The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-03-24
The q her Side.

To l.. Il. KNAPP, ESQ Sir IL have
been requested and called upon by sever.
al respectable citizens Of our town, to
notice an article in your issue of the 18th
inst. without date, location, or personal
signature signed Justice, which they sup.
pose refers to our last election Of super.
intendent Of common schools, and which
they deem libelous and scandalous, and
they call upon me as moderator of our
last annual town meeting to state the
facts relative thereto. Our election Of
town officers had progressed following
The order of the list of town Ulcers as
uamed in the General Statutes, until we
reached surveyors of highways when |
announced to the meeting in distinct
and audible voice easily heard through.
out every part Of the hall, that as the
seectmen had not handed in Domiua-
ton of highway surveyors the meeting
would proceed to the election Of a super.
intendent Of common schools, and after a
brief pause | called for a nomination
MIR. Charles Mason nominated s. b. NJ.
Cowles, Esq, and Mr.. Washington Ward
seconded the nomination, whcreupon |
put the nomination to vote and the al.
firmative | think, received full average
vote for the stage of the meeting. then
in a Ike audible voice called the mega
tive and | heard no vote, whereupon
declared Mr.. Cowles elected, The article
alluded to appearing in your paper as it
did under the ordinary covert Of libel and
SANDER, should not have deemed it
worthy Of notice had | not been pressing.
ly called upon to notice briefly its allega-
tions as regards Mr.. Cowles, unseemly
ambition as supposed to be alleged 10
said article, | would say that have good
reason for believing that Mr.. Uowles had
been for years earnestly solicited to &C.
cept the appointment Of superintendent
and steadily declined to do so. As i,
regards our present superintendent be
ing "kicked out of Office SO far as
know he has enjoyed his Office in peace
without molestation thus far, and proba
bly, will do so until the expiration of biz
term of office.
AS regards tho matter of ring, &C.
having been formed, so far as | am con
cerned, | pronounce the whole allegation
utterly false. did not then know thai
Mr.. Cowles was to be nominated or tha
he or any one else had then or ever before
been solicited to accept the appointment
and so far as others are concerned il there
ever was shadow Of ground for the al
legation, | think it must have been, ii
point of time, SO long since, that it can
not now be traced far. think there ha
been well known and annually openly
avowed dissatisfaction with our supe-in
tendent exhibited by opposing votes d
his annually recurring election. And i
my recollection is correct, at one time
so earnest and numerous was that opposi
ton, that ho him self in open town meet
ing, on accepting his appointment STATED
that it was doubtful whether he was elect
ed or not, doubt which many though
was well founded.
As regards the allegation that | called
for the election Of an Inspector Of publi
instruction" it is so far removed from
any statutory language or Requirement
that | think it not supposable that an,
one could think that language inadvert
emily thus used. And therefore, as up
pears 10 be alledged was, il used at all
used as blind to the voters. Now i
appears to that any vote on such a cal
by the moderator could not by any posi-
billty elect u superintendent of common
schools, and as said writer says he doe
not doubt the legality of The movement,
therefore it follows, rs AN unavoidabl
sequence that said writer knew at tn
time that he was stating falsely, or tina
he was an ignoramus, and did not know
what he was writing about. So far as
am concerned he can take either horn 0
Of the dilemma which suits bis fame
best
AS regards the allegation that u schem
originated with single individual, be
cause his daughter did not obtain. a Ger
tfcate. L am informed that four OF fiv
amiable young ladies, daughters Of II Xix
number of. respectable citizens Of GU
.own, without the intention of teaching
were examined and did not obtain certiti
Gates Toward which of those respectful
gentlemen or of those respected youn
ladies, that poisoned arrow was meanl
aimed, | cannot say, nor can imagin
the reason for that upgentlemanly act.
BY publishing The foregoing you vii
do justice end oblige. Yours.
SYLVESTER DoUp
New Haven, March II. 1874.
We chceriully give place to The above
for the purpose Of correcting possibl
mIslpprehension occasioned by com
murication published last week. 1t be
ing over the signature of one Of Ne'
Ravens most respected citizens, it mus
put to rest all speculations as to til
truth Of the matter referred to.