The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-09-03
Notes and Comments.

Our OF total of 130000,000 acres of
timber land in the Province of Ontario
only 100000 have been even partially
cleared OF their natural covering. A bill is
before the Canadian parliament for the en-
coursgement of tree plsnting, offering
bonus not to exceed twenty-five cents for
each tree of a certain named species,
which shall be planted along highway
or farm boundary line, or within six feet
OF such line. Trees planted along high
ways are to be the property of the owners
OF adjacent lands, but the trees are not to
be cut down without permission of the
authorities. The province proposes to
care for its forests before they have been
nearly destroyed, as ours are on this side
of the line.
The New York Sun finds in Butler an
ideal statesman and candidate for the
presidency. In 1873 the Sun held this
language towards the man it is now laud-
ing: Hated by some, condemned by
many and distrusted by all, this bad man
with his crooked ways, foul methods, dis
torted mind and wicked heart, glories in
these moral deformities, faunts them con-
stantly before the public eye and trafics
in them as political merchandise. Reioic-
ing in his own shame and coming money
from open venality, discarding any pre-
fQnaa nf yNripCinlo hNupI hu sc
honor, scoffing at religion, making politics
trade, despotic when clothed with au.
thority, cowardly by nature, mercenary
from habit and destitute of one ennobling
quality for manly attributes to lift him
up above these wretched characteristics,
he is today the leading candidate for the
highest honor in enlightened and moral
Massachusetts. To this complexion have
we come at last"
THE social scandal against Mr.. Blaine
which the democratic press have been
claiming credit unto themselves for not
publishing, the Indianapolis Sentinel has
at last given to the public. Mr.. Blaine
has met it with an emphatic denial and
with Geographic instructions to his friends
in Indianapolis to commence at once a
libel suit against the publisher, and a
criminal prosecution is threatened. We
hope the threat will be executed. 1t
would produce very healthy effect to see
a political editor in Jail for three months
for defamation of character. We believe
in the rights of the press but we think
it is high time for editors to learn that
individuals have rights too; that they
cannot be violated with impunity and
that calumny and falsehood are dangerous.
We assume that this scandal is wholly
false, as we have right to do unless and
until its truth is proved. Even if it were
true, it would be impertinent. The per-
sonal character of candidate is proper
subject for the consideration of the voter
but the long forgotten errors and sins of
youth are not.-Christian Union.
THE whirligig of time brings in its
changes and revenges in politics, as we'll
as in the individual affairs of men. Here
is what the Boston Traveller was saying
of Cleveland Just before the national DEM
ocratic convention: "If Cleveland is the
coming man the satisfaction of the indie
pendents and 'disaffected republicans
draweth near. With his nomination the
bourbon wolf shall also dwell with the re-
form lamb, and the democratic leopard
shall lie down with the independent kan
garoo Kelly shall be cast into outer dark
ness, and Butler shall be bound for a
thousand years. At last there is chance
that somebody will be nominated for
whom those of our fellow-citizens who were
not included in the fall of Adam can cheer
fully vote. May kind fate provide
against any slip-up in the exercises. We
have been afraid at times that there never
would be anybody found in this lost land
for whom they could vote without falling
from their high estate. And if Cleveland
should, by some spiteful fatality, be re.
jected at Chicago next month, then, in
deed, will there be mourning like that of
Rachel, who would not be comforted.'
In that dire event it is plain to see that
the independents of 1884 will resemble
nothing so closely as the fabulous creature
once advertised by travelling menagerie.
This, ladies and gentleman said the ex-
planatory Snowman, SIS the far-famed
icthyobobolus, or sea-mule, an amphibious
animal, which cannot live in the water,
and generally dies on the land" Had
cises at Chicago, what a world of trouble
would have been saved the democrats and