davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07
TOWN CORRESPONDENCE,
ITEMS or IN7EREST--PERs
Am GENERAL.
To Correspond, nts.

The town news service unavoidabTy be-
came somewhat demorslized during Tho
session OF the Legislature. The proeeyd-
ings OF that body, once in two years, b.
ram- OF paramount interest to The peopIe Of
We mont and very naturally they have Tho
right OF way in the newspapers at m. Can.
ital. Still, by printing snp, I-men,s. and
by the use Of The DAILY J, URnAI. in uhioh
all town news was printed, the vari, M cum
munites in the radius OF the wArcHMAn,.
circulation have been served fairly we'll.
The Legislature has finally adjourned, for
which the newspapers. az we'll AZ the s,ats
at large, ought to be thankful, and tho
WATCHMAS will resume its careful atiI
ton To the town news service. q
pondents are earnestly solicited to uas their
best Efforts TO have their localities well and
fully represented In the columns of the
wATcBHAN, and all persons having items
OF news or interest In their neigh borhoods
will do us favor by sending them TO this
papers local correspondent.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07
Legislative Aftermath,

Dear Old Wdtchnaan:-In leisure mo-
mem, after p irlial Iocuvery from the msn-
tai and physical strain incident TO legis.
lative campaign, have thought that a few
recOlleclions OF the late turmoil might
prove 10 some extent interesting TO those
whom l 80 recently ceased to interest, il
not Instruct. Hence the wandering and
desultory r. marks which follow.
A this distance an active participant in
the work OF the session can Bee with clearer
vision than during The din of battle and the
rush OF the armed hosts The smoke and
dust have settled, and the field Of action is
in review. Therefore, little ''raking
after" may be in order and OF interest.
Immediately after any General Assembly
adjourns IL becoDrs the imperative duty of
the home guard-the store court statesmen
and small newspsptr'-to Tear its work to
pit ces, TO dissect 10 without mercy and fire.
quently without Judgment or knO 0ledge OF
the facts, and at long Iauge to point out the
sins of omission and commission. Ths
corners jury is now slit ng in every school
district throughout the Sta ..
Intricate problems of 10 .islation which
puzzled two hundred and fOrIy->ix honest,
well meaning and fairly intelligent men
are settled by there corner grocery alta, Oh.
men with dull thUd, and punishm mis-
and rewards arc IN -ted out with "A stern is-
tice and self complacency which is mag
nihcenL in its salf-cODceit.
The House OF Il representatives OF '98 was
not weak one individually; far from it,
IL contained a vast amount OF good m 4teri-
al. H. was very largely made up OF good
citiz-n- DESTROYS OF doing good work. AS d
whole II was safe aud conservative b ,dy.
the basic source of its weakness was in
the utter lack OF legislative experience OF
nearl! all the IN amberI. Twenty men, more
or less did all the talking there WAS done.
And i want to say right here that there was
less talking than in any House for twenty
y'ars. The talking members were all lead
ors-all the leaders there were. Barring
tue speaker, who WAS of course Handicapped
by hls position, there was not a man in all
the body who could or did get up Mt "A or t.
ical ms and lead the House Alright. Tho
talking members did not "loOk IL )" to
each other, aud the great IN asa had 10 rely
on VIII each Individual could evolve OF the
truth from his own unaided aud in-xperi-
enced reasoning L. was body easily led I;
the m +mb 'rs were ready TO rely GU any
ju igment which at the time dominated
them. Uni.r the circumstance iusiSt
that the House did we'll. Ia The mental
force which commands authority aud sub
14cfion IL had no head, and without head
/ contend that lis record Is good one
At all times the members we're willing
and quick 10 recsde AMI reconsider when
reflection proved that they we're wrong. In
one man possessing ihrs- qualities and at
tributes We would say Of him that he WAS
honest. we'll disposed. generous, anxious Mt
oil times to do right-only not correctly al
aUced
The Senate contained much ahility-but
on tue whole WAS no. u reprsssn taiivs body,
wasspo; near the peop d. IL had brains ami
to spare, and only one or two weak and
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07
The Foes Of the Republic.
The Hon. George Frisbie Hoar sends
to the Christian EndeavOr Society these
excellent sentiments:

