The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1891-03-20
Comment on Cyclone No. 2.

be found All interesting communities
ton from our respected townsman,
Geo. W. Sampson, .jr. The article in
question Is intended, evidently, as a re.
ply to one which appeared in former
issue of the OPINION, signed "Specta
tor" As it is not possible for tho
writer of the latter to write by way of
rejoinder to Mr.. SIMPSONS article. we
will take the liberty Of making few
comments on both articles. We feel in
a measure responsible for Spectators"
published views, as they were submit
ted to us for revision After careful
consideration of them, we expressed a
decidedly favorable opinion because of
their fairness, and because the article
contained not single sentence that
could be construed by an unprecedented
reader, as rejecting upon the charac-
ter or general ability of any one.
The writer certainly had no reason
for Withholding his name from publica-
ton because of anything unwritten,
but merely followed the usual custom
of permitting the communication to
rest on its merits uninfuenced by the
personality of the author. We notice
that Mr.. Sampson admits, at once, that
the individuals of the class he repre-
sents are opposed to the village, and
then Immediately gives as one great
reason for this opposition that the viii
lage will not permit them to assist it as
they so much desire to do. Now we
cannot quite understand this, we
have endeavored to ascertain what
great injury had been done them to
make such bitter hostility excusable,
but that it was because their love for
our village was so great that restric-
ton of their power to assist us should
make them enemies, we did not dream.
We hoped Mr.. Sampson would give us
good substantial reason for this sud-
den display of hostility toward our
corporation, and make plain what great
injury had been done by it, but we do
not see that one such has been given,
more than stated by the Spectator. If
the highway tax is the cause of all
trouble its injustice must have appear
ed after the time the matter was dis
cussed with our Representative previ-
GUS to the introduction of the bill in
the Legislature.
Mr.. Sampson proceeds to charge
some of our officers with unfairness
and states that Mr.. Livingston was
counted out by them. Any person &C
quainted with the men who did this
alleged counting out" will, if fair
minded, refuse for moment to credit
such SANDER. The question these
men were to consider was els i. safe
to declare candidate elected to the
most important town offices when the
election may be illegal?" and the vote
of five to three in the negative, result
ing in an indisputable election, is evil
dence of their wisdom. Mr.. Sampson
carries the idea that Spectator under
values the laborer, and even ATTEMPTS
to make it appear that he deliberately
intended tO'ridicule a person because
of misfortune which rendered it i'm
possible for him to work on farm.
We consider this not only an injustice
to Spectator but deliberate misrep-
resentation and distortion of his lam
guage. No such sentiment can be dis
covered in his article, and we presume
he has as great respect for the labor
er as Mr.. Sampson Che certainly should
have as he Is a member of that unfor-
tunatc clasO and even in the sentence
which seems to excite particular re-
sentiment: ''and would starve OH
farm" there is nothing Of the spirit of
ridicule that Mr.. Sampson asserts, it is
merely intended to emphasize the fact
that the farmers were jubilant over a
victory gained for them by men whose
occupations were of a kind which
would naturally lead one to suppose
their interests would hardly be COM
mark here that we have always thought
a mans qualifications for an office
were to be considered in voting for
him, not his need. We see no incon-
gruity between the admission of vii
lage prosperity and the necessity tor
All act of incorporation, in fact, one
follows from the other, as growth in
creases the demand for Improvement
increases, and how can this demand be
better or more promptly supplied than
by the village itself?
Mr.. SIMPSONS statement with re-
gard to the fire engine, engine house,
reservoirs, ETC., is very misleading. 1t
is true that the village required these
'ihSo "hu hdNC pIoCuIcu CHcIIl DIT d
cost of nearly .fve thousand dollars of
which amount the town furnished .fce
hundred dollars, and when we consid-
er the proportion of this paid by the
village it would seem that those out
side did not exactly own the aforesaid
fire engine, etc. The members of the
fire company have been exempted from
paying poll tax, as is customary al
most everywhere.
We believed with Mr.. Sampson that
there were residents of the town out
side the village interested in its pros
perity and willing to aid it, but it
seems the village has committed some
sin which has alienated that affection
Gin what the sin consists we are not in
formed) or else all such failed to at
tend the annual town meeting. We |
venture proposal here, that if such
there are, we arrange an exchange by |
having them move into the village and |
some of the Achans i'm our camp move
out.
Now to sum up, as Mr.. Sampson
says, we think Spectators article was
not an invidious attack upon the farm
81