The Newtown bee. (Newtown, Conn.) 1877-current, 1906-04-06
Ten Pages.
COUNTY.
BETHLEHEM,

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 a year ago in several town meet
ings, and while regrettlng that the
contributor should find it necessary
to again resurrect that controversy, l
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 simbued"
to make few comments. The verb
Undue is defined in one Of our stand
ard dictionaries: ito tinge deeply, to
which sense the contributor" makes
use of the word, am at loss to un-
derstand.
1 notice the statement that the
Town has been 'loaded up with 80, 200
pounds of pig iron.'' 1t would 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 1t
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-
ton and deliberate mis-statement, not
to use harsher term, 1t Is entirely
merely call attention to some of bis
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 contributors
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.
tributor's statements are no more &C.
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 100, OO0' pound mon.
ster, which exists only in the abnormal
Imagination of our friend, bears to the
modern, up-to-date safe provided fol
the use of the town.
| Evaporation, abuse and vitupera-
tion often defeat their own ends. Evi
IDENTIFY this was the case in Bethlehem
May it not be possible that the ICON.
tributor" is suffering from the disease
known as ''sorehead?" What right
| have any group of men to arrogate tC
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, IN.
conditionaliy and eternally right ano
the position of those who opposed him
was absolutely wrong? Is 1t not pos
sible that two men equally conscien
tious may entertain views diametric
ally opposite in politics, religion OF
science? To deny this is to revert tt
the bigotry and Intolerance Of the
scots 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 credi,
each other with honest convictions
however far apart they may be, anC
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
civilization. Let US hope that oul
friend when he is again tempted tt
rush into print, may be 'imbued'
with few of these principles.
The "town fathers" to whom the
contributor" alludes with some de
zenS of the town; in their humble I'M
OstentatiOus way they have also beer
citizens of public spirit. ever ready tx
aid the best of their ability every en-
terprise which they believed to be fol-
the common good. So far as knew
none Of the three "town fathers" evel
claimed for himself infallibility or di
vine inspiration, as the contributor
evidently does for himself, but doub,
not that each one of them is actuateo
by impulses as patriotic as those which
tori
I regret that l cannot with vel
rounded periods attain to the eloquen,
atiOns with which nature has hedgeC
my oratorical ambitions. l 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 partisanshiI
long enough to recognize his owr
transcendant merit.
But let us hope that before our icon
tributor" again dips his vitriolic per
into yellow ink he will recall to minc
the words of that great Tribune of the
people, Theodore Roosevelt: "A square
deal for every man, no more, no less. ,
Truth.
CAPT HAYES FUNERAL.
The funeral Of Capt Stephen Hayes
was attended from the Congregational
church, at 2 p. NJ, on Sunday. A
large number of people gathered to
pay their last respects to man that
every one respected and honored for