The Hon. George Frisbie Hoar sends
to the Christian Endeavor Society these
excellent sentiments:
81 wish 1 could impress upon every young
American that the great text which declares
that faith, hopr, aud charity are the three
things u a. are forever 10 abide, CONVEYS
the beat counsel to the you h OF our country,
and hls them what quality they should
bring to The service of tue State. Ths ban-,
the danger, the 'llutiOn OF our public life
il not party corruption, not the reck less de-
sire for empire, not seltisbness. nor the die-
regard OF jus ice in the conduct OF affairs.
These are the old foes. We know them
Oar fathers knew them. We have van
pushed them again aud again. But want
Of faith III Col and man. hOpslessness and
despair, hatred aud uuchari ableness-iJ is
to these DISCUSSES that Satan pres nts him
self To the educated youth OF our times IL
Is these which take from the forces If the
republic men who ought TO do her The no
best service. 1t IL these which have 80
often baif the best hopes OF the patriot
aud tho best work Of the statesman"
This Was M HOar's message as to
"the Toes OF the Republic" yet we find
him conserving at prest nj with the very
persons whose political views are notO-
rious for walt OF faith, for hopeless
ness, despair, hatred ana uncharItabie-
ness. The men who doubt or despair
as TO the iulure of the repu ollc and the
capacity, honesty and intelligence of
It's ci,izens, now deny the ability of
those cilizens 10 govern foreign depen-
denotes, and Mr.. Hoar thinks that
Enyl.shmen can do it, but Americans
can't.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07

mutation Of the pending question.
made his astounding proposition the
speaker Whispered to the occupant of
the chair, "Cdll that man dowbp There
was some confusion, the temporary
presiding officer was somewhat at sea,
and so the me mber fro r. ,nd ph got
IF without the rebuke his corrupt sug-
geslion and brazen ,ffrontery deserved
HIS offer was con -idered as nothing
less than bride to the Hou e, and had
it net been in the closing hours of the
session an # rt would have been made
tn exptl the II md, III man from that
body.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07

Mr.. Hoat's new allies b, leve that the
Uuited States will be runt d If the
Philippines are annexed. Iu that rhe.
tUricel condition into which The pros
pect of unt expected additions to The
United States has plunged him, he him
self seems to be saying that the ruin
of the county will date from the adj
mini-tration Of William McKlnl,y V, il
the Philippines are annexed. Where
is bis faith in God and man just at
presenl? Where are his hopel ssuess
and his optlmisn2 No man knows
more cheerful hymns, yet here he is
growing away as If Giant Despair had
him on the hip already.
Senator Hoar needs to wipe his
glasses. Satan presents himself to ed
ucatt d age M wi as to educated
youth. New Y rk Sun.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07
Wise Conservatism.

Every community from q s,botl dis
trict to a continental republic, has two
ends-lhe progressive aud the conser-
vative. Tue progressive element pro-
poses and acts; the conservative oh
j+cts, examines, calls for a reconsidera.
lion, appeals to precedents. Both ele-
ments are useful. II the progressive
end worked without question, 1t wo,l |
run into many follies. II the conser-
vative end always triumphed, there
would be no forward movement. The
purpose OF wise conservatism, IL seems
TO US, is 10 secure ample con federation
for any progressive step, 10 accept the
inevitable when it sees it, and 10 try to
make the best of it. Ii the conservatives
Of this country had had their way, we
should have had no War of the Revolu-
ton, no Constitution, no war Tor the
Union he results of which by the way,
greatly exceeded the ante-b, II Im de-
claratlons OF its purpose and very lit
tie of anything else which has made
our country what 1t is. The conseIva.
tive element is pretty sure to be re-
spectacle. Educated men, espt cial Y
after middle age, are not 30 apt 10 fe, |
the "insinct of developmen'-to use
Prof. Sc, ley's phrase-as cruder and
younger natures. We have great svm-
p thy for the conservative element,
and generally act with it. But when
it goes to extremes, and becomes dog
in The manger, il has ceased to render
useful service. Respect for our instl-
tutiOns, an honest Enthusiasm for the
q ,g, even the instinct which teaches
that we ought to do our share of the
worlds work, is a better guide than a
pessimism which not only resists for
ward movement while it is an open
question, but sulks and growls after 1t
is decided on.
We confess that we we're cheered
and ENCOURAGED by reading sketch of
what Pot. N ,rton said to com pany
Of undergraduates a few weeks ago.
While abating not jot his opposition
TO the war, he accepted the exp 4nsion
policy as inevitable, and expressed
confidence in our success as colonial
power, after making some blunders
and paying for them. We believe it is
ridiculous 10 assume that this great re-
public cannot govern colonies, with
populations OF any stage of devel ,p-
meut, or hat we cannot do it Without
damage to our institutions at home.
The pessi nists always point to the ex-
ample of Rome, which they assume
to h ave been destroyed b-caise of its
ext ansion policy. THIS is stuff and
nonsense. Why do they refuse to 10 * to
the example OF Eu nd which has been
steadily expanding for centuries, and
at the same Time pro crossing from The
rule OF an absolute king to instiIu-
tons as free as our own? Not ouly
that, but, while ming her flag |,
round the world, she has purl6 her
p lltics and her admini,tr alion beyond
the experience of any other nation.
True conservatism is goo very
good; but pessimlsm is neither ,od
for nations nor for individuals. Aud a
pesslmistic American is, of all living
organisms, most unreasonable. We
prefer to go with the flag, and use our
best endeavors to keep it slaiuless.-
Boston Herald.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07

