Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-08-08

The Vermont Republican artiller
opened its Windham county campaign
in the Auditorium Wednesday even
ing with Clarke c. Fits, f. G. Arch
ibald OF Manchester and Senator vii
liam Z. Dillingham; as gunnerS. Thi
squad of political artillery men direct
ed most Of lis attention to Perciva
W. Clement, and the Rutland candi
date was subjected to two hours of tn,
hottest kind of bombardment. \ large
crowd, perhaps 700 people, were on the
edge of the firing line and listened tC
the roar and carnage with marked en-
thusiasm. Many of the Clement aides
were on hand to watch the manoeu-
yres of the enemy and gain what
knowledge they could of their oppo-
nents' tactics. bur the great majority
of the audience was in sympathy with
the cause of Republicanism. Several
selections by the First Regiment band
served to draw a crowd to the front OF
the Auditorium and it followed the
the evening was Charles H. Thomp-
son.
Clarke c. Fits was the first speak
er of the evening and devoted the
greater part of his address to the dis
cussion of state expenses In begin
ningh. oweyer. he turned his attention
briefly to the liquor question. The
Republican party has promised the
people that il will submit high Ii
cense local option bill for their en-
dorsement, but it i not in favor of
Mr.. Clements plan His scheme is
not high license; it is rather decided
ly low license. Mr.. Clement would Ii
cense saloons in Brattleboro at 200
each, hotels at $50 each and pharma-
cists at -. He would not place the
control of the liquor traffic in the
hands of the people but in the hands
of the county officers. On the matter
of state expenses Mr. Clement said
that there had been an increase of
$3.50, coo from lsS3 to 1900. but ne for
got to say that il costs every one more
to live now than it did 80 or 10 Years
ago. ln the expenditures for 1900 the
large items of Increase come in the
following items Educational purposes
including scholarships in our universi-
ties, the education of our deaf, dumb
and blind and the maintenance OF cur
schools, care for the insane poor, cat
tie commission for the prevention OF
tuberculosis, maintenance Of the state
laboratory Of hygiene, support Of the
soldiers of the rebellion at the sol
diers home. These in 1900 amounted
to $4,000, in lss3 to SIS, coo. But
what of these items could be reduced
without detriment to the state:
Mr.. Fits spoke of Mr.. Clement
idea of state purchasing board and
showed that the cost of maintaining
such board would exceed the amount
which it would have to purchase Mr..
Fits took up Mr.. Clements course of
action against the increase in corpora
tion taxes As follows; \ bill was in
trOduced in the house of representa-
tiyes in 1900 and passed that body, in
creasing the taxes on railroads from
DO to 80 per cent. 1t came to the
senate and was referred TO the commit
tee of finance, of which Mr.. Clement
was chairman. He held the bill until
the last day of tne session and on the
of that day reported the bill
saying there was no need of
making any increase in the taxes on
because there was money
enough. The bill was defeated be-
cause he urged that il be defeated. In
the afternoon of the same day he. as
chairman of the finance committee.
reported TO the senate a bill to lay
tax of - cents on the dollar of the in
lividual taxpayers of the state, bill
to raise more than 100000, This bill
was passed and all the citizens of Yer
mont had TO pay it. 1t cost Brattle-
ooro 5000 to pay its portion and saved
the Rutland railroad. of which the
Clement family owned 60 per cent,
so. 600 in taxes The Clement family
saved SO, 600 by that little coup of
Percival's, and Clement rides in his
palace car, has a coon quartet and
BRASS bands and is conducting cam
paign of reform in Vermont. claiming
.he state taxes ought to be reduced 10y
putting the insane paupers back into (
he poor houses.
F. c. Archibald of Manchester was
5he second speaker and the one who |
lit Mr.. Clement the hardest. To be /
rim with Mr.. Archibald said that the .
audience must excuse him if he step
led into the gutter, for he had to 90 .
where his game was. Vermont. he
said. had always been a state of which .
o be proud until Mr.. Clement, "a
sort of temporary loan from the land
beyond the Skies appeared and be
gan to besmirch its fair name. Mr. .
Element says that the campaign is
purely one of local issues. Perhaps
le is afraid to have the attention of
-oters turned toward national affairs
because they may there see the tate of
Dolters. Mr.. Clement gives as one of
lis reasons for bolting the corruption
preceding the Montpelier convention.
f he knew of the corruption at the
ime why did he enter the convention
It all: Why did he not challenge the
of some of the delegates:
t was simply because he was willing
o take the nomination if it came to
lin. corruption or no corruption.
Mr.. Archibald then mentioned the
tfidavits which have appeared from
ime to time in the Rutland Herald
nd in answer to these read several
which are printed herewith. They are
: follows:
l. v Z. Cassavant of Newport. in the county
f orleans. and state of Vermont, on oath de-
ose and say:
ompany with one Harry Bedding asked me into
Y. II. Darling Il Sons bottling works i'll Derby
here Mr. Earl called me into Mr. Darling's pri-
ate office and offered me some beer to drink,
ut declined and he then told me that he was
mere in the interests of Mr. Clement and that
hat he wanted to know would he for Mr..
lement's interests and said he had been in
lrmed by two or three men that had received
500 of Proctor's money and $500 of McCul- Z
,ueh'S money and wanted me to give an affda-
m rhat atfa I rp 1p So AZ a SIX