The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-01-06
Wicked, or Non COmpOs!

The Argus does not believe in the
prohibitory law. A glance at its edito
rial and local columns will convince the
most skeptical that about the only hui
man laws our contemporary believes
in are those which cover the illegal taxi
ing of fish, and those which affect the
wretch who attempts to elude payment
of his newspaper bill. The feelings
which the Argus cherishes toward the
prohibitory law and the citizens or Of
iicials who attempt to enforce it equals
in fervor the affection of the Ne,D York
Sun for 1.-THE Stuffed Prophet" as it
pleasantly characterizes Grover Cleve-
land. But even in the Suns most vo-
lent and sometimes absurd onslaughts,
there is piquancy, a wit, and sparkle,
that makes that paper, right or wrong,
always thoroughly interesting. But it
is only in the fervor of its antipathies
that the Argus can be compared with
the Sun. Our contemporary is called
enterprising." 1t has built up this
reputation by the length of its columns,
not by the measure of its ideas; by its
vast extent of dumping ground, not by
the expanse of its intellect. Its edito-
rial columns are a depository of quaint
ideas on political ethics, on the English
language, on public morality, and the
fundamental principles of law and order.
These thoughts are suggested by an
unusually elaborate editorial in last
weeks issue of the Argus, under the
startling caption, els the States At
torney Gambler p 1t was inspired by
an innocent sentence in the WATCH
MANS editorial the week before. After
airing its knowledge of draw-poker by
illusions to "antes," "limits," y" jack
potts. etc., the Argus jumps on the
states attorney in its characteristic
fashion. 1t submits the list of rum
sellers and their fines, published in a
recent issue of the WATCHMAN, with
an appended statement of Judge STAN
toms share in the "game of keeps"
as it styles the prohibitory law. The
total amount of fines, in the cases cited,
was 81 $50, and the states attorney
was credited with receiving a moiety
of S915.
After reading the Argus editorial,
the question which Immediately sug-
gested itself to every man who knew
anything about the subject at issue was
not, SIS the states attorney a gam
bier p but, lis the editor of the Argus
"a willful liar, morally responsible for
his mendacity, or merely an irrespon-
sible pathological specimen p" We
believe in "giving the devil his DUE
and so we give the editor of the Argus
the benefit of every possible doubt.
We do not think he wrote that editorial
with the intent to deceive others, but
only in the effort to relieve his own
spirit, "an effort, when it is successful
that works like the casting out of dew.
| lis" Lies, we have somewhere read
lldNC plCil vi III ihOi
{ and no one questions the moral plumb
and rigidity of the editor of the Argus
r The fact of the matter is, that when 8
3 rumseller gets fined few hundred dol
lars, or anything else happens to put
, the Argus out of humor, its editor i'm
, mediately tears his hair, and begins tC
? throw inkstand, paste-pot, scissors, ant
dictionary at each and every person
: that he thinks is in any way responsible
for his attack of bilious displeasure
t That these little eruptions should pro
woke controversy is natural. Henc,
5 our present comments.
, But our purpose is not to criticise thu
: latest agony of the Argus so much as t.
point out its glazing misstatements
5 We can easily understand how the,
came about. The editor attempted t
handle subject concerning which hi
knowledge was limited, and the result
= was what might have been expected
f His conception of the word " moiety" i
Q what led him astray. Moiety has prac
: tically ceased to mean half in tn,
: parlance of the courtroom nowadays
/, it has come to be used as a synonym
= for any fraction. So that while Judg,
: Stanton received moiety," as h
= himself would probably call it, he di'
e not receive halt of the fines, by
=, good deal. He got just one-fourth, a
h the statute provides; and, instead of tn
t S915 with which the Argus credits him
= he received from the rum cases cite,
!, just S278.75. These figures are takel
f from County Clerk SMILES vouchers
y All he received for the entire term o
J. court, including all cases, was S341 %
: and he paid out a good share of tina
y for the assistance of counsel. Tn
It state did not contribute cent towar,
C that. Here is a correct list of wha