Baker, Elisha Hntcbins, Jsrnea CreytOn.
Samuel Mdckey, john Pane. James Hum
pnrrt G~orge Nhsle,, john PrDey, Rob
ert SIe~ar', James Henry King. Abner
ID okry, William K'ni ION. ia ne- Qnlnhv,
k-u oen Alien. J''h" Evan, Aiexau,i-r Nc.
Neil, Nehemiah Mcneil, Josiah Sweat.
John Martin, John X ,hlnsuu, James Nc
Glahan, Alexander Dwinurl. Robert
Humphrey, DO am HUhh-, J.drdiah Cram.
they were veterans Il the seven years
war and IA ly all j lined the First New
Hamp-hirr regiment ,nder Col. Stdrk. At
Bunker Hill they we're confronted bl the
cho cest regiment e. the Brush army, the
welsh Fusieers. Col S'ark told De- bent
ley ihat, after the enemy had bseu broken
and The smoke cleared away, they lay be-
lore him as thick Hs sheep In pm. The
next day, officers having been removed,
ntuetl-Ix pnvAtrs we're counted Opposite
MOore's one company.
GEORGE G. CHANDLER,
Berlin, Vt,
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07
Clear As Mud.

The Rob Roy of the Vermont Lsgis.
liture was recently interviewed, or got
himself interviewed, by the repre-
sentative Of Montp, ler paper-demo-
cratic, naturally, for his conversion ap.
pears to be OF the tongue, not of the
heart-for the purpose of explaining
away the corrupt appeal to his followers
on the last day of the session. In the
interogations the voice was the voice
Of the interviewer, but the ruling
spirit in question and answer was the
same. The interviewer was cleally
running both sides of the interview.
Asked, in the conventional phrase of
the interviewer, if he had anything to
say respecting charges of bribery, ETC.,
etc., he answered-and his reply was
Characteristic:
"Why, nothing, everyone who was about
the State House knows what the situation
was Your paper stated IL. There is no need
for me to say anything"
Then ne Illustrated the "no need for
me TO say anything" by filling up col
umn and more of space with an at
tempted justification of his very ex-
traordnary proposition to usurp the
sovereignty of the State of Vermont,
in the matter of paying its Lawmakers
and other servants, if only they would
stand by him in his conspiracy to block
the wheels OF legislation. Why2 To
crafty his petty, personal spite against
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07

