Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-08-13

in affairs. So was Mr.. Woodbury.. Mr..
Howe was a man of high sociai standing
and in general way one of the most
highly respected and useful citizens of
his town. So was Mr.. Woodbury.. Mr..
Howe was active in benevolent and other
affairs of a public nature. The same
thing was true of Mr.. Woodbury.. Mr..
Howe was landlord of one of the larger
hotels of the State. Mr.. Woodbury. was
landlord of another of the same class.
AS a vital part of his business Landlord
Howe sold rum. Landlord Woodbury.
did the same thing. Landlord Howe
owned his hotel building and also anOth-
er building in his town in which liquor
was sold; that is, to put it in prohibi-
ZIONIST form, he owned two rum holes
and ran one of them himself. The same
thing was true of Mr.. Woodbury. All
the facts above stated in regard to Mr..
Howe's connection with the liquor traffic
were notorious in his own town and else
where, and in no way injured his stand
ing. The same was true with regard to
Mr.. Woodbury..
The Herald then adds:
Right here the parallel ends. Rum.
seller Howe has gone out of business as
landlord, and is in prison. Rumseller
Woodbury. still continues IN business as
landlord and is governor of the State of
Vermont.
The above brought the following letter
from Governor Woodbury. demanding
retraction:
State of Vermont,
Executive Department,
p,,rlinrtnp =fh 1909 \
Editor Of the Rutland Herald:
am much surprised at the editorial
in to-day's issue of your paper headed
Governor Woodbury. as a Rumseller."
have owned the Van Ness house for
II years and during that time there has
been no Intoxicating liquor kept in or
about it, nor haYe l during that time
been engaged directly or indirectly in the
liquor traffic in the Van Ness house or in
any other place. If the guests of the
Van Ness house have pursuaded any OF
my employees to act as their agents to
procure liquor for them such employees
must have obtained it outside the Van
Ness house, and they acted upon their
own responsibility and at their own peril.
You accuse me of owning t,vO rum holes
and running one. You designate me as
"Rumseller Woodbury." and in other
words accuse me of being a common
criminal. am willing to endure in sill
ence ordinary newspaper criticisms, but
my personal self.respect and my respect
for the high office in which the good peo
pie of the State of Vermont have placed
me, and my desire that the fair name of
Vermont should not be traduced and
discredited abroad, forbid my passing in
silence the highly libelous article referred
to. l therefore ask you to make a com
plete and immediate retractiOn in your
paper, failing in which | shall adopt le-
gal means to bring you to account for
your outrageous libel.
Yours very truly,
URBAN A. WOODBURY..
The Herald politely declined to with
draw its statements, and the papers were
promptly served.
Percival w. Clement, the millionaire,
who controls the Herald acknowledged
service to the Sheriff and remarked that
he expected the suit would be brought.
Ex-GOv. William P. Dillingham; of
Waterbury. one of the best lawyers in
State, and Hon. d. j. Foster of Burling-
ton, State Tax Commissioner, are Gov.
Woo1bury's attorneys.