated in his place they adGed
an element of picturesqueness to an
otherwise rather dreary piece Of
business.
THE electoral commission, under
the law especially passed for ITS
creation, came into existence FeOru-
airy l, 1877. Up to the last hours of
January 81 Mr.. Ferry, then President
of the Senate and presiding officer Of
the Joint sessions of the two houses,
had accepted everything that purport
ed to be a return from the duly con-
stituted authorities of any state, and
left to the joint session the RESPONSE
bility of deciding whether it were
regular and TO be counted.
The 2Sth of February, the returns
from Vermont being then under dis
cussion, Representative Hewitt of
New York rose in the Joint session,
waving in the air small bundle. 81
hold in my hand, said he, "a pack
age which purports to contain eiector
al votes from the state of Vermont
This package was delivered to me by
express about the middle of Deem
Der last, and with it came letter
stating that a similar package had
been forwarded by mail to the pre-
siding officer of the Senate. Being
informed today that no package cor
responding to this had been received
by mail by the presiding officer Of
the Senate. | called upon him and in
quired whether any other than one
certificate from the state of Yer
mont had been received by him by
mail, and he informed me that there
had been no other.
II then rendered IN him this mack.