News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-05-15
very respectfully,
ARTHUR ROPES, Editor of Waterman.


WOODSTOCK, Vt, April 30, 1890.
ARTHUR ROPES, Esq, Editor of the Vermont
Waterman:
DEAR SIR: In answer to your note of the
2Sth inst, | have only this to say: | have
known Mr.. Page personally for n number of
years. Our relations with each other have
ever been friendly and cordial. He is a man
who has had Legislative experience in our
State-hrst os representative from his town,
and again as State senator from his coun-
ty- As inspector of finance he seemed to me
a most faithful and efficient officer, and to
merit the appreciation which. think. he uni
versally received. As the chairman for a
number of years of the Republican State COM
mittee of our own State, he discharged its
duties with great faithf1lness and to the gen
eral satisfaction of the Republican party of
the State. And when | saw his name pro-
posed as the Republican candidate for gov
ernor at the coming election it seemed to me
the proper thing to do, and that he would be
found to be the right man for the place
Late last fall, and | think in November,
while was spending a few days in Boston |
saw Mr.. Page at the Quincy House. where |
was staying. Our meeting was purely acct
dental In some conversation | was having
with him | mentioned the fact of having seen
his name fayorably mentioned as candidate
for governor at the next election, and ex-
pressed my qualification. In response to my
inquiries, he gave me the favorable position,
as he understood it, of quite a number of
prominent gentlemen of the State who had
assured him of their support. He said he
did not know as he shold have the support of
some gentlemen of influence. connected with
the railroad interests of the state, for the
reason that the appointment of a chairman
for the last republican state convention gave
Offence, as he was told, to certain persons
connected with one of the leading railroads
OF the state; and he explained to me the cir
cumstances attending the appointment of
the chairman in question. l told Mr.. Page l
did not believe any of the gentlemen connect
ed with any railroad interest would refuse |
him their support for that reason when the |
real reasons for such appointment were I'M
derstood by them, as he had explained them |
to me- then said to Mr. Page that if occas-
ion should present l would be glad to make |
any needed explanation. and that such ex- /
PLANTATION might. perhaps. disarm any hostil- |
ity to him which he thought might exist. To /
all this Mr.. Page made no objection only |
saying tnat. as a repu blican candidate for |
governor, he would not, even for the sake of |
beng governor, tie his hands in any way, or |
pledge SUbserViency to anyintereSt. Nor did |
4 wish or expect him to do So
Any interview subsequently had with any |
one connected with any railroad interest in |
the state incidental to other business |
and the conversation was marked with that
trankness that prevails among mutual friends
leaving TO each the free exercise of his own
Judgment as to any candidate he might elect
to support. This proposition. made by me-
as above, to make needed explanation. etc
was free-wiIl offering of my own. There
was no attorneyship about it. no fee nor re-
ward, nor any hope or expectancy of any fee
or reward. was never an attorney for Mr. |
Page in any capacity whatever. Respect
fully yours, CHARLES P. MARSH.
The writer of the second of these
two letters is one of the most honor
able and respected men on the east |
side of the state, a man whose integ-
rity has never been open to question.
The attempt to represent Mr.. Page
as a petitioner for theinfuence of the
Central Vermont road will now pass
with the Canadian Islander" and the
''calf skin racket" into the limbo of
forgotten things
In this connection We call special
attention to the article from the
Brattleboro Phoenix, reprinted in
another column.