ng and somewhat exciting one. His
Democratic competitor for the office was General Benjamin F. Butler, who
was then Governor, and who took the stump in his peculiarly aggressive
way, arraigning bitterly the Republican administrations which had
preceded his own and appealing to his own record in the office as an
argument for his re-election. His elevation to the Governorship the year
before had been the result of some demoralization in the Republican
party, and was the possible cause of more, unless a candidate could be
found able to harmonize and draw together again the inharmonious
elements. That Mr. Robinson was such a man was indicated very clearly in
the fact that the nomination sought him, in reality against his wish,
and was accepted in a spirit of duty. Accepting the leadership of his
party in the State Mr. Robinson at once applied himself to the further
duty of making his candidacy a successful one, and to that end placed
himself in the view of the people all over the Commonwealth in a series
of addresses that were probably never surpassed for excellence in any
previous political campaign. He is an interesting and impressive
speaker, an honest man in the handling of facts, logical in his
arguments, choice in his language, which is rich in Anglo-Saxon phrases,
and with the admirable tone of his utterances combines a clear and ready
wit that, never obtruding itself, is never missing when the place for it
exists. He made himself thoroughly acquainted with questions at issue,
and with questions in general connected with the interests of the
Commonwealth. His addresses commanded attention and commended themselves
to the common sense of the people, and the result was inevitable. He
entered upon the administration of affairs with his customary vigor, and
during his first year in office won the respect of men of all shades of
political opinion by the ability and impartiality with which his duties
were performed. While neglecting none of the details of official
business Governor Robinson found time to attend to those social
requirements that have long been imposed upon the Chief Magistrate,
dignifying by his presence and enlivening by his timely remarks all
kinds of gatherings, the aim of which has been to broaden social
relations, or to advance the welfare of the community in any way. In the
election of November, 1884, he was again the Republican candidate for
Governor, and was re-elected. In his personal appearance Gover