The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1886-06-02
The Soldiers Home,

Mr.. Editor:-The friends of the Sol
diers' Home in Vermont are at loss
to understand the object of Senator Ed
munds' bill, recently introduced in
congress, appropriating 200 for
National Soldiers Home in this state.
Only last month the trustees of Yer
mont's Soldiers Home voted unani-
mously "to proceed at once, or as soon
as may be, to establish a Home under
the provisions of the law" and APP
pointed committee to locate it. Why
President Wells, who is said to be very
DESTROYS of having the Home built at
once, should appoint on that committee
Ex-Governor Proctor, apparently the
only trustee known to be unfriendly
to establishing Soldiers Home
in Vermont, is not explained. The
great importance of legally called
meeting of the trustees, and the neces-
sity for a carefully prepared code of
bylaws that Governor Proctor had adj
vocated, having disappeared, the trus-
tees wasted three or four months time
in canvassing the state to ascertain,
what everybody but the trustees knew
before, that there were seventy-fve
needy soldiers supported in the poor
llOuScS VI cIIlOul. Is DcudIOT Eu-
munds' bill introduced in congress, so
near the end of the session that no
action can reasonably be expected, for
any other purpose than to afford Gov
ernor Proctor an excuse for further
delay in locating and building the Home
in Vermont, in accordance with the
laws of Vermont incorporating it? The
committee on military affairs, when con-
sidering the proposition of establishing
Soldiers Home in Vermont, discussed
the subjec of asking congress for an
appropriation for that purpose, and
came to the unanimous conclusion that
such proposition would not be sue
cessful. There is no more reason why
congress should provide for building
Soldiers Home in Vermont than that it
should do the same thing in every other
northern state of the Union. Vermont
paid about $4,000, 900 year during the
war to her soldiers in the field contend
ing with the enemy, and not one dollar
since. Her liberal pay to the veterans
ceased as soon as the war ended, while
the general government has continued
to pay Vermont's needy soldiers mill
ions of dollars in pensions and bounties.
But Vermont had an old claim against
the United States, and the committee
concluded that, by giving this old claim
to the Home, congress would be much
more likely to allow something on this
claim than to make an appropriation
outright. T. j. Deavitt, Esq, of Mont
pelier, who had offered to prosecute
the claim without pay, provided it was
given to the Soldiers Home, was to be
appointed a commissioner to act for the
state, when the state auditor informed
the committee that an agent was already
appointed for that purpose; but, on con-
fering with the committee, it was con-
Guided best to change the agent. Hon.
E. III. Powell, the state auditor, re-
Gently wrote a letter, in reply to one
from Ex-Governor Proctor, that gives
so much information on this subject
that we give the following extracts
from it:
Prior to the last session of the legislature
Mr. Deavitt, in an open letter to Governor
Barstow, proposed, if he could be author
lied to do so, to prosecute the claim against
the government without compensation, pro-
vided the sum thus secured should be APP
propriated for a Soldiers Home AS re-
suit of this proposition, as | was informed
by the chairman OF the committee on mil
itary affairs, bill or resolution was intro
duced providing for the appointment of Mr..
Deavitt as state agent, and directing the
auditor of accounts to furnish him with GER
tilted copies of such vouchers as he should
call for. The chairman asked me if it was
not part of the duty of my office to look
after such claims. / told him it was, but
had no objections whatever to being re-
lieved from that; the trouble was in fur
nishing vouchers, as there were no such
vouchers in the office. | told him, too, of
Mr. Trimble's appointment; that he held a
commission from Governor Fairbanks and
Mr.. Ladd; that he had the claim and prob
ably such vouchers as were in this office at
the time Mr.. Ladd appointed him agent 1t