Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1868-04-29
CORRESPONDENCE.
CAMBRIDGE DoGBERRIEs.
CAMBRIDGE, April 22d. !

mas alieauJ SVS "
y That result was achieved by comblna
i ton of three elements.
i LIST. The misers and saylocss of thu
a community, under the lead of notorious
opponent of the road, who for forty years
: has consistently opposed every public i'm
9 movement and who was never known tC
8 give a cent towards the accomplishment
c Of any object which would be benefit to
: the community. To the credit of the
; Town he it said that this class was small
and that the more liberal opponents Of
the measure avowcd themselves as asham.
! ed of the company they were In
2nd, A large class of liberal men and
; good citizens, who really wanted to do
something in aid of the rail road, bu,
who had conscientious scruples against
bonding 1t is to this class that the at.
tention of the friends of the measure
should now DC ulfecteu.
With proper presentation OF the case,
these men will be brought to see the
great practical utility Of the method of
giving aid to the road pointed cut by the
Enabling Act and this will bring forth
good fruits.
Sd, Men who voted against the accepi
lance Of the Act. through ignorance of its
true character. This class the opposition
persistently endeavOred to keep away
from the preliminary meetings. in order
to prevent them from obtaiuing clear
insight into the matter, and with too
much SUCCESS
These clements, combined with the
unlawful and fraudulent action Of the
Board of Civil Authority, sue eede in
rolling up majority against us of over
two to one.
The action of the majority of this body
of men, purporting to sit as Board of
Civil Authority, cannot be too severely
commented upon.
The General Statutes Of this State pro-
vide that it shall be the duty of the Sc
iectmen and Justices to decide upon all
questions of voting at any Freeman's
meeting.
There is no suoh provision in regard to
Town meetings and the Board have no
such authority.
Yesterday, the Selectmen. Justices and
Listers constituted themselves into pre-.
tended Board of Civil Authority, and as.
sumcd to decide upon the right Of persons
to vote.
Now the Selectmen, Justices and List
ers, for certain purposes, are Board of
Civil Authority. but their powers are con-
lined to questions arising upon the abate-
nent Of taxes and kindred questions and (
they have no more power to decide who .
shall vote and who shall be excluded |
rom voting in Town meeting than the l
man in the moon" I
The Session laws of 1868 provide that i
every male person of the age of twenty. a
ne years, whose list shall have been Ia. /
zen IN any town, at the annual assess. t
nent next preceding any town meeting. f
hall during his residence in such town, O
e legal voter in such town meeting" Il
By law, this assessment liz made on the s.
st day of April of every year. n
Yet this vigilance committee decided O,
hat In order for man to vote, he must .,
ave had list in town last year, under Fl
he silly plea that this years list is not !,
ct returned to the Town Clerks Office "
rom ten to fifteen voters who favored =,
re road were thus excluded from voting N
ID the Moderator refused to receive their ed
'tes. The pretended board assumed up
themselves the duty of acting as
'allengers and challenged every man co
no did not have list last year and gi
no had a vote in favor of accepting the 6,
i In his hand. bat made no objection
persons voting under similar circum.
ances, provided he only voted no."
10 man Was excluded from voting who
ID lived In the town for years. but who W.
IS left out of the list last year by mis-. AZ
&C. The decision was regarded as 10.
nous even by the opponents of the roud
1t is but justice to say that four mem.
RS OF the bogus board protested agaius. puI
Q decision. :,
The following is a list of the men who ma
led In favor Of the proposition to ex sue
de the votes: -.
David Lewis, Farewell Wetbe,bv -
nry .. stowell. Joel Wilcox, James s ole,
l'tcomb, Il NJ. Baisdell, J. w. Heath rae,
Guy Butler. a.
The excluded men avow their linton ic,l
10 prosecute these gentlemen to the nil
extent OF the law. and lively times tior
ahead for the Board