Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1898-12-08
"RoB ROY" FROM RANDOLPH.
Newspaper Attack on w. B. Wall
Made Ridiculous by Plain State
ment of Facts.
From the Montpelier Argus

proved lncOFTeci. iuc reg uidi cCecioA1
of the General Assembly having con.
cluded, his legislative work is finished
for the present, and he will remain a.
home among his constituents, where
the name OF ssRob Roy" an outlaw and
an attempted briber of the Legislature,
don't go.n
Mr.. Wall was met by reporter OF
the Evening Argus and asked If he
had anything to say regarding the
charge of a local paper that he had at
tempted to bride members of the House
to be recrcant to their duty by deposit
ing in local bank the money to pay
their per diem and debentures if the
Senate refused to accept the House
rider to the appropriation bill.
"Why, nothing" he said, everyone
who was about the state house knows
what the situation was. Your paper
stated it, There is no need for me to
say anything"
didn't some senators attempt to in
timidate members of the House, he
was asked by the reporter.
I'm tell yOn how that was" he said.
Treasurer Bacon had posted notices
that the members would be paid ut his
office. but after the House put the rider
on the appropriation bill certain Sena-
tors went to him and said:
you can't pay the members There
is no money to do it with. The appro-
priation bill is hung up.
s'Mr Bacon at once pulled down the
notices and posted Others stating that
the members would not be paid. That
looked like an attempt to intimidate
them by telling them that they must
agree with the Senate before they got
their pay.
..Mr. Bacon had no feeling in the
matter, and said So He only wanted
to do what was right for him to do. |
He took down the notices that mem
beers would not be paid
81 told him that no member or Off |
Ger of the House, not even the pages, |
need 90 without their pay. told him
that | would deposit the money in a |
Montpelier bank and if any member
came to him and wanted to be paid to |
send him to the bank and tell him he |
could get his ,aoney there | deposit
ed the money in the bank and left
list of the members. with the amounts
due them, and quite nHmber went
there and got their pay.
when the matter came up in the
House said, as the reports will show,
that any and all members who wanted
to get their pay could get it at the
bank I: that did not believe that MEM
bers should be kept from voting MS
they believed by threat of the Senate.
on Of any senator's, that they could not
get their money unless they accepted
the demands of the Senate. / was not
to influence any men to
vote with me or to sustain the amend
ment The men who voted against
me as well as those who voted in ac-
sortiance with me could have got their
money. The only exception | made
was that | stated that members of the
agricultural board of the third house
sould not draw their money from what !
had on deposit
Il wasn't trying to intimidate any
,ody and didn't intend that any
member OF the House should be IN
if i could help it. II looked
Q me like an effort to enforce the
House to agree with the Senate be-
ause the members did not come here :
representing their banks. Many of
he members wanted their money at :
he time they had expected to have it,
md they were anxious about the stu
ton
What Mr.. Wall SAYS about the oc-
at the state house is known
0 be correct by those who were IA
nillar with what was going on there
Mr.. Wall appears to have no special
ceiling in the matter, but when asked
ny questions about the charges that
e has engagedi in conspiracy against
ne government of the state, or that he I
tempted to bride or unduly influence ]
lembers, he does fire up little.
Anyone who knows anything about
'gislative proceedings knows that a
Ider 70 an appropriation bill is custom
ry IN Legislative bodies all over the
ORD, sometimes effective and some
mes not. but always a recognized :.
lethod of parliamentary procedure. |"
Inose familiar with the situation in
le legislature just adjourned know r
iat the offer was open to every mem y
er and officer of the House, not mere
to those who would vote for the N
-~%fetiH~Ae VI tiAC ll0uct W lllt an
Iopriation bill, and that the offer in.
'eased the staying qualities of the OBJ
onents of the amendment as much rs
did those who favored 1t.
The fact is some senators were max
g use of their opportunities by wbis- ri
sring to many members of the House
lat they would have to 90 without
eir pay unless they let the appropria- T
on bill go through as the Senate =
antcd It and that the offer to the
ouse, which is known to have been
ade IN good faith, merely counter
ted the efforts of these Senators and
we the members an opportunity 70
tie as they pleased with no consider,
ions OF whether or not they would
aw their salary.
Inc newspaper charges misrepre-
nj the situation, but they defeat their
sh ehus because whether senatorial
nuence or some other influence
used ,s them. they are groundless
Inc war is over. but the state has 4
q lesson in indenendaooa Il 80 -