St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-05-22
ONE MORE CHARGE EXPLODED.

quently limited at an improper use by
Mr. Page of material gathered by
the republican state committee in the
campaign of 1888. Emboldened by
the fact that Mr.. Page did not rush
into print with frantic denial, their
assertions to this effect have grown
stronger until few days ago the st.
Adams Messenger made this state
ment, as of an absolute fact:
These lists are not his to be used
to advance his own private and per
sonal interests, but belong to the
party, and to every member of it, for
use alike That these lists, which in
clude the names of all republican
voters in the state obtained in the
canvass of 1888, are being used by
Mr. Page in his pre-convention can
vass, is absolutely certain
This beinga tangible attack, reach
ing beyond the innuendoes SO popu
lar with our Burlington and st. AL
bans contemporaries, the editor of
the Caledonian wrote as follows to
F. w. Baldwin of Barton, secretary
of the republican state committee:
"There is one feature of the present
political canvass that thought you,
as secretary Of the state committee,
could explain. The st. Adams Mes
senger has asserted that c. 5. Page
is using the lists of the republican
state committee to send out sample
copies of the state papers. | cant
believe that charge is true and write
you to get the facts. Do you have
the lists and has he ever asked you
for them? Has not either Mr.. Page
or Col. Woodbury., or anybody else,
a perfect right to see them because
they, the lists, belong to the repub-
lican party and not to the chairman
or any member of the committee ?"
The reply of Secretary Baldwin
was as follows:
STATE OF VERMONT.
REPUBLICAN STATE COMMITTEE.
BARTON, VT, May 16, 1890.
Arthur F. Stone, Esq, Editor st.
Johnsbury Californian,
Nv dear Sir: Yours of this date
at hand and contents noted. You
say that 1.-The st. Adams Messenger
has asserted that Carroll S. Page is
using the lists of the republican state
committee to send out sample copies
| of state papers," etc, and wish to
know the facts. In reply would
say that since | have been secretary
of the republican state committee
| (Which has been since 1866 {. 5.
Page has not had or used any of the
lists of the committee, and they have
| not been out of my office in Barton.
Soon after the state convention In
| 1888 the state committee arranged
| to canvass the state by school dis
tricts. The matter was talked over
among the committee and it was ar
ranged that Mr. Page, the chairma n
of the committee, should look after
the speakers throughout the cam
paign in the state, and | should look
after the canvass by school districts.
That work was done from my office
in Barton and 1 know that Mr..
| Page never saw the names of the
persons on that canvass, and all he
ever knew was the result Mr. Page
has not had or examined any of the
lists of the republican state commit
tee since Ihave been its secretary nor
has he sought to.
You ask if Mr.. Page or Col. Wood
bury would not have a right to see
the lists in the office of the sec
tary l know of no reason
why they could not. These lists con
tain nothing but statistics gathered
by the committee to aid in the cam
paign, and if either Gov Woodbury.
or Mr.. Page had asked to have seer
them l should have accorded them
that privilege, but neither of them
has done so. Hoping have answer
ed your inquiries comprehensively
l remain, Very truly yours,
w. BALDWIN, Sec.
Thus one more campaign Islander
is disposed of. There does not seem
to be scintilla of evidence that Mr.
Page has used improperly any of the
machinery of the state committee