Evening journal., 1915-03-27
New News Of Yesterday
Two Great Politicians of
the Old School
BY Holland.

The late Robert A. Potter. OF Bos-
ton, who was for many years State
printer for Massachusetts, used some-
times TO speak Of his acquaintance
with John A. Andrew, who became
widely known as the war governor
OF Massachusetts, and also Anson Bur-
lingame, who gained permanent fame
as the American Minister TO China
who negotiated the first important
treaties between China and the
United States. and who, in 1867,
brought to this country the now his
tCric Chinese embassy.
MIR Potter's son Asa recently mar
rated 10 me the anecdote which de-
scribes his fathers relations with
Gov Andrew and with Anson Bur-
lirgame
GOV. Andrew. my father used 70
say, was quite as slIilful a politician
as he was an executive of Massachu-
setts in war days" said Mr.. Potter.
so also AnsOn Burlingame owed no
small part of his success in politics.
especially in the years when he rep
resented Boston district in Congress,
to his patient attention to an infnity
Of detail of political management.
"The State printers Office Of Massa-
chusetts was required by law to print
the official ballots. It very often
happened that the last moment. in
fact, on the day before election,
changes were made because it was
then not an infrequent practice in
Massachusetts politics to nominate
some one who was expected to with
draw few hours before election
( The party committee had the power
| to Eame some one to fill the vacancy.
/ II. that way, il was possible TO hide
/ a real candidate against whom, in the
course of campaign, if he had been
originally nominated, serious attacks
would be aimed
$50 it happened that in the early
/ evening before election day, the lead
| ing politicians were in the habit of
visiting the State printers Office. For
/ years Gov. Andrew called on the
evening before election. He did this
after he was governor Anson Bur
, lingame was always there. ] used
to be interested in studying these two
men. Gov. Andrews was a shory.
thicksct. heavily built man. with
massive head surmOunted by curly
brown hair, and he seemed to have
no neck at all Burlingame was
tall. large boHed, very active, with an
intelligent face and spendid eyes, and
he wore the kind of side whiskers
which were fashionable at that time.
These two men would put their heads
together, carefully scrutinize the re-
vised proofs of the ballot, taking eX-
cessive caution so that no mistake
might be made. seeing to il that the
substituted names were on the ballot.
Then they waited until the ballots
were printed
Sometimes il took until long past
midnight TO print the ballots. When
a. last they were printed they were
tied in packages for each election
district Burlingame always had ten
I or twelve hackmen at the State
printers office. When the ballots
were ready for distribution he would
take the packages designed for one
district. Gov Andrew would take an
other package designed for another
district. ana other faithful party men
would take other packages and then
they would drive off rapidly TO deliver
the packages at the polling places.
They invariably stayed at the polling
places until the ballot boxes were
open. They were among the first to
vote. and they remained on duty until
The ballots were counted on the even-
ing Of election day.
Copyright, 1915. by e. J. Edwards.
All rights reservcd)