Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1879-08-08

made no mention of $50, 600, nor OF any 9TH
or sum of money. When the Reformer goes
on from the point quoted to talk about re
sponsible contractors" having offered to build
the road for 81 600 per mile, and about cur
rent statements, more or less definite that
the road could be built for $40, 600 to $780,
600, it knows very well that it is trying to
befog and cover up the real issue 1t is per
fectly well known that the parties who were
said to have talked of building the road for
1000 per mile entirely failed to come to
time when they were brought down to talk
business" and it is equally beyond question
that the contract wns finally awarded to the
parties who named the lowest figures, and
who would stick to their bid or contract, and
give proper sureties for its fulfment.
The great straits to which the Reformer
has been driven in this discussion is well il
Illustrated in the following paragraph in which
it attempts a deliberate and perfectly appar-
ent perversion of our meaning in our editorial
of last week
"THE PHGN1x finally gives itself away
entirely when it says This whole attempt
to compare the condition of new and in
complete road, designed for local traffic, with
that of a main line which has had the benefit
of years of business and constant improve
ment, is characteristically unfair and dema-
gogical The admission that Harris Bros. a
Co. are building an incomplete road, which
is to have the benefit of constant improve
ments, covers the whole point in this argu-
ment very well Thus the organ is finally
made to own that the West River valley is not
to have 'hrst-class road, such as the bond
ing towns were promised that they should
have at an expense of from $50, 600 to 500
900 less than this road will cost"
That we used the word incomplete in the
above quotation in the sense that the new
DAD is still in process of construction-that
W ork upon it is still in the rough-we need
not say, even for the information of an intel
lect so obtuse as that which nominally pre-
sides over the columns of the Reformer.
clubbing and dust-throwing like this in a
matter of public discussion. which ought to
be entirely frank and candid, is of a piece
with that peculiar brand of honesty which,
as we have already remarked, has become
nauseatng to decent people.
On the question of enhanced" land dam
ages, the RefOrmer has suddenly become dis
creetly silent. Our quotation Of 'authori-
ties" on this point last week WINS evidently too
much for its "honest and earnest" young ed-
tor The same is true in regard to his previ-
ously oft-repeated asseveration that three of
the directors had resigned or backed out"
In private conversation with some of the rail
road officials last week, the young man said
to them, in plain terms, that he should be
obliged TO acknowledge that he was in error
on this point but his honesty" it seems
did not carry him to the point of acknowledge
ing his error, and setting the matter right
through the columns of his paper The sim
pie fact is, that, at the directors meeting held
last Thursday in this place, eleven Of the IF
teen directors were present, and they all acted
il unison on the subjects which came up for
their attention. OF the remaining four di-
rectors one, A. G. Howard Of 1ownshend, is
unable to serve on account of i'll health, as
already stated and the other three Harris of
Windham, Dexter of Wardsboro, and Colburn
of Manchester-are known TO be in full accord
with the management of the road.
But it is useless to attempt to follow up and
correct in detail the lodging and perversion
of facts TO which the Davenports have been
driven. Since they are now kind enough TO
assure US that they make no charges against
anybody, and that all they want is al 'inves-
tigation," we say once more, and for all, let
them go ahead and investigate When We
have a private job of the kind that we want
done, we shall try to act the manly part and
pay for it out of our own pocket and, claim
ing such privilege for ourselves, we cheer
fully concede like one to them.
To our mind the position in which the Re
former last week found itself in this discus
sion O. is best illustrated by the story of the
old farmer who had a colt which he was Just
breaking to the bit, and which he was deter
mined to teach not to ''shy" or be frightened
at anything by the roadside. The old gentle
man accordingly mounted the colt one day,
and sent his little son ahead to a big rock by
the side of the way, with instructions TO hide
behind it, and when he lthe farmer came
along upon the colt, to jump out and "holler
60O.' The boy did as he was bid, and pres
emily the old man came riding along in all the
dignity of conscious pride in his superior
horsemanship-head erect, shoulders thrown
back and hands firmly grasping the reins.
When he reached the rock, the boy dutifully
sprang out and screamed "6OO, but the effect
was not exactly what the father had antici-
pated, for in twinkling the colt landed him
heels over head il the dirt and went on his
way minus rider. The old man laboriousy
picked himself up, and began to berate the
boy roundly for the mischief he had done
But you told me to holler boo, whined the
boy; Il know told you to holler boo, said
the irate father, "Jia IL aras tOO big a boz for
so small a colt :" And so it is in this railroad
matter. The original Davenport boo" was
ridiculously too big for the remarkably dim
inutive Colt to which the whole thing has
| dwindled down.