Page:American History Told by Contemporaries, v2.djvu/249

 he been more so than Major Miller? Come, come, Mr. Veasey, says Master Jo Cleverly, don't you say too much ; I an't of that mind. Ego. Bass is an active, capable man, but no seeker by mean begging or buying of votes.

3. Monday. My brother Peter, Mr. Etter, and Mr. Field, having a number of votes prepared for Mr. Quincy and me, set themselves to scatter them in town meeting. The town had been very silent and still, my name had never been mentioned, nor had our friends ever talked of any new selectmen at all, excepting in the south precinct ; but as soon as they found there was an attempt to be made, they fell in and assisted ; and, although there were six different hats with votes for as many different persons, besides a considerable number of scattering votes, I had the major vote of the assembly the first time. Mr. Quincy had more than one hundred and sixty votes. I had but one vote more than half. Some of the church people, — Mr. Jo Cleverly, his brother Ben and son, &c. and Mr. Ben Veasey, of the middle precinct, Mr. James Faxon, &c. — I found were grieved and chagrined for the loss of their dear Major Miller. Etter and my brother took a skilful method ; they let a number of young fellows into the design, John Ruggles, Peter Newcomb, &c. who were very well pleased with the employment, and put about a great many votes. Many persons, I hear, acted slyly and deceitfully ; this is always the case.

I own it gave me much pleasure to find I had so many friends, and that my conduct in town has been not disapproved. The choice was quite unexpected to me. I thought the project was so new and sudden that the people had not digested it, and would generally suppose the town would not like it, and so would not vote for it. But my brother's answer was, that it had been talked of last year and some years before, and that the thought was familiar to the people in general, and was more agreeable than any thing of the kind that could be proposed to many, and for these reasons his hopes were strong.

But the triumph of the party was very considerable, though not complete ; for Thayer, and Miller, and the late lessees of the north commons, and many of the church people, and many others had determined to get out Deacon Penniman ; but, instead of that, their favorite was dropped, and I, more obnoxious to that party than even Deacon Penniman or any other man, was chosen in his room, and Deacon Penniman was saved with more than one hundred and thirty votes, — a more reputable election than even Thayer himself had.