Page:The Granite Monthly Volume 5.djvu/158

 134 THE GRANITE MONTHLY.

such ever since ; not less than thirty-three years as selectman, thirty-one years as chairman of the Board, twenty-eight years as town treasurer ; and for at least the last quarter of a century he has been in continuous service. If any other citizen of New Hampshire can point to such a record, let it be produced. With only a common school education, obtained in his native town of Croydon, while working in his father's tannery, he has become the foremost citizen of that town, as well as easily prominent in the politics of his State. During the war of the rebellion, he gave his ablest efforts to raising the town's quota of troops ; filled it with astonishing success, at the lowest possible ex- pense ; and he has kept the town free from debt, with about the lowest rate of taxation anywhere in the State ; ninety cents on each hundred dollars of valua- tion. Without disparagement to the hundreds of other faithful and able town officers of New Hampshire, it is safe to point to Ruel Durkec as the model

SELECTMAN.

HIS HOSTILITY TO SLAVERY AND DEVOTION TO THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

As a free soil democrat, Mr. Durkee represented Croydon in the State House of Representatives in 1846 and 1847 ; and he early became an opponent of slavery extension, and an active political laborer against all the encroach- ments of that "sum of all villanies." From the struggle which in 1846 elected John P. Hale to the United States Senate, down to the election of James A. Garfield in 1881, no man in the State has been truer to Freedom, Free-soil, the Republican party, and the union of the States, than Mr. Durkee. He was specially active, courageous, and serviceable in the exciting contest in the legisla- ture of 1854, which defeated the election of pro-slavery Senators, and secured the election in 1855, of John P. Hale and James Bell.

At no important crisis in the history of the party, has he failed to be present ; rendering his advice and assistance ; aKvays cool, sensible, true and brave. The interests and success of the party have always been paramount with him, and, he has never neglected to do his utmost to secure them. In any future emer- gency, it will be a cause of great regret to its leaders, if they cannot call to their assistance the wise, patient and helpful sage of Croydon.

HIS CLEAR AND LOGICAL MIND.

Mr. Durkec is remarkable for his clear and logical mind. He is large-brained, and a careful and sound reasoner. There is no question of law which he can- not understand and pass a sensible judgment upon ; while in practical com- mon sense decisions concerning the affairs of common life, he is almost unerr- ing. No better adviser in any emergency of private or public affairs, ever lived ; and none of the neighbors, friends, politicians or statesmen, of the many who have consulted him, went far wrong if they followed his advice. He is the most level-headed man in New Hampshire to-day.

HIS TRUTHFULNESS.

Mr. Durkee is eminently truthful. There is no man living who can look him in the face and charge him with falsehood. His word is slowly given, but is sure when pledged. Men have deceived themselves when conferring with him, he has never deceived them. His caution and reticence may have mis- led them ; but untruthfulness of his never caused their error. They have been the liars, he has not been one. It is a gross vice of modern conspira- tors to narrate what they themselves said, and swear that the other party said it, when he only held his tongue as he had a right to do. After General Grant had once told President Johnson that he would not resist Secretary Stanton's return to the War Department, he did not feel called upon to shout

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