The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-08-16
PROCTOR HAD
A BIG CROWD
City Hall Auditorium Crowded
To Doors
--------------
AT LAST NIGHTS RALLY
Besides Republican Candidate for Gov
ernor, State Auditor Graham and
U. s. Customs Collector
Darling Spoke.
AT LAST NIGHTS RALLY

Fully 1900 people crowded into the
opera house last evening and listened
70 the discussion OF the campaign issues
by Fletcher D. Proctor, Republican CAM
didate for governor, Horace i. Graham,
state auditor, and Charles n Darling,
Of customs. Congressman Dav-
id J. Foster was to have spoken III place
Of Mr.. Graham, but Mr.. Foster could not
be present on account of illness. The
speakers took up about one hour and
forty-tiye minutes in their addresses
and were followed with much interest
by the audience. who frequently APP
piauded the statements made Seated
on the stage with the speakers were r.
s. tlirrier, who introduced the speak
ers, Frank G. Howland, Aldermen Frank
III Burke and B. Albisetti, James Adie,
j. "A. Martinson, Maynard Winch A.
A. Sargent aud III y. Deavitt. The
band furnished the musical
part of the evenings programme.
Mr, Proctor was the first speaker and
as he stepped 10 the front of the stage
war greeted with continued applause. He
spoke for about thirty-Gye minutes and
said in part: Ladies' and gentlemen,
y0ur presence here in such large num-
bcrs indicates your interest in the vital
questions which concern the welfare of
the state They are, and ought to be,
Ut vital interest. but we are often apt
10 neglect them. He went on to say
that the country was advancing with
great strides and that the people are
working out in their own minds the
questions which involve the welfare Of
the country and the state We are car
rying out this idea when we look after
our asylums and state institutions and
see TO il that our helpless are com
fortably and properly cared for.
Ii has been charged that there has
been graft, OF 70 use the old d-fashioned
expression, stealing, ia our state in
stitutions. Recently there was com
mittee appointed by Governor Bell to
investigate our institutions and that
had the able assistance Of
our attorney general, Clark G. Fits, and
of an expert accountant, H. :, Pratt.
The investigation MAS conducted III a
fearless and thorough manner. and noN
what did the expert accountant, Mr..
Pratt, testify 10 as a result Of bis in
Nestigationy Mr. Pratt testified before
the commission that he had examined
the receipts and disbursements of the
house of correction from June ! 1890,
to May 81 1905, which is nearly fifteen
years, and that the same balanced ex
actly within ten cents
When asked by the commission If in
his examination he found anything he
thought peculiar. Mr.. Pratt answered;
Not in the least" Mr.. Clement. de-
clared the speaker. was invited TO come
before this commission and prove 10
them any instances Of graft, but Mr.
Clement did not appear. Still he i
travelling up and down this state cry
ing graft" but has never proven his
statement. ! believe that this cry OF
graft is wrong is doing harm to the
state and should be vigorously put down
by every true yermonter.
In regard TO the bill which Mr.. Clem
cnt introduced into the Legislature in
1900 and now claims that the bin was
killed BY the speaker OF the house -and
that speaker was Fletcher y. Proctor
Mr.. Proctor said that there were two
things Ne wanted 70 explain. First,
that according 70 the records OF the
legislature Of 1900 the resolution was
into the Senate bv Mr.. Glenn
cnt and was adopted by the Senate. 1t
passed the senate and u Joint committee
was appointed with Mr. Clement as its
chairman The bill finally passed the
Senate, was sent to the House and
Speaker Proctor referred il 10 the strong
est committee in The House, the Judiciary
COMMITTEES. This committee reported it
unfavorably and the House killed It.
did not Kill the bill. declared the
speaker. II was my duty TO refer it
TO the strongest committee in the House
and | did
He spoke Of the marble business done
by the Vermont marble company, Of
which he is the head. with the state
prison at Rutland. Mr.. Clement, he
said, has made the statement that 80
per cent Of the marble bought by that
institution was purchased of the Yer.
mont marble company Mr.. Pratt, the
expert accountant employed by the Gov.
Bel Investigating comittee, testified to
the fact that Of the S139, ,597.5s amount
of marble purchased by the house q
correction for The past ten years, only
SIS, 10000 worth had been purchased of
the Vermont marble company, or 20
per cent Of The total amount instead
81 more than 50 percent, as claimed BY
Mr.. Clement.
The reason that so much al the marble
had been bought OF the Vermont marble
company is because our yards, said the.
speaker. are near by and the marble
could necessarily be bought cheaper
there. The transactions with the house
N correction have been done ON strictly
fair business methods and | have moth
ing TO apologize for in this regard
do not believe that ! need to stand mp
before Vermont audience and say that
any business done by the Vermont mar
bic company with the state has been
honest and viii bear investigation
On the subject Of public schools, Mr.
Proctor said Of all the good things that
Mr.. Clement had promised for the state
he had not mentioned the public schools.
| think that nothing IS more beneficial
10 the state and It's people than good
school facilities. And he said that be
favored equnlizing the school expenses
10 that The rural schools would be
strengthened we should provide for