The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-03-05
JUDGE FOSTERS NElGHBORs
Take Different Views of the Judgs' Is
Affidavit.

beGnel, March 1.-The af1ldavlt OF JuuSe
Foster circulated here, naturally reyives
the talk about the case. Judge Foster
term Will expire two weeks from next
Thursday. Your correspondent inter-
viewed a prominent resident here and to
has this to say: "The petition for Judge
Foster was started by Col Edwards we
believe, about three weeks ago, and it was
circulated first by Mr. Edwards, who is
one or the most prominent Democrats in
Bethel. 1t was next circulated by &. A.
Hastings, another of the most prominent
Democrats of Bethel. Then certain other
Democrats took it up. 1t has been signed
by nearly all1of the prominent Democrats
in town, while only three or four promi-
nent Republican business men have
signed it. The petition has been pre-
sented to some outside of the town, but
to few, ii any, outside the village corpora
tion. The understanding is that not so
many names could be obtained outside OF
the village corporation.
TT has been reported in a Boston paper
that no business man of any note In
Bethel had refused to sign this petition.
There are fifteen of the most prominent
business men in Bethel village that have
not signed it. 1t has also been reported
that only five or six to whom it was pre-
o0AUOO Jc1us0u w gu II. lARt may NC
SO, but as matter of fact 1t was not pre-
sented to number of these men who
nave not signed it, for the very reason
that it was well known what their
position was and that they would refuse,
SO that is simply play upon words.
Bethel is stirred up anew by what has
been said relative to the Congregational
church and the procedure which was
made relative to dropping Judge Foster
from its rolls. Judge Foster claims that
he knew nothing about the action which
WAS taken by the church relative to his
dismissal, and that he had no notice
whatever of the passing of any resolutions
relative to his dismissal, and that for that
reason he was lot given an opportunity
to appear before the church and defend
himself, and that he had no notice OF
til he had paid in about $145 to the church
fifteen months after the dropping of his
name from the rolls
prominent people in the Congrega-
t1onal church here say that of course, it
cannot he proved conolusively that Foster
ever received letter which the clerk of
the church mailed to him advising him
of the action Of the chucrh, but these
people say that it was common talk
throughout the community that Judge
Foster had been dismissed from the
church that every body knew it. At any
rate, it was common talk, whether they
knew it or not. It was we'll known and
much talked of not only here, but outside
of the village as we'll.
"A Boston paper stated last Saturday
that every property holder In Bethel had
signed this petition. 1t is not fact, be-
cause some of the largest property holders
in Bethel have refused to sign it, and
would not sign it under any conditions.
Let me say that the prominent men
spoken OF as not having signed the
petition, are not enemies of Judge Foster.
He has not, think, any enemies in
town. He is man who has been very
much liked i'll town, and no one here
questions his ability to serve as justice
Of. the Supreme bench, and in fact, they
are proud OF Judge Fosters ability here,
and the only objection that is raised is in
reference to his conduct.
"The men who have refused to sign the
petition are the very ones who have kept
the most. quiet about the matter. They
had hoped that che thing would quiet
down and if he should not be reappointed
that there would be no stir simply the
non-appointment. Judge Woodbury., q
man who has been most prominent in
Bethel, was among the last to bolieve that
Judge Foster had done anything for
which to be oensured, but when he did
come to believe it he took the matter up
and has aided in the work.
Probably half the people who have
signed this petition are those who have
talked much about Judge Foster and his
conduct"