The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-12-01

he was many years the Master and
which highly prospered under his
energetic management. He was one
of the earliest members of the Order in
this State. He has risen from the
ranks and his advancement has been
the proper recognition of merit and
ability.
CERTAIN of the contemporaries have
recently been trying to impart little
sickly galvanic life to the "double tax
alton reform which the legislature for
over two decades has biennially refused
to adopt. Gov. Grout is eulogized for
the "noble stand" he took in favor of
the "reform" in his message to the
Legislature, and, after that body had
rejected the various bills introduced to
effect the "reform," for his special
message asking for commission to in
vestigate the subject. 1t would be in
teresting to have pointed out the
passage in the Governors message that
could be construed as a frank and
straight forward recommendation to the
Legislature to put the alleged reform
into law. His reference to the matter
was pure buncombe, and entirely per-
functory. His "noble stand" on this
question had apparently been matter
of vote getting in the primaries and
nominating convention, rather than
of an innate love of justice, and he was,
per force, obliged to say something on
the subject which he said in his Pc
cular way. A commission to investi-
gate measure which the Legislature,
on its merits, time and again had re-
jected, and which was as rational sub
ject for legislative investigation and
expenditure of public money as the
phases of the moon, was reasonably re-
fused; had the request been for COM
mission to investigate the whole broad
subject of taxation, with view to
amending the tax laws wherein they
should be found really deficient, that
would have been rational and the Legis-
lature might properly have created the
desired commission.
DURING the past week the Boston
and Maine railroad has flooded Mont
pelier, and in fact, nearly every town
in New England, with attractive pos.
tiers announcing extremely low rates to
Boston from all stations on it's line, to
enable the people of New England to
purchase their holiday goods at very
low scale of prices. The Central Yer
mont officials declined to combine with
the Boston and Maine for low rate ex-
cursions to Boston this week, and it is
said on good authority that it was for
the reason that they proposed to pro-
tect the country trade of Vermont,
and not lend their influence to allow
Boston merchants to get rich at the
expense of scores of smaller places
along their lines in Vermont. If this re.
port is true, the Central Vermont rail.
road is to be commended for the stand
it has taken. Bringing the matter
right home, of course Merchant's
week" now on in Boston will be 9
great thing for the retail merchants Of
that city, and it would be good thing
for them to get the holiday trade o
Montpelier. But we have in our city
as good dry-goods, grocery, clothing
jewelry and general stores as can bt
found in any place of its size in New
England. These stores have been es
tablished and stocked by the hard work
economy and business capacity of thei
proprietors and it is the duty of tn,
people of Montpelier to these mer
chants to trade with them, rather thar
to send to Boston for anything that car
be found in these stores. These mer
chants help pay our taxes, help supper
our churches, and are always ready Il
lend a hand on a subscriptiOn name