member of the board of agriculture.
To d his, having failt d in his inceu.
diary Efforts to get the board abolished,
he would slipuate that none of the
money appropriated for the support of
government should be expended on
the board of agriculture. No board
of agriculture, or no appropriations.
Great statesmanl Virtuous citizen aud
high-souled patriot
o. the fret calling OF the yeas and
nays, Nov. II, on the question of abol.
ishing the board of sgrlcLl ,ure this man
declined, until compelled oy the House,
to vote on the question, under the pre-
tense that be was not well enough in
formed to vote intelligenlly. This plea
had the merit of exceeding candor.
His excuse was uDquestionably good
one, but the board of agriculture was
not the only subject on which his ig-
norance was conspicuous, and upon
which his brand of morality was stamp
ed.
As chairman of the railway commit
tee, for ex Am pie. aud cham )ion of the
unsecured creditors of the Central Yer
mont railway, why was his philanthro-
ny, and his keen sense of right and
justice, confined to the interests repre-
scented on that committee9 Why die it
not reach out and gather in sundrv and
various claims ranging from S5 600 10
S15 600, other than those that were
brought in under the cover of the reor-
g4nization bil9 Why did be not eluci.
d tie these aud come other things in his
interview?
1t is regretabl, that go long story as
this interview adds nothing to The sum
OF human knowledge on the matter in
question, and that it tends to confirm,
rather than dlssipate, the decidedly
unfavorable verdict as to the real char
acter OF the offer of $4,000 to the
members of the Legislature, if a maj ,r.
i'y OF one body would persist to q ,sl
adj ,urnment in its opposition to the
existence of a certain s institution.
The party interviewed seems to think
that his proposal was an innocent and
proper one because his money was
offered to all OF the menbers, to OPP
ponents as we'll as to the friends of his
pet scheme. Tnat is to cay, an offer OF
money to person who is opposing you
cures similar offer to a confederate;
or, an offer of money to 100 men is not
bribery because similar offer was
made to LOG other men for a similar
purpose rule of morality Mephis.
topheles him elf would approve.
But it was the wicked Senate that
was really intimidating the Housed The
treasurer had posted notice that the
Legislature would be paid off at GER
tain time; then this rider was tackled
on to the approp riation bill and It's au
thor. and his democratic and confed.
crates of othe' moral and political con
ditions, were decl airing vociferously tn at
they would never, never recede from
the amendment that was blocking the
passage of the appropriation bill. So
the notice of the treasurer was taken
down-at the instance of Senators |!
The money to pay at the time specified
was held up by Rob r ~ and his band.
81 The responsibility was with the SEN
att! Expect logicianl Stern moralistl
Get Johann Most to give You some
points in reasoning and morals before
you essay another interview.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07
The Message.

The parts of the Presidents messae e
of the largest public interest are print
ed in supplement to this issue of the
WATCUMAN.
The message, particularly in that
part relating to the war with Spain, and
the events preceding aud fol owing the
period of active hostilities, is largely,
and necessarily, historical. Events
aud incidents related have the familiar
ity of thrice told tale, but they derive
au added in crest from the fact of tn, ir
connected and official relation in the
message. The President is precuded,
by the incompleteness of the drama in
lts diplomatic and political stages, from
dscussin { the matter of 1.-THE govern
ment for the future OF the new possess
sione which will come to US as the re-
suit of The war with Spain. Such dis.
cussion will be appropriate after the
treaty of peace shall be ratified" In
the meantime, and until Congress has
passed laws for their government, the
military governments already establish
ed will be continued.
With relation TO Cuba the pledges OF
this government will be faithfully OBJ
served. As soon as the i'll md is paci-
fed, and good order firmly established d,
and there is reasonable pro mise that
the people will be able TO maintain a
stable and responsible government of
til 'ir own, the military power OF the
United States will be withdrawn. Un-
til that end is secure military occu pa
ton will be continued. Spanish rule
must be replaced by government
created by the people.
N xt to the war with Spain, end a
corollary to it's events and incidents,
the construction of the Nicaragua ca.
nal occupies the larger interest with
the general public. The voyage of the
Oregon, the necessity for that l,ng and
perilOus )urney. in an imminent ma
tonal crisis, the possessions accruing
in the Pacific, plead more powerfully
than any word of the Executive or
other human agency, for the construc
ton of that avenue of communication
between the water, Of the Atlantic and
Pacific. The President sets forth the
existing status of that enterprise and
presents the urgent reasons, other than
those r. liting to the national defense,
for early and def lite action at the
present session OF Congress. The
Presidents statement of the reasons
demanding the construction of this
waterway now more imperativtly than
ever are, indeed, "proposi ions which
the Congress will duly appreciate and
wisely act upon" if that body is abreast
Of the other department of the govern.
ment, if it is keeping time with the de-
mands OF the national spirit.
The message is not romance. 1t
has hardly the fascination of one of
Kipling's stories, but it is a plain,
strong, patriotic and statesmanlike pre-
sentalion of the varied aft airs of a
great nation in an eventful and epoch
making period Of its existence. In
calmness, dignity and force, 10 the
spirit of fidelity to duty and faithful.
ness to obligation, the message fifty ex
emplifes the attitude of the American
people as body, having passed tri.
umphantly the threshold of great
events and standing before the open
ing portals of a greater future.
The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-12-07
In Chorus from the Philippines,
Berlin, Vt.

