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When the necessity for the proclamation of Thanksgiving came I took time to write my own proclamation and it passed muster without a word of adverse criticism, but that was perhaps because it was issued after my defeat at the November election.
At the wishes of my friends I entered into the canvass for a re-election and a very bitter and fatiguing one it was. The Republican party, knowing that if I was re-elected it had lost the State, possibly for all time, put forth every energy to beat me. It may be well for my readers outside the State to know that every man was then required to pay a poll tax before he could vote.
The expenditure of money in the State for the payment of poll taxes would very largely increase the vote, and I may say every means was used by my opponents for that purpose.
My defeat was wholly due to the opposition headed by the rum element of the Democratic party in Boston, for I carried a majority of the votes in the other portions of the State.
This element had been induced, by what means I know not, except that I had done nothing in my administration to favor their traffic, to use their combined efforts in behalf of my opponent.
I was informed and believe that the inducement for their so doing was the payment of money by the Republican party to that end. One thing happened: the press in Boston upon which were being printed my ballots the night before election fortunately for them broke down, so that there was a great scarcity of my ballots at the polling-places.
Although I received in excess of 150,000 votes, and the balance of my State ticket received an average of over 146,000, I was defeated by some 9,000 in a total vote largely exceeding that cast in any preceding election.
Having redeemed my promise to my enemies that I would be governor of Massachusetts I have never put myself in the way of being voted for for that place since.
In 1884, I was elected by the Democratic State Convention of Massachusetts one of the delegates at large to attend the National
A. M. Thayer and Co. 1892.
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