The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-12-31

by pupils from the Northfeld school miss
Thompson, teacher), subject, " Geography"
In the afternoon of Friday Miss Chamber
lain of the Montpelier school will conduct a
class exercise in Language" The adj
dress by President Bartlett of Dartmouth,
Thursday evening, by Principal Campbell
Friday morning, and particularly that of
Charles f. King of Lewis School, Boston,
on Friday evening at the Unitarian church,
should call out crowded assemblies. The
educational exhibit at the Pavilion, show
ing the practical results of the instruction
provided and the methods pursued at the
schools exhibiting, will be point of inter
est as well as of profitable observation and
study. A very excellent programme has
been arranged. Now let the teachers have
the encouragement of large and attentive
numbers of hearers, and the meeting will
eclipse its predecessors in interest and use
funess. Especially should the people of
Montpelier be attentive spectators of these
proceedings.
In the last issue of the Argus and Patriot
Hiram Atkins published long datribe
against the proprietor of THE WATCHMAN,
which is so clearly the product of personal
venom that, like the bite of some reptiles
more vicious than hurtful, it carries its own
antidote with it, Nevertheless, we propose,
in some slight degree, to assist nature in
working a cure. Last week we gave this
man an opportunity to see himself in one
aspect in which the public views him. To
assist the public to see him in a character
in which he has painted himself, we shall
briefly review some personal charges Mr..
Atkins makes against us. First, he accuses
us of getting money under false pretences," )"
and he undertakes to prove the charge
by reference to our management of the
DAILY JOURNAL during the late legislative
session, alleging that we failed to fulfill our
contract with our subscribers. We do not
! feel called upon to defend the conduct of a
paper which, largely increased in size, was
sold at the old price, and whose circulation,
by its intrinsic merits, has been doubled.
These facts, and multitude of willing wit
nesses, abundantly vindicate us. But how
stands the case with Hiram Atkins? In
September last he sent circular to the MEM
hers of the legislature, promising among
other things, that the first issue of the Arg,s
and Patriot, on the meeting of the general
assembly, would contain, besides bio
graphical notes, an historical sketch of
former election days, with notices of pre-
| vious governors and notable members of
other legislatures. 60 1t was only by repre-
senting that it would do this that it obtained
subscriptions" The historical sketches did
not appear, and we have good ground for
believing that Mr.. Atkins I" knew he would
not fulfill his promise F" in this respect.
Again, the issue of the Argus and Patriot
for November 10 had an announcement
that the next issue would contain supple
ment, and a circular was distributed to
members on the Monday before adjourn
ment, promising that the paper for the next
Wednesday morning would contain all the
proceedings up to final adjournment. "This
was the bait with which he attracted sub
scribers." The Argus of the date thus
doubly advertised contained no supplement
and gave the proceedings only up to Tues.
day evening, emitting entirely those of the
all-night and Wednesday morning sittings
the most important and having the greatest
interest of any during the session. "This
was trifle worse swindle than the swindle
he perpetrated during the first part of the
session. g A clearer case of getting money
under false pretences was never exhibited ;
These are not our words. They are simply
Hiram Atkins pen and ink picture of him
self If it is not fiattering to him, it is nc
fault of ours. Finally, not to lengthen out
the perspective in this direction, he charges
us, to put it mildly, with inconsistency in
religious matters. Our lack of common
honesty" in our dealings" our ere
ligious pretence,' our holier-than-thor
air of superiority" have become stencil
in the nostrils of the people, We dc
not debate these matters with Hiram At
kins. We have lived long enough in thi.
community to feel assured that in any dis
pute of this kind we can safely leave judg-
ment betwiXt him and us to this people
But has our censor observed, himself, tn,
standard of consistency by which, with Phar
isaic ostentation, he judges us? On NOR,
than one occasion during the late legisla
tive session, while he was at church listen
ing to the command to remember the Sab
bath day and keep it holy, and responding
=" Lord have mercy upon us and incline ou
hearts to keep this law" his employees wer,
busily at work in his printing office. Will,
he prayed on Sunday, his men labored anC
he pocketed the profits. And this is the maj
who charges the publisher of this paper will
inconsistency in religious matters! Is Hi
ram Atkins inconsistent? Is Hiram Atkins
Sabbath-breaker and hypocrite? Is h,
" a stencil in the nostrils of the people :"
He himself has so declared it. We regre
the duty imposed upon us by the article il
last weeks Argus, but it is sometimes neces
sary to do disagreeable things. Even
skunk must be destroyed when it intrudei
itself upon ones rights. This is our sol
apology for inficting these mal-odorous de
tails upon our readers.
Personal.
Hon. PROSPER MERRILL of Woodstocl
-. M. !