The Windham County reformer. (Battleboro, Vt.) 1876-1897, 1896-02-21

third crop OF ice. and of exceptionally
fine quality, at their pond
C. u. Lamson has begun worl,
building his new two-story house on
Washington street, west of the Coates
house.
Some 80 of our people went up to
West Brattleboro last night where
they we're furnished an excellent
chicken pie supper which was Cotton
up by the ladies, the proceeds to go
for the benefit of Genwood Classical
Seminary.
Wednesday evening from seven to
eight the teachers of the public
schools listened to an instructive lee.
ture ON "How to Tcach,'' given by
Prof Nash, superintendent of the
Massachusetts schools, in the High
school building, and frJm eight to
nine he gave an enjoyable lecture to
the pupils and some of the towns
people on Prehistoric America. 4
John Wesley Edwards, aged about
40, wellknown character here
" Duke Edwards" rs he was called,
known to have Il vacant tenement in
the upper story" but regarded as
harmless, was arraigncd before Trial
Justice Greene at Greenfield Wednes-
day on a charge of threatening to
shoot Rev. G. p. Ketcham, the Leyden
Methodist minister, because the
latter would not consent to Edwards
giving lecture in the Methodist
church there. Edwards, who has been in
town within two or three weeks study
ing up on tho Armenian question
had got ambitious oratorically, be
cause of a recent success down in
Massachusetts with presentation
speech which he had been invited to
give on social occasion. He has
points Of brightness and readiness
which had become SO enlarged in his
estimation that the world was waiting
to hear from bin, and while here he
fired the lecture at everybody who
could be induced to listen. Edwards
who has been knocking about the
country good deal of late years, has
been in several scrapes before but has
got out Of them because of belief
that he was mentally wrong. One of
Leyden or Shelburne Falls several
years ago and another was charge
of stealing an overocat. His mother
have been afflicted with mental malady.
The case was continued till yesterday,
when g. W. Davenport appeared for
him and plead for clemency, and he
was placed under 500 bonds to keep
the peace, which Davenport and c. A. |
Van Doom furnished.
Suit is to be brought against the |
town by direction of Gov. Woodbury. /
and State Auditor Hale for, the liquor
agency profits for the year ending Feb, !
lst 80, which, even after the skilful |
figuring down on them that vas done, |
the town declined to pay on the ground |
that the law was unconstitutional. !
The law when was passed by the legis
'ation Of "a and went into effect Feb. | |
80, required towns to pay TO the state |
all the profits above 10 per cent on the
Iibuor business not only in the future,
but for the fiscal year ending on the
lay it went into effect. Though the
idea of the law is an excellent one to
prevent towns from being rumsellers
Tor profit and though no one disputes
It's validity for the future, while mighty
lew will allow the state treasury to get
out of it, the argument
against the power of the state to make
he action retroactive is very
strong one, and this towns refusal
to pay was based on the advice
II Waterman. Martin and Hit.
There were also IS other towns in the
state that had balance of profit
such as the state was reaching after
hat refused to pay, and all the pay
nents made on the 1894 business have
amounted to only about $1,000. The
purpose of the suit is merely to test
he constitutionality of the statute
u its retroactive feature, SO that il
collection may be en-
creed and If not the money paid may
,e refunded. Tho case will go up TO
he supreme court on an agreed state
nents of facts. The suit is brought 3,
ganist this town, as the best one to ,
make the test, because of the thorough
css of the study which the towns
uonsel made of the case and the
of the opinion they rendered
gainst the validity of the statute.
hoy will appear for the defense while
DEL G.. Baker of Rutland, who also
,ado Il thorough study of it and gave {
strong opinion just the opposite way, 1
'illThaye charge of the states side. .
The waters Of town politics have !
OF begun TO stir much yet, and as |
here is no Australian ballot and no $
eed for caucuseg, probably the fights,
there are to bc any, will not take |
cry definite shape until close to the 6
own meeting. The present board of (
slectmen will be candidates for re- !,
lection, reluctantly lis regards DIR. !
iebsterr at least. because of his health,
4 natural ambition to submit to the
pproval of their fellow citizens the C
ecord they have made, in one Of the n
lost difficult, laboriUus and perplcX ;,
lg business years the town has ever
ad. The showing which tho town g
port makes of thier administration O
a good one considering all they have :
ad to contend with aud no matter
hat the result of the election it can o
Of justly DO denied that they have :
iven the town faithful and efficient Il
,rvice and one that contains but few I,
istakos. The trolley issue was the :
ne chiefly on which they were -
ected last year and though
any conservative citizens feared
c result and thought at the time that it would
better to have board opposed TO the trolley
look fter the towns interests, 1t Is generally
limited that the present board has stood up
raight In this respect and some of the trolley
oplc have felt at times that they stood so
-aight as to iean q little backwards. There =
~ probably be trolley questions to be odealt
III the coming year, and now that the road has
ssed the experimental stage and Is doing SO
well, the policy should be to look
rcf,lIly to see that it gets nothing whatever ut
g expense of the taxpayers, but while dealing
silly with it under its charter rights, when
ere is doubt give the town the benefit of IL
wards payment for the valuable franchise il
joys in the use the streets built and paid for
taxes. The questions to arise In the future
II In this view pc even more difficult to handle
IN those Of the past, and il is consideration
~ -hnIIld hnrc lurrn ialncn the