Mr.. McKli ley and fellow citizens
Or, II >ou think that's little premature,
Mr.. Mckinley ano
Citizens OF the American Tenaissance-
We want to tell ,ou G. at
We hav' taken to wearing hats lately,
BIZ we can throw them In the air
And yell hoorayi
We never were SO glad In all our lives
As when We learned we were
To come nj der the stars and Stripes
We had been awfully afraid
You might think
We desired COM lete Independence,
When the oul, independence we wanted
Was from Spain.
You see. We. a bit scary
About going n ON our own hook,
Because we're r Their susp cious
OF that ohap Aguinaldo.
Hes too ond of being Dictator.
Why. to zee him, you'd imagine
We were all Al enugra phrrst
II you han eecdea to make US
Shit fer our elves.
He would ~ obsbly have forced us
To replace his gold collar
With one made Of Msuila's chief export.
Aud we don't mean cigars o. paper.
However, we are rather glad
Aguinaldo banp ned,
For people who car raise Dictator
From among themselves
And then get ready TO tit on him.
Prove that hey
Know a thing or two
About the Ways OF civilization,
Now, don't you believe
There's going to be fuss over this thing
You won't need ~ y eIperiei oe
It. dealin with us.
For we're about AS enthusiastic
Ov"r 1t as you are.
Aguinaldo may not want to quit.
Dicta ora, you know,
Never Ill Q to give up their jobs,
But We can attend to h m.
And II he grows troublesome
He II think
The whole OF Spain has fallen on him
We're going to b. gin right
Aud we won't tolerate
Any fuoling.
We intend to show everybody
What n simple changing of a.gs
viii do.
j. Warren T. Mason, In New York Su
The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1898-01-28

one bath" question in British warehouses;.
At Maldenhead. the scene Of the recent
typhoid fever outbreak, where the earl
is one of the board of guardians, he dis
covered that they had bathed forty tramps
IN six bathtubs of water. With some
daihculty he put through a proposal to use
the same water for. only two or three per-
sons. one overseer objecting that che did
not know when they We're going to stop
giving Injuries to tramps." Fl -.
BY May I the Congo railroad between
Matadi and Stanley Pool viii be complet-
ed and open for traffic. In the middle of
December the rails had been laid for
S4S kilometers of the SSS covered by the
line, the roadbet for ten kilometers more
was hMlshed, and men We're at work on
the next ten kilometers, bringing the line
to within thirteen miles of Stanley Pool.
The iron bridge over the Inkissi will be
put in place at the beginning of January,
The November receipts from traffic on the
part of the road in operation were 20O, 900
francs.
-Extravagant prices are being paid in
London for, pictures by early English
painters. A portrait by II. r. Morland,
Morland, whose pictures have usually sold
for a few guineas, brought in $16,5OO at
recent auction sale. 1t represents a
young woman ironing, in a blue and white
dress, with a white cap and blue ribbons
on her head. and is usually called por-
trait of Maria, Countess of Coventry, one
of the beautiful Misses Cunning. Sever
al copies of the picture by Morand him
self are III existence.
''Ko-ko-r-ko," dramatic review of the
year at a Paris variety hall, has led to a
duel. The author made fun of the Catul-
lie Mendes-Lugne Poe encounter, repre-
ssenting the principals as lie Prince dc
Macaroni and LIE Directeur de rOeuvre
des Petits Fuyards, with Duse and Ia
magno as seconds for the first and Sarah
Rernhardt as one second for the other.
NJ. Lusne Poe, feeling insulted, challenged
the author, and. as in this duel he did not
keep out of his opponents reach. he re-
ceived two slight scratches ana re-estab-
lished his reputation for physical courage.