The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-03-27
THE Harvard faculty recently recon.

on the intercollegiate game, 80 there is
crashing of teeth among the "athletes"
and the defenders of the game. But
the Harvard faculty is right, and its
example should be followed by other
colleges. These institutions, and many
of the academies and seminaries of the
country, have been giving, in late years,
wide application and strong tincture
of truth to that bright epigram of
patron of athletic sports, Harvard Col
lege is the place where the students
direct the studies and the faculty d.
reefs the sports"
SECRETARY GRESHAM has demanded
the recall of Minister Thurston, repre-.
senting the Hawaiian government at
Washington. The grounds for the re-
quest are believed to be that Mr..
Thurston has been somewhat too faith
full to the government he represents.
The real facts affecting events in Hon
olulu have been given to the American
people through Mr.. Thurston, and these
facts have not always accorded with
statements made by the administration
or its official agents. Information has
sometimes been furnished by Mr..
Thurston before it could be procured
from the administration, and it is prob
ably true that Mr.. Thurston's course
may have had something to do with the
failure of Mr.. Cleveland's ignominious
policy in Hawaiian affairs. Mr.. Thurs
ion has undoubtedly made only proper
use of information coming to him from
his own government, but such use
could not render him acceptable to the
president or the head of the state de-
partment. Mr.. Thurston is, however,
persona grata to the American people.
He is very popular in this country, and
it is conceded that he has represented
the cause of the Hawaiian republic with
vigor and ability. He will be very
likely to remain in Washington, and,
whoever bears the title of Hawaiian
minister, he will be 1.-THE power behind
the throne" till the Cleveland admins
tration gives place to it's successor,
when he will unquestionably be again
minister in name as we'll as in fact.
THE dastardly murder of H. G. Par
sons last June at Clifton Forge, Va, by
a conductor on the Chesapeake & Ohio
railway, is not forgotten in Vermont.
Colonel Parsons was Vermont SOL
der, resident since the war in West
Virginia. Vermonters have cause to
remember him gratefully. The MUIR
derer was tried, convicted, and SEN
fenced to eighteen years. imprison
ment. A new trial was granted on an
appeal, and change of venue ordered.
On the second trial the murderer was
acquitted on the ground of selfdefence,
although the murdered man was wholly
unarmed and it was shown that he was
shot down with deliberate premedita-
ton and " filed with bullet holes" as
the murderer had boasted he would do
only few days before the crime was
committed. The ground of the ac-
quittal was the veriest sham. The real
reason was the fact that the victim had
been Union soldier, the murderer was
a Confederate veteran. Counsel for the
defense paraded this fact before a
jury of ex.rebels or their sympathizers,
and the Confederate badge the re-
spondent had worn was fourished be-
fore the men in the jury box and en-
ployed with dramatic effect to rekindle
the fires of the "lost cause" So the
Confederate murderer was acquitted,
and the result received with cheers
that recalled the rebel yell. The moral
OF the verdict seems to be that under
the laws of Virginia Union soldier
may be shot down like dog and the
assassin, provided he is a Confederate
veteran, 60 unwhipt of justice.
THE annual report OF the Vermont
State Grange, recently Issued, shows
buhI W NC III q
condition. Its growth and prosperity
have continued steadily from year to
year. AS the master, Mr.. Messer, said
in his annual address, it was not an
easy matter to turn the tide of adversely
which nearly engulfed the order in this
state, a few years ago, to one of pros
perity, and to popularize an organiza-
ton which had become unpopular
through misconception of its mission
and its misfortunes in the formative
period of its existence. This has been
done by united, intelligent, energetic
action, and it was done under the sue
cessive administrations of Mr.. Messer
as master, post from which he retired
at the last annual meeting, Hon. G. j
Bell of Walden succeeding him. In