Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1866-08-31

ten thousand dollars The public will be
interested to know that failing Ia getting
the nomination there. Mr.. Baxter Is ROW
calling upon US to make good hi' outlay
This cool demand Is made in the share Of a
document drawn up by Mr.. Blx"r's attor-
ney, Jacob Mack. in which he Tectes tlat
the plaintiff. Mr. Baxter, has ANNOUNCED
himself as a candidate tor election to Con
gress that thereuron the editors 1T tins
paper, greatly enyying the hsppy state and
condition Of the plaintiff have been trying
to make people believe that Mr. Baxter
(whose high standing with the ndmnistra-
ton at Washington is duly related) had
secured the appointment Of bad and corrupt
men to government Offices in this district.
and had been prohting personally
and pecdniarly ny the patronage under his
control and that tlus We, thr wicked and
Malicious defendants. lad brought Mr. BaX-
ter Into public -corn and Disgrace, with
those to whom the innocence, cindor, and
integrity Of the plaintiff were unknown -
and tia, the plaintiff Baxter god name,
fame and credit. la,e been brought into
public scandal, iafamy and di-sr cc among
all his ncighbors. and the good and worthy
citizens Of the S.s,c, WHO believe she plain
( tia to be guilty Of tie oil, ard miscou-
duct IMPUTED to him. and who r,lusc 10
f have any convcrration, acquaiutanc- OF III
tclcourse with him and that thus hc has
! been greatly injured and damniiei, 20 wit,
+ at Derby aforesaid. TO his damage ffi. thousand
dollars, which We are thus politely asked to
nav. Tie document rcci,ez some OF the Ian
guase We have used and copied from other
papers about Mr. Baxter Gu; hgni- as shy
Of all allusion to the St1rrs care, II Nj Biz-
tc- does IN his public denial- aud speeches
Now We have to say to this, that while
there Is considerable truth told in this dycu-
nent, and Mr.. Baxter might have made
the statement even stronger. as to the deIth
Of disgrace into which he has fallen, '.amorg-i
all his neighbors, d." there If also considerable
in it that Is NOT true. We never enyi,d Mr..
Ba1ter's " happy state and condition l. IN
our lives; We don't think he Las been
in any very happy state and condition lately ,
and We respectfully decline q, pay over any
ten thousand dollars " for his use and benc-
fit" We hear that our ueighb5, OF the
Tunes and one or two other citizens OF Bur
ling;on, in like manner ARE to be or have
been called on thus TO contribute 10 Mr.
Baxter's future support, which the people
Of this district are about to decline to pay
for any longer.
Seriously, this bringing Of libel suits ius.
before election Is a very cheap and silly per
formanoc on Mr.. Bakers part. Such a
proceeding never did, and cannot now, alter
in bis favor single vote for any candidate.
There is not q voter in the district 50 dull as
not to know that it is a very easy matter to
bring a suit before election, and to withdraw
it after election none that Will not see
that such commencement Of a sham suit
prores nothing; none that will not say, II
Mr.. Baxter wants to yindisate has character,
let him do so by calling for the production Of
his own letters, which every one now believes
to implicate him, and by meeting the facts
which bear on him with such crushing
weight-and not by an action al law, which
cannot even begin to have hearing before
next December.
II Mr.. Baxter thought to brighten rs in
this way, he has missed bis guess. We
have isreated nothing against him, and it
will occur to thinking people that We have
probably not said what We have about him,
without something to fall back on, IN the
event Of being called on to support our ale
cations in a court Of law. We shall be most
happy 10 DO 50, whenever We can have the
opportunity. In this State, fortunately.
the proof of the truth forms complete
justification for an alleged libel, courts allow
a pretty wide range of testimony. and a
subpoena oyerrides all promises OF secrecy.
We should like nothing better than the priv
ilege Of placing under examination and cross
examination, on the stand. WA. Capp, Rol-
Ia Gleason, y. " Bingham, Aleok Noble,
Carlos Baxter, y. T. Shcaic, g. y Dale, y
P. Bowman. F. B. Whiting. II. ) Barber.
W, 3. Vl,le. j. d Hatch. Z. C. Benton. +.
B. Sawyer, L. +. Polrrd, ard number OF
other persons. # whose raia,s We have
little list. And II ,rs made nothing out Of
the revelations Of Portus Baxter personal
and political character, OF the character
and fitness Of his aFp5intees 20 Office,
and of the nature of the transactions
which have been going on in this district
for the last siX years, which such a trial
would involve, the piijhe would make enough
10 Justify Us IN making every cxcrtiou 10 St
cure such an opportunity. I'VE have no
hope, however, that it viii be permitted us.
If it should, We promise our readers
''music" ahead.
Some of Mr. Baxter friends defend him
by saying that " probably pretty much al
the Congressman do more or less at this
business of selling Offices. We have heard
a Congressman speak of 1t as a well known
fact, that there are members Of Congress
who sell every Office under their c.nrrol;