The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1906-04-06
CIRCULATION
OW
445''
Ten Pages.
LITCHFlELD COUNTY.
BETHLEHEM.

BETHLEHEM.
"a SQUARE DEAL FOR EVERY MAN
NO MORE, NO LESS.
Having read in The BEE the article
"LoOking Backward" which by the
way contained nothing essentially
new or interesting, being simply re-
hash and resume of the old arguments
heard year ago in several town meet
ings, and while regrettlng that the
Contributor" should find it necessary
to again resurrect that controversy,
cannot let the opportunity pass with
out commenting briefly on few of its
inaccuracies and the tiippant tone
which is so manifest throughout the
article.
1 observe that at the outset the
Contributor says that he is "imbued"
to make few comments. The verb
Undue is defined in one of our stand
ard dictionaries: "to tinge deeply, to
dye, to color, to cause to imbibe." In
which sense the contributor" makes
use of the word, am at loss to un-
derstand.
I notice the statement that the
Town has been "loaded up with 10000
pounds of pig iron." Itwould perhaps
be useless to inform the contributor
that the safe purchased for the Town
did not weigh 80, 600" pounds, that it
is not composed of pig iron, that it
was not and Is not an antique safe,
that it was not and is not inadequate
for the Towns needs, for when man
Is so palpably bent on misrepresenta-
tion and deliberate mis-statement, not
to use a harSher term, it is entirely
futile to handy words with him, l
merely call attention to some of his
statements which are obviously with
out any foundation in fact; the read
er can determine for himself how
much weight should be given to the
contributors pretended argument.
For the sake of charity, however, we
will assume that the contributor s
mental vision is somewhat distorted
and that he is viewing the subject
through the glasses OF "yellOw journal
ISM" II the remainder of the con-
curate than those quoted: the ratio of
exagReration to truth in the whole ar
ticle must equal 10 to one-the same
ratio which the "9O, OG0" pound mon
ster, which exists only in the abnormal
imagination of our friend, bears to the
modern, up-tO-date safe provided for
the use of the town.
Exaggeration, abuse and vitupera-
tion often defeat their own ends. Evil
IDENTIFY this was the case in Bethlehem.
May it not be possible that the ''con-
tributor" is suffering from the disease
known as ''sorehead?" What right
have any group of men to arrogate to
themselves all virtue, all wisdom and
all knowledge? What gave the ICON
tributor" that superior mental equip
ment which enables him to determine
that his position was absolutely, un-
conditionalIy and eternally right and
the position of those who opposed him
was absolutely wrong? Is 1t not pos
sible that two men equally conscien-
ally opposite in politics, religion or
science? To deny this is to revert to
the bigotry and intolerance of the
Middle Ages, when rival religious
sects cut out each others vitals III the
name of God and the Church. With
one who denies these premises argu-
ment is impossible. Let US credit
each other with honest convictions,
however far apart they may be, and
not assume that anyone who differs
from our view is actuated by unworthy
or improper motives. Freedom OF
thought, catholicity of spirit, toler-
ance and respect for the opinions OF
others are characteristics of modern
friend when he is again tempted to
rush into print, may be "imbued''
with few of these principles.
The "town fathers" to whom the
contributor" alludes with some de-
gree Of contempt, are all lifelong citi-
zenS of the town; in their humble un-
ostentatious way they have also been
citizens of public spirit. ever ready to
aid the best of their ability every en-.
terprise which they believed to be for
the common good. So far as I knew
none Of the three "town fathers" ever
claimed for himself infallibility or di-
vine inspiration, as the contributor ~
evidently does for himself, but doubt
not that each one Of them is actuated
by impulses as patriotic as those which
exist in the bosom of the 'scontribu-
tor"
I regret that l cannot with we'll
rounded periods attain to the eloquent
peroratiOn Of our friend but the limit
ations with which nature has hedged
In my intellect and my tongue thwart
my Oratorical ambitions. 1 trust that
when the claiming mantle of corrup-
tion" is wrest aside our friend may be
found, next Fall, among those who are
willing to accept Office and to have
other citizens put aside partisanship
long enough te recognize his own
tranScendant merit.
But let US hope that before our 'con-
tributor" again dips his vitriolic pen
into yellow ink be will recall to mind
the words of that great Tribune of the
people, Theodore Roosevelt: "a square
deal for every man, no more, no less. :"
-[Truth.