Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-14
Jericho Centre, Aug. 10.
TUBERCULOSIS ISSUE.
To the Editor of the Free Press:

To the Editor of the Free Press:
In a recent issue of the Free Press 1 see
there is an open letter to Mr.. liigbee Oh
Charlotte and the writer signs hlhSeIl as
Several Readers" In the letter are M
teen questions which he asks Mr.. EiSOee TO
answer. Most of the questions are too SIM
ple and trivial to be noticed by anyone,
and especially by "A man OF MI. ilgpee
standing. l consider Mr.. Higbee entirely
capable of taking care of himself IN TINS
matter and perhaps he feels as others nave
been heard to express themselves, that the
one who made this undetermined attack
upon Mr. Higbees motives and integrity OF
purpose is not worthy of notice especially
as the writer has not manliness enough to
sign his own name.
Mr. Several Readers asks. Have the far
mers of Chittendcn or any other county
asked Mr. Higbee to champion their
cause?' Thus admitting that he is uphold
ing the farmers in their struggle with the
board of cattle destroyers. l wish to answer
this question by saying that Mr. HlSpee
has been asked by myself and many other
farmers to come up and help us. We are
grateful for what he has written ana ready
to vouch for the truth of his statements
/ also wish to refer to the action taken at
the last republican county convention held
in Burlington and to the unanimous In
dorsement of Mr.. Highbce's resolutions and
remarks. Passing over those questions
bad times for the farmer mean good times
for the doctor?" will answer most en-
phatically Yes for certain kinds of doc
tors" (and perhaps Doctor Several Read
ers is one of them); If the Legislature can
be induced to continue the work of the
present board, ana amend the law so as TO
give them greater and moro arbitrary pow
ers, as recommended at the recent meeting
of the State Board of Health. To answer
question No. Is. What motives have the
commission in doing this work.
will refer the tax payers to the report
of the auditor Of accounts, to the next Leg
islature, which will show pretty conclu-
sively who have been benefited by this law.
Contrast these benenciarieS of the law with
the condition of their victims In this town.
The farmers of Williston have almost With
out exception made n great effort to re-
place those cattle destroyed by the COM
mission but If Doctor Several Readers will
come TO Wiliston and canvas the town and
| find one man VINO Will say his dairy is IN
as good condition and apparent health as
before this work began, he will lind the
man / have looked for in vain.
We seem to be living in an age of fadS
and the one now uppcrmost seems to
be microbc hunting. II some OF
our wise men will expend their zeal
in hunting the miCrobe that makes
man selfish and anxious to create
offices where the labor shall be light and
| the pay Uc1Ny, ana NilcI tllt y
| shall enact laws to suppress, or at least
| quarantine persons found affected. 1--WE
do not ask that they be slaughtered and
| their bodies left unburied for wecks), then
we shall be nearer the millennium or the
| age when man shall do To others as he
would have others do to him.
A few years ago the Legislature came
very near abolishing the board of aericul-
ture and the question may well be asked
! in this age of telephones; agricultural
papers, free mail delivery, etc, is there
much need of such n board? Are the far
mers of the State duh and incapable Of in
forming themselves with these advantages
at hand? Is it necessary for the State to
hire at great expense few men to travel
up and down the country, repeating, like a
| book agent, the same stories from town u
town, telling the farmers how to grow
beans and raise Cucumhers? Do merchants
and manufactures need lawyers or school
teachers or farmers incapable Of getting
a living in any other way, to tell them how
to properly conduct their business? why
are farmers an exception? Fault is already
being found with our cXtravaEdnt eApendi-
ture, isn't here an opportunity for re-
trenChment?
w. b. DOUGLAS,
| Williston. Aug O. 1902.