The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1877-02-22
THE ovERsEER,s REPORT,

The citizens of Rutland, perhaps the
whole country, are to be congratulated
upon the possession of an overseer of the
poor who is not accountable" for the sus-
pension of business, the increase Of crime,
or the chloride of tramps that have swarmed
into the town the past season." who was
" born and bred farmer" andcan, with be-
coming modesty, say that he knows show
farm could and should be managed to
make it pay" that, "without laudation,"
informs the town he was 'qualified for the
trust" and that through his experience
in Kentucky hospital under an eminent
strict disciplinarian and sanitarian" he
" aoas prepared to superintend the establish
ment;" that he is a Webster wing and
has been encouraging home industry
and, above all, knows how to make ma
nure in large quantities without producing
anv r-r'~~-~~. ~a.-s- We say that the
people aro to BE- a--o---.-.----- = --.- -..-'
and his report is particularly instructive in
pointing cut the way in which farmers can
conduct their farms so as to "exert
ga healthy influence among their sur
roundngs." Surely the farmers
should be duly thankful for the
advice and the people of Vermont duly
grateful that the Rutland poor house, dur
ing the past year, has been managed with
an eye single to the moral improvement of
neighboring farmers. Not Rutland alone
has been benefited, but the "demoralizing
influence" of the farmers Of Castleton,
Ira and Clarendon has been overcome, and
social, moral and religious reformation
wrought throughout the town, county anc
state. As an essay on either scientific Of
fancy farming the report of the over'eer il
unsurpassed in the whole range of agricul
tural literature. Not only is it unsurpassed
IN this line, but its fine deliniation of thu
character of Tom Crowley and the graphic
description of his battle with the worms
AMI his final triumph with "two THOUSAND
"heads" rank his report with the best et
forts of Fielding, Dickens or Walter Scott
1t was suggested, by one of the most em
nent citizens of the state, that the Vernon
legislative directory should be made clas
sic in the reform school, and 30 we ventur
to suggest that this overseers report shout
be made text book in all the work house
and aims houses in the country.
1t is difficult to consider this mess c
bosh as seriously intended as a report frol
town officer to the voters and taxpayer
of the town but such seems to be the il
tention and we will, therefore, endeavor
treat it as seriously as we can-certainl
more seriously than the overseer was whe
he deliberately stated to the people of Ru
land "that he did not seek the office"
is, perhaps, of no consequence whether
sought the Office, or the office sought hin
but in view of well known facts his stat
ment ''that he did not seek the ofiic'
helps to stamp the report with insincerit
to call 1t by no harsher name-and thu
the statement is fully as reliable as most
the rest OF it.
So far as his report is a special plea
way of justification of, or excuse for,
persistent violation of law, we can a.
nothing to whatswe have already said. !
his report, the overseer stands convicted
setting the law at defiance, not unwittin
ly, but designsdly, neutrality-suspicious.
If such practices are to be winked at, WI
is the use of law Its violation by
overseer, has cost the town on his o'
showing some four thousand dollars
it is unrebuked, no one can tell where
will land the town.
The overseer endeavors to excuse
large expenditures by ascribing it to
chloride of tramps" which have infest
the town. These tramps, like charity,
made to cover multitude of sins.
says that he is not accountable for I
horde Of tramps that have swarmed IL
the town the past season. There ha
been lodged and fed from the 10Th
March to the 10Th of February, one hi
bred and eighty-three tramps at the to
farm and two hundred and eighty-Sey
cat the Jail and other places in Rutlar
at an expense of $268.75. Assuming I
expense at the farm to be in proporti,
1t would amount to $137.75, or VIII
"amount $400, which is an item of
small consideration In helping to sw
" the aggregate" His wiggling fritz
who didn't want to "shield" him, only
him in pulling the wool over the peop