The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-07-22

morning; returning, will arrive at Mont
pelier at 7: 90 p. NJ. Five hours will be
taken in delightful sail through the most
| picturesque portion OF Lake Champlain.
Those who desire can stop over in Burling-
ton and witness the baseball game between
the Plattsburgh and Malone teams, to be
played in that city on that date.
SEVERAL weeks ago James II. Young of
East Montpelier had some correspondence
with l.. II. Turner of Oakfield, Genesee
county, New York, regarding full-blooded
Jersey calf that Turner had advertised for
| SALE He wanted $40 cash in advance for
the animal, and, as the description suited
Mr.. Young, he forwarded the money. Re.
ceiving no reply, and realizing that he had
been swindled, Mr.. Young placed the mat
ter in the hands Of United States officials
| Turner was indicted by the federal grand
jury for violating the United States postal
laws, and, when arrested, admitted the
theft of Young's money. He is at present
In Jail in Rochester N. Y, awaiting an or
der for his removal to Vermont for trial.
AN item in the wAToHMAN last week re-
garding the honorary "a. M" that Harvard
| College has recently conferred upon Booker
L. Washington was evidently in error as
regards facts. John M. Comstock OF Chel-
sea writes as follows can item in the last
| WATCBMAN, In mentioning the honorary
degree of Master of Arts recently conferred
by Harvard University upon Mr.. Booker
I. Washington, perhaps the foremost negro
now living in America, gives undeserved
honor to Harvard in stating that this is the
first instance in which a New England
college has thus honored colored man.
We do not need to look so far from home.
In 1904, ninety-two years in advance OF
Harvard, Middlebury College conferred the
pastor of the Congregational church OF
West Rutland, one of the founders Of Con-
| gregationalism in Vermont. In more recent
times, Dartmouth College has conferred the
degree upon two colored mep-James d.
Burrus in 1879, and John r. Blackburn in
1888, both sometime students but not grad
yates of the college, and both then and now
teachers of their race At the late COM
mencement of the University of Vermont
moreover, the degree of Doctor of Divinity
was conferred upon a colored man, Rev.
George w. Henderson of New Orleans, a
graduate Of the University, and some years
ago principal of Craftsbury Academy.
Give Harvard her due, but no more"
The City Council will be justified in con-
STRUNG literally the vote instructing it to
call another meeting to act upon the city
hall matter. The time OF the next annual
meeting will be early enough, and it will
be the proper time. These repeated and
numerous special meetings are without
reasonable cause. No emergency warrants
them. The city will need hall some time,
but it can manage to continue the admins
tration of its affairs if this question is not
decided oh-hand. This dog-day weather
is not conducive to clearness of mental Wis
ion or soundness of Judgment Much has
been said in the discussion of this question
about the rents the city is paying, which
would be saved if the hall were built. Here
is the list of rents as furnished by the city
clerk: For city clerks Office, $3.50; water
and police, $50; city barn, $3.50; engine
house No. 4, $3.50; Volunteer Hose Company
No /, S144; room in Langdon block for
Hooks, S25; basement Capital Hall, $50;
hitching posts to Blanchards estate, $50.
Total, $3.50. If city hall were built several
OF these items OF expense, aggregating some
$500, would still continue. Some 5000
would be saved. Against this saving would
be the annual interest charge on the cost of
the building, amounting probably to 50 200,
several hundred dollars for insurance, and
several hundred more for janitor's services
and expense of maintenance. For few
hundred dollars saved several thousand
dollars would be added to the annual ag-
gregate OF taxation. The city must, never
theless, have city hall, and it will come in
the fulness of time. For the present, /" slow
trot " is the best policy.
THERE was conference at Capital Hall,
Saturday afternoon, July II. Members Of
the county committee and the town COM
mittees OF Washington county met to ar
range for campaign work in this part of the
state. j. W. Brock, of the state committee,
presided and introduced Chairman Merrill
of that body. Mr. Merrill outlined the plan
of campaign. Called up by the presiding
officer for remarks, Messrs. DeBoer, Huse
and Hoar spoke briefly on the issue-free
silver. George M. Fletcher of Moretown
asked the attention of the conference to
another matter. After some preliminary
remarks, leading up to the subject, he called
the attention of Chairman Merrill to the
charge that, the votes of delegates were
bought by the successful candidate, or by
others acting for him, at the Burlington
convention, and asked Mr.. Merrill what the
committee was going to do about the mat
ter. Mr.. Fletcher regarded these things as
serious, affecting the honor of Vermont,
and likely to lower the republican majority
unless they were shown to be false. Chair
man Merrill indicated surprise that such
reports are in circulation, and was disposed
to treat them lightly. He had been alb.
sOrbed in the duties OF his Office and had
only learned incidentally, just before the
meeting of the state convention that Grout
and Stickney were candidates for governor.
An interesting and somewhat prolonged
discussion ensued. In answer to the objec-
ton that no specific charges had been made,
and that no ground for investigation was
known, Mr.. Fletcher read from the Rutland
Herald certain charges that he declared
were specific, and stated that it was not
known what could be proved till you tried
He spoke Of certainIother charges, and when
asked to give names said that that was not
the proper time or place to give names, but
read another extract from the Rutland Her.
aid in which names were given and the
btatenenU UndC names anu particulars IN 1ull
had been offered Mr.. Grout il he would call
for them, but that they had never been
called for. He said that under the free
mans oath, unless these things were cleared
up, he could not vote for Major Grout and
knew OF many others that would not. He
asked Chairman Merrill If, under that oath,
he could conscientiously vote for Mr. Circuit
Mr.. Merrill said that he was not there to
answer technical questions, or words to
that effect. The chairman of the state
committee found it necessary to.leave, and
about this time, others going out to take
their trains the conference broke up. In
the course of the discussion Mr. Fletcher
cleared the ground around him by stating
that he had not been supporter of Mr.
Stickney in the late canvass, nor had he
been in favor of Mr. Grout, but believed
another candidate ought to have been
sought. He said that he would contribute
literally to fund for investigating the
charges in question, and, unless they were
known to be false Mr.. GrOut shOuld stem