Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-01-11

| public journal. / had large and vary
ing assortment of convictions. In on
respect, however, they were alike. The,
were uncontaminated by tints an
shades. Everything was absolutel
; right or absolutely wrong. | recognized
but two colors, black and white. witt
extreme sagacty ] formulated a mctho
of educating the masses up to an AIDE
quate appreciation OF the blessings o
free trade. The use of those two SPECIFIC
words ! shrcwdly deprecated, but | di,
not hesitate for an instant in strenuou!
advocacy of tarifr reform. l did not in
deed merely advise the adoption of
new fiscal policy-I demanded it.
doubt whether in the whole United
states there was at that time another
more grimly insistcnt upon the adoption
of low tariff, except perhaps one Theo.
doro Roosevelt. l spurned the sugges.
ton Of treating 1t as an economic ques-
| ton. 1t was a moral issue, based upon
some one of the Ten Commandments
| ] was never quite sure which.
But I did not stop there. [ was at
| the reforming age of sixteen. Thinly dis.
g,iised free trade did not suffice. WITH
equal vchcmcnce | demanded civil SER
vice reform, and it is a somewhat cur
| ious coincidence that while humping
the spoilsmen with might and main, and
flattcring myself that presently they
would skulk for cover in consequence
of the blows rancd upon their harden
cd skulls. ] began and continued for a
considerable period, an animated person
n correspondence with George William
Curtis. | remember that in my first
letter to that great man. / frankly set
down the sum of my tender years and
the sphere Of usefulness occupied by
the North Star. 1t has often seemed to
me that it would he difficult to find a
better illustration Of the fidelity. pat
fence. and courtesy Of that prince of
Journalists than is afforded by the fact
that with his own hand he wrote to mo
letter after letter pointing out the
methods which would best be utilized
i'm efforts to arouse interest in tho 0rin-
cipl" to which h devoted large portion
Of his life. Would that the country to-
day had more mon or even one man,
capable of filling the unique position in
American life that was held by George
William Curtis,
TRIBUTE TO OLD JOURNALISTS.
But the North Star had its limita-
lions, and | had mono. So | stopped
over into the Argus and Patriot.
particularly appreciated the Argus and
Patriot at that time because of its
capacious pages. There was no lack
of space. and there was no doarth of
ardor in the mind of the proprietor of
that newspaper in respect to anything
to- 10 4 INF 80 e.
the Republican party. Later. be-
lieve. when a democrat did cnancc to be
elected President the EDITORS cnthus-
iasm over civil service reform became
somewhat modified. but consistency has
never been an integral necessity OF
partisan journalism
In passing, | want to say that in his
restricted sphere, with consideration
Of his environment in this then over
whclminglY partisan State | think
that the success achieved through the
indomtablc energy, uufailing good
nature, and business acumon of Hiram
Atkins ranks with that of a Bennett
or n Mcdill.
There was one other man to whom |
owe much. ana to whom mis- COM !
was and continues to be a |
debtor. That was Charles NJ stone. If /.
tbo,, o,,or r,,s . ,ro,,,,o,,,a, H.. ,, |
mo If evor corsciouco v.,s hro,,,rb,
IN boar ,,nor ,iro-vork that ir,r,,Iso !
,vos his Most mon oro tocbn ic,,,,
honest. Charles NJ. stone was honest |
in his mind Ills intoo,,ty ertit,cd
hin, to no credit norbane bc,uso my
-oinc- clsc was forcign to bie n,turo |
-'nri,-bt lov,1 ieoIous or tho toro ana
,uaractcr of tho profession which no
adorned in his srhcro he richly do
served MI and moro than i'm tbis liro
10 eyer obtainod If is with . sonec
# nec,,liar e-ratitudo thar oave and
axe this opportunitv To nav \ SLIGHT
PERSONAL trihiito to tho ,ncpor,, Of that
worthy man.
At the risk of ,vcarvinr vou shall
.poaI briefly upou entrance to = widor
iold. When I reached NV cipotennth
,irtbdov Vermont was mot bir onorcb
needcd moro roou ,vorted IA on
,cato o whole LOT of manila at ana
i,oo. ca 7 wont to tho cnrirrfo11 D.
,ublica,. had collected ononga
norn,, in eo,no u,,v IA hr,, ~. ,io,,1.
ND 6ro,coa NV, cr,+ o,,ornr;eo ~,
tho orti,o ,o,,,o,, ha,,,o,.h
"A by my, crandroo,hor 70 ,,,,, sis.o.
nourtirr IN to, do,Iors wa, .,a,
tore of c,.i.,l ,o,,,,ro,1 ,or.L 49,,
n duo courso of tive rooo,,o, 49, -