Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1881-07-27
The Vermont Dairymen's Association.

That Mr.. Secretary Bliss should let his
temper so get the better Of him at last as to
kick over his own cruel pot, is character
istic. lie has in fact been doing it all
along. Nothing has stood in the way of
grand success and ample support for the
association, with fair pay for its secretary,
save the bitter dislike which the manners
and methods of Secretary Bliss have pro-
voked among the farmers. President Ma
son, who has supported him so long against
the protests of hundreds of the best dairy
men, and who years ago was constrained to
admit that "Bliss has the most winning
way to make men hate him of anybody in
Vermont" has now only himself to thank
for beastly attack, very similar to the one
against the Board of Agriculture which was
put in type, but suppressed from the asso-
Citations report, few years ago. We do
not know how much, if any, truth there is
in the charges brought against Messrs.
Sprague and Mason by their associate. We
should believe nothing on his sole state
ment, and we should regret very much to
see charges of trickery and dishonest man.
agement substantiated against Mr.. Mason.
So far as Bliss is concerned, Mr.. Mason's
only fault has been in keeping him secretary
against the wish of nine-tenths of those who
would have liked to give the association all
it wanted for perfect success, but would not,
because they could not, so long as that indi-
vidual was where he was kept, mainly by
Mr.. Mason himself.
It seems to us that if Bliss has told the
truth about matters in connection with his
own, Colonel Spragues and Mr.. Mason's
operations at the National Dairy Fair in
1879, the only thing to be done is to dis
band the old association at once and Or
ganize new one with board of officers
personally entitled to the respect of the agri-
cultural public, and capable of giving us an
effective and popular administration of a
society which, so managed, is capable of a
high degree of usefulness. We give else
where the gist Of Mr.. Bliss allegations in
this connection.
MIR. BLISS CHARGES.
| o. S. Bliss, secretary of the Vermont
Dairymen's Association, charges the vice
president, Colonel N I. Sprague, with sub
scribing s25 which was never paid, and tha
he and President L. ID. Mason entered into
an understanding by which they were t.
pocket the money raised for the purpose Of
making creditable exhibition of Vermont
products at International Dairy Fair, ant
defraud him Of his claim against the society
for expenses incurred on its account, ant
the association of the residue after paying
the expenses, which have been devoted t.
the printing of unpublished reports.
To this Colonel Sprague replies, asking
"Who had clothes bought for him g. {
Bliss) to appear in at the fair ?" and charg
ing the secretary with receiving S6i of tn
funds subscribed, for expenses and time
when the actual expense should not excee'
onehalf that amount.
Mr.. Bliss also charges E. d. Mason, presi
dent of the association, with crooked way
in buying butter and cheese for exhibition
with the funds subscribed, and managing
be first on the butter committee himself
and securing the appointment of Mr.. c. ]
Rhoads as one of the judges on cheese, tn
cheese exhibited having been bought G
Rhoads and entered in the name of MasoI
contrary to the rules of the fair, which r,
quired that all goods should be entered i
the name of the maker. A premium of 81
was thus obtained, $50 on the butter an
$25 ON the cheese, which Mr.. Bliss says hs
not been accounted for, which should be pal
: into the treasury, as it was obtained on PR
ducts bought with the public funds. NJ
Sprague's allusion to CLOTHES is unde
stood to refer TO a suit presented to Mr.. Bill
Y on his representation that he had none, an
was unable to buy any in which to make
: decent appearance at the international fai
7 1t was said at the time that the funds +,
this purpose were supplied by Mr. Maso
= but it was hardly decent for Sprague
; "twit" Bliss with that. II there has be,
any knavery, as alleged, Mr. Bliss unique
II tionably knew it at the time, and wou
/" probably have kept the secret if he had n
" fallen out with his associates over the divi
6 ion of the spoils. If he tells the truth, he
u as bad as any of them and If he lies, he