The Republican journal., 1869-04-15
Rebellion and Reputation in Mont
vile. Judge Knowlton finds Death
in the Pot.

The town of Montville, in this County,
is intensely radical-so much so that it has
been christened /" Africa by some of the
Democracy. It gave only 76 votes for
Seymour, to 245 for Grant, or almost four
to one. It is so very black that the hair of
radical voters there is said to have decid-
edly kinky appearance, with elongated
heels, and q prevailing duskiness Of com
plexion. And these features they particu-
larly take pride in, as placing them unmis-
takably among the " truly loyal" The
clergy there are all of the political priest
hood, and pray good deal more fervently
for the temporal success Of radicalism, than
they do for the eternal salvation of man.
kind generally. Judge Of our surprise, at
finding the following communication in a
late number Of the Progressive Age
LIBERTY, April 3, 1869.
MIR. EDITOR: l noticed, in your last issue,
an account of those chosen for town officers in
the good town Of Montve Now allow me to
;,
at said meeting:
Montville, like most other towns, owes a war
debt OF ordinary proportion land when the
matter OF raising money to pay said debt, or
even the interest on the sum, came up, the town
by very decisive votes, refused to vote any
money for either Of said purposes. The reason
assigned for refusing money for these purposes
is this; many OF the most wealthy men in said
town own a large amount of United States
bonds which from i,ol +oxo
ton, and would therefore pay no part of said
debt or tax. The men who do not own the
bonds say, when the law is changed so that the
amount invested in these bonds can be taxed.
then we will pay the debt, interest and princi-
pal; and until we can reach this amount by
municipal taxation, we will let the debt stand
There are many men in Montville, who hold
these bonds, who did nothing to support the
war at all Some of them had large families of
rugged boys. Some of them had no boys, but
they had money loaned out to the active bust
ness men In the community, upon mortgages
or other security, or invested in local banks or
In some other profitable investment, all subject
to municipal taxation, unless they were mean
enough to secrete it, (and there were some
such,) and when they saw that there was a
chance to take bonds that would be exempt
from municipal taxation, at $40 per cent in
terest payable in gold semi annually, most Of
these men, but not all of them, collected in
their debts and Invested in the bonds. Now
they say to the poorer people, boys in blue and
all others, you may pay the town war debt
when you please, our money is beyond your
reach. I know men who had boys that were
likely to be drafted, and they run them off to
California or Canada; and these same men hold
large amount of these bonds. But Montvie
says, we will not raise one dollar to pay the
war debt or interest on the same, until we can
reach this amount Of property.
l say to the people Of Montville, glory in
your spunk. Let all other localities in the
United States take the same stand and we will
soon have equal taxation.
j. w. KNOwLToN.
The writer OF this communication is
citizen of credit and renwon, as we'll as g.
shining light of radicalism. Judge knowl-
ton was but recently the Prosecuting At
torney for the County, and has just COM
pleted his second term as Judge of Probate.
So it will be seen that this movement not
only has its origin in the strongest radical
town in the county, but it is urged on by
men of influence and weight. And the ex-
preston of dissatisfaction has not only con-
trolled the vote Of Montyile, but it has
spread into the adjoining town of Liberty,
and found a man of the Judges prominence
to publicly declare that he g!ories in it. And
it yields sufficient influence to procure a
publication of its defiant position in the To-
cal organ, without word of dissent.
These things are scarcely credible, in
view Of the result of the late Presidential
election, when q party with a mum candi-
date, on twaddling platform, CARED the
country over one which declared most dis
tinctly and unequlvocally for bond taxa
ton. That victory was the result Of party
drill, reinforced by the free use of money.
The mi stake which Judge Knowlton aud
his friends made, was that they did not give
their support to the party that declared for
the taxation of the bonds. Had a sufficient
number done so then, we might now be ar
advanced toward the taxation of these
bonds by an act of Congress-which, I'M
ueI luo law @lCatiHo ticlll, Is VIC UulJ WAY
that they can be reached Neither should we
have had the Ubiquitous act Of Congress de-
claring that the bonds shall be paid in gold,
when currency was contemplate d-nor the
arrogant and unjust declaration to the same
effect in the Presidents inaugural Both
these documents promulgate plan Of rob-
berry, far more Ubiquitous than unequal tax
alton of the bonds.
We have always felt that the hard and
memorable logic of the tax-gatherer would
have its effect, sooner or later. And it is a
matter of rejoicing that light has broken
out in so benighted place. We are glad
that our friends who have SO long lwelt in
darkness can truly say -'s Whereas we
were blind, nor we see" Like all new
converts, they are carried a little too far in
the excess of their newborn zeal. By-and-
by they will swing to the anchor Of their
new faith, and ride in safety. The Judge
should see 70 it that the movement does not
expire in mere grumblings of discomfort,
but that it is made living faith that shall
L ~ y