The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-04-30
AS TO PALATIAL MANSIONS. >

The Phoenix of Brattleboro has
quite outdone itself in the way of
sensational publication. But recently
the contemporary raised its little
Ratchet and, 10, in all the State, and the
regions up and down the Connecticut
valley, in Massachusetts,, if the self
fluctuations of the Phoenix are tobe
credited, the ordinary movements of
mankind were suspended, and 'heed-
less, rambling impulse stood appalled,
at the words the contemporary had
spoken. The Phoenix shook its own
hands in paroxysms of self congratu-
lation, Rugged itself hilariously and
went wild with JOY generally. 1t had
got quoted. 1t had achieved notori-
ETY.. Its editor had become a second
Giteau. Here was fame indeed-the
quality didn't matter.
The Phoenix has ever since been
on the rack for new matter for fresh
sensations. Josiah in his famous let
ter suggested something to his under
study at Brattleboro. There were
millions in the winter palace" idea
He would seize it and supplant the
star in his role of demagogue In
the aspiring understudy's lexicon the
New York house of General McCul-
Tough became a "palatial mansion"
He had never seen the house, he had
never seen palace he didn't know
such a structure from one of the mil
lions of substantial, comfortable dwell
ings that constitute the homes of the
great body of American citizens But
these circumstances would not jar the
arch demagogue's second self. Few
among Vermont people to whom the
little understudy was appealing with
the fiery zeal of leader of mob in
the time of the French revolution had
seen the winter palace" of the star
or the "palatial mansion of the
echo.
Here was opportunity for the full
play of the demagogue's art. He
would get and print in his paper
picture of section of the residence
part of the city of New York, label it
"Gen. John G. McCullough's resi-
dence," mark it with big red lines
and scatter copies broadcast over the
State, Proctor paying the freight,
presumably. Thus he would fool and
hoodwink the simple mountaineers
into the belief that this man whom
he makes the incarnation of every
thing that is Objectionable in citizen
disports himself lin marble halls
scattered over all Greater New York.
The scheme was carried out and
last week copies of the Phoenix were
in the hands of the people Josiah's
ambitious understudy was trying to
dupe. But vaulting ambition DER
leaped itself. In the first place, the
group of residences shown as Nc
Cullough's "palatial mansion" ap-
pears no more 'palatial" than some
dwellings in Montpelier or Brattle-
boro, or other Vermont villages, far
less pretentious than many in Burling-
ton, and no more ''palatial' than the
Proctor summer residence at Marble
head in Massachusetts. Moreover,
but one of the group of residences
shown in the picture is McCullough's.
So much for another false and lying
representation by the man of the Cit
tie Ratchet" 1t is a misrepresenta-
tion ranking with his earlier classifi-
cation of Mccullough with sordid
millionaires and railroad magnates,
with "Gas Man Addicks of Delaware,
and Copper King Clark of Montana
men of great riches and corrupt prac-
tices, with one of the most eminent of
Vermonters, distinguished for the no.
bility of his nature, the purity of his
character, his great and varied abili-
ties, his patriotic devotion to his State
and country, his services to Vermont
and to the Union.
No wonder that the men of Vermont
who esteem fair play and love justice,
honor and decency, who want to see
thousands of men like Mccullough
coming into the State, are in arms
against this monstrous attempt to
deny this high-souled citizen one of
the commonest rights of citizenship
and by innuendo and misrepresenta-
tion drive him from the State The
proscriptive course of the opponents
of Gen, Mccullough is high encourage
ment, indeed, to others to come and
settle in Vermont. Enterprises" like
this of the Phoenix have no place il
a properly conducted canvass II
would be as pertinent for the oppo
nents of Proctor, as intimated above
to show that Fletcher d. Proctor witt
his family spends the summer-thre'
or four months, more or less-at TIN
seashore where there is somewha
Ezz4zHsT yzE11A
INA ez7T ED u nm AWIAsI Sals%