Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-08-01

hatreds Of Mr.. Harris, of the Connecticut
River Road and Chester Chaplin, of the Bos-
ton and Albany Road, and which shares
the ehagrin attending the utter failure OF
their raid on the Vermont Central-has
correspondent who Is travelling through
Vermont, and writing up, or down, our
Vermont railroads In his correspondence,
we think, we detect the same one-sidedness
Of vision. and something more than credul-
ousness--eagerness to be misinformed-whieh
characterized the efforts Of the member Of
the Republicans staff who wrote up the
liberal republican campaign in this
State.and who, after personal survey Of the
field, gave to Mr.. Greeley $1,000 " liberal
votes in Yerm0nt-an estimate which, as
the result proved, only lacked II, 900 Of be
ing correct. His last letter Is from St. Al
bans and 50 far as it relates to Vermont
Central matters, Is a curious c0ngeries Of
distorted facts, abusive insinuations. and
absolute misstatements. As sample. we
may mention the declaration that in the
location Of the Vermont and Canada, the
railroad was carried three or four miles
inland from St. Adams Bayl. 50 as 10
be near the property Of John Smith and
Lawrence Brainerd. the father and father
in-law Of Governor Smith" For the read
ing Of the Massachusetts men who delight
to believe that no possible opportunity for
cheating and rascality in connection with
the Vermont railroads, was ever omitted,
from first 20 last, this statement doubtless
Will answer its purpose. But what viii be
its effect on those who know that when the
Vermont d Canada road was located, Gov
crnor Smith" had not been Governor or
held any public Office Of prominence
that be had then no position or influence as
O raiiroad nan and Furthermore that his
iaiher-in-law, Lawrence Brainerd, who
did have a good deal to DO with the location
of the Vermont az Canada, was the owner Of
a magnificent farm ola thousand acres, on
ST Adams Bay, which would. ofcourse, have
been immensely enhanced in value by 10
cation Of the road at the Bay? This last
fact is indeed alluded TO, further on in the
letter as are Others. in which. though
most readers will not think 10 pat this and
that together. the careful reader viii find
material for the correction Of the unjust and
incorrect insinuations of the writer. Thus
it Is part Of the arraignment of g the
smiths, - that they did not want freight to
be landed at the Bay that everything
must come on their railroad; and 50
they would build no branch from St.
Adams to the Bay. But there Is
also mention ofIthe fact that the grade of
road from the station TO the bay must be 50
steep as To unfit it for a freight road-which
a fair mind would be willing to admit
might be a reason for not building it,
rather than greed of gain. It may occur
also 10 some readers, that man, who, like
Governor Smith. was an heir Of consider
able owner Of real estate in 81. Adams,
which mas immensely increased IN value,
and whose wife was one Of the few heirs to
an estate. single item Of which was a
splendid farm of a thousand acres, might
with reasonable care and good luck in in
vestments be a wealthy man by this time,
without having stolen all his money from a
railroad
The letter closes with an abusiveattack on
Judge Royce, who. the correspondent a.
serts, was elected to the bench by "a series
of accidents, not without favoritism - who
''succeeded a Judge who has an III name
but nothing compared to the odium that at
taehes to the name Of Judge Royce, and |
who, the writer says, has been completely |
captured by the Smiths For most Yer
monters such stuff a. this needs no denial
1t viii arouse with them only a smile of
pity, or flush ofindignant protest against |
such gross maligning Of one VINO has had.
and has still, and VIII continue to have. the
confidence and esteem Of the people Of this
State, a. an honest and independent
man, and an incorruptible iurist.
We could wish, however, that the honest
readers Of the Republican elsewhere, might |
know that never was there an election TO
the bench less the result Of accident and |
iavoritism-unless respect for high charac-
ter j. fav0rirism-than that Of Judge /
Royce; that he was rendered the Office q
year or two before he would accept il that
his election was substantially unanimous
that he has never been specially associated
with d" the Smiths - though sometimes
opposed to them that he stands very high
with his associates on the bench and with
the Bar Of Vermont; that those in Yer
mont who wish to SANDER him. find 1t con
venient to ' let ont the job " to an anony-
nous correspondent Of distant journal
and that Judge Royces real offence is that
he has refused to be captured, or to allow
a great railroad interest 10 be captured. by