Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1874-03-13
Mr.. S2rasur ard the Howe scales at the Macon

Fair.
eOur reader. Will remember the charge
br Jught against Hon. y. T. Sprague. Jr..
oi brandon, by the Springfield Union, a
month or more ago, Of commenting his
scales to southern popularity by decking
the n with photographs of rebel generals,
and By other means not very congenial to
the feelings Of most Vermonters. We ex-
pr. s>ed disbelief Of the story, at the time.
tn things objected to by the Union prove
10 have been not the acts Of Col. Sprague ;
nor of his agents, even; but Of the gents Of
b is New York agents.
Mr. Sprague at once addressed letter to
i y ew York agents. in which he said that
lie 70 and himself taken to task for their
acts the acts of their agents, and added
- As ! am innocent personally, in fact had
no Il owledge at all Of Rebel generals
photos raphs adorning oar scales and this
hour j, the first time ever knew that a
dinner was ever given to our hoped for Gus
toners, &c., in Macon or any other South
ern city or town. it j. no more than right
that you should. through the sane organ,
place nc right before the people"
Asa result Of this appeal, Messrs. John
-on AMI Dunlap addressed to the Union the
following letter, copy of which has been
Forwarded to a. for publication:
Macon, GA, Feb. %, 1874.
tor. Springfield Union.
Our attention has been drawn to your
weekly edition Of the 9th inst, wherein YOU
oditorially assail Mr.. \. T. Sprague, Jr.,
- a "Doughface." on the representations
{ Of letter written in Macon, signed "Nt. 8"
the allegations Of which You editorially sum
dp in the following paragraph
The story Is that \. 7. Spra cue, Jr, Of Brandon
lt the State fair IN Georgia, last AL, in order to
commend li0we's scales to southern appreciation
adorned them wit Photographs Of rebel generals
and his agent, Maj. Sproul, gave a dinner To his
Z hoped -or-customers, where the memory q those
same generals was toasted IL is 10 be hoped such
prostraton before southern sentiment resulted in a
good trade Any man who can get down a. low
that ought o. make money, for L j. very certain he
could make nothing else. Least 81 all will il he
likely 70 make votes for him among the Repuhli-
cans aud particularly among the soldiers OF er-
mont. man who processes one thing at home IN
TIE North and another at the south, : hardly the
man O. De mace Governor, at least within ten years
81 the close o. the war"
1t seems Mr.. Sprague has been talked about
as a candidate for Governor of Vermont.
ana also ;hst he is coed. loyal
Republican. We never saw him. but
We have been selling his scales, and they
obtained a premium at the Georgia State
fair IN Macon. where they were exhibited.
arranged and decorated a. we thought
proper. As oar exhibition was our own and
not Mr.. Sprague's, the question we submit
70 your sagacitY Is this. Has a man in
Massachusetts the right 10 exhibit and ar
range his own goods to suit himself? If We
had sent Mr.. Sprague's scales to Vienna and
put them under an Austrian flag, would
that have made an Austrian, as well as
" dough-iace.' out Of him?
1t Is true Maj. Sproul (Spragues general
AGENT was in Macon at time. but he had
no control over our exhibition. 1t is also
true that. gratifed by the success in secur-
ing premium for the scales. Mai Sproul
gave a collation. ten days after the decision
relative TO the premium. and allowed us to
invite guests, but it is quite untrue that
Maj. Sproul was responsible for any of their
opinions or utterances. any more than we
are for your Judgment that facts which Mr..
Sprague knew nothing about and over
which he had no control. make him in Your
refined phraseology - doughface.'
We may add in conclusion the hope
that If your spotless loyalty should ever
permit You to visit any Southern home
the fact that every one of them is adorned
with some rebel picture willhot restrain
You from partaking of our hospitality for
lear Of death in the pot" Measure YOU
a scale will weigh, and chicken will taste
just as well under a picture of Lee as il
would under one of Butler, and though