St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-07-23
Doubtful Policy.

If Mr.. ID. w. Dixon is to make the
Montpelier Waterman the leading pa
per which its geographical position,
previous history and Mr.. Dixon's well
known ability would seem to warrant,
he could not ask for more unfortunate
send off than is given him in the St.
Adams Messenger of July IL. The ar
ticle referred TO is an assault upon Mr..
Arthur Ropes, a gentleman employed
rs writer upon the Waterman during
the last years of Mr.. POland's owner
ship of the paper and continued
through Mr.. PrescOtt's administration.
If Mr.. Ropes has left journalism, as we
suppose he has, the assault upon him
was particularly cOwardly; but it is
not the purpose of this article to de-
fend Mr.. Ropes. We simply wish to
call attention to the ilI-concealed graft
ficatiOn that ring organ (the Messen-
ger,) managed by a member of the re-
publican state committee, (Mr. War
ren Gibbs,) shows when an able, out
spoken and Independent journal, snch
as the Waterman has been, is supposed
to bc squelched.
That we do the parties 10 injustice
in the matter we will quote literally
from the Messenger article =
For a long time past, while profess
ing to be a republican journal, it the
Waterman has occupied the uneBvi-
able position of Il mugwump sheet,
and under its mask has been greater
injury to the republican party than
benefit. During the last campaign it
lost no opportunity to stab the state
committee, as is well known, beginning
with Doctor Nichols, the chairman,
and continuing its pursuit of his sue
cessOr To the close of the campaign.
1t comes from the highest ring au-
thority (the chairman of the republi-
can state committee) that the Watch
man. one of the abiest republican pa
pers Of the state, and never ADLER than
during Mr.. Prescott's ownership. "has
been greater injury to the republi-
can party than benefit" We do not
believe that the republicans of Yer
mont Will endorse this opinion. We
quote again from the same article =
With good help Mr.. Prescott might |
have prospered better. The Watch !
man has had no influence to speak of, |
and it Is understood that its subscrip- |
ton list has sadly run down and its |
sale became necessary to rid itself of
the barnacles upon it. -. The |
republicans of the state are gratifed
to know that once more "A republican
paper is to be published at the capital.
This is the favorite argument -"lost
its intuence"-''su subscription list sadly
run down. etc. This matter of Gin
tiuence" may be an open question, but
as regards the business of the Watch
man office we learn from the best au-
thority that it has been highly salts
factory that Mr.. Prescott has made
money off the Waterman every year
he has had it and has besides put over
81 900 into new material and improve
ments. Furthermore, that he did not
care tn sell, and although some people
were very anxious to buy, he did not
consent to make price on the prop
erty until good opportunity was of
fered him in work more congeniaI, he
having been offered the presidency of
the college at Battle Greek, Michigan.
This in fact was what induced him to
sell.
II Mr.. Dixon is the man we take him
to be, he will not thank MIR. Gibbs for
the line of policy he must
pursue if he wishes to be considered
orthodox by the chairman of the re-
publican state committee. Whether
he prints an organ or a newspaper will
make more difference to him than it
will TO the public, for the people are
fast demanding the facts about public
a garbled, partisan view
Of things,-and if the Waterman does
not give them what they want they
will try another market. /,