The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-08-04
A. E. Watson Lays His Loss
| Of Position To II
DOES NOT BLAME PARTY
Gives His Views on Some Public Mat
ters--Wants Insurance Department
and Effective Railroad Commits
sion--National Banks.


The report that Alfred f. Watson Of
Hartford, who was dccently deposed as
y member Of the Republican state COM
mittce win bolt" the party is set at
rest by letter to The Times, in which
he states be has no intention Of leaving
the Republican ranks, although he does
hold some independent views, which per-
haps may be held by Percival mi. Cem-
cut But Mr.. Watson denies being
trailer after Mr.. Clement, but says he
held these views In 1898, before Mr..
Clement began to work for the governor
ship. The letter il as follows:
have noted what you say concern
ing me in a recent issue Of your paper,
and beg to say that + fully agree with
you, that I would have been "a soft
sore head to bolt the Republican party
because - was left off the Republican
state committee of Vermont
In the first place, / was not left off
said committee by the party and I hare
the strong conviction that If the matter
had been brought before the state con-
yenion for decision on the merits Of the
case would have been reelected by
large margin. Then why should bolt2
The subject was never considered BY
me for any such reason. ! have been
independent enough to say out loud, aud
shall continue to do so, that there
should be change in many matters Of
state government.
believe that national banks should
not be allowed 20 use the word saw
ingsD at all to invite the reposit of mon
ey. with the result that there are mil
lions Of deposits in such banks, which
are not today paying cent of tax any
where. Every form 81 fee system should
be abolished. We should have an insur
ance department, instead of a statistical
bureau, as it Is today, and there should
be men connected Herewith who know
something about the business, and not
holding Office as quasi commissioners
as now, and simply drawing salary
II we are to have a railroad commits
sion, and pay for it, let il be made eff
cient with powers to do so. ] also favor
q purchasing department for the state.
We should do everything possible to en-
courage immigration, rather than emi-
grafton, if we should make Vermont
what is possible. presume. because
have expressed these views openly,
| that some persons have jumped at the
conclusion that ! was simply echoing
the views OF Hon. p. w. Clement. but
the fact is that | held them before he
came prominently upon the political
stage, for | was in favor of most Of
these issues when was in the state
senate in 1898.
The report TO which YOU refer oriqi-
mated from a source concerning which
il can almost always truthfully be said.
so far as touching anything political
in Vermont-"f you see 1t in the Bos-
ton Hernld, it i not so' ! notice. also.
that the closing sentence in your article
seems to recognize such fact, for you
give me credit for some Dhorse sense"
It seems to me that my retirement
from the Republican state committee,
and the manner in which it was brought
about, has brought me into prominence
in an undesirable way beyond what is
necessary, and il has led to "pipe
Dreams for which | am not responsi-
Bile
This is not public question, but
do consider it an aggravated" case
of still hunt" methods, and treachery
on the part of certain few whom |
had considered and had a right to expect
we're my friends.--and one Of whom
owes more to me than any other one
man the fact that he has held state
office for eight years,-and as affecting
me individually, I was not little in
censed. as any man with any life in him
would be.
/ I have rendered large service to the
Republican party, and have worked for
others more than ] have for myself, as
results will show, for have never asked
for Or been given a state Office by the
party. However, | am not nursing any
''old sores but did feel, in view Of
all the circumstances, that ! was treated
shabbily. through the Vaccinations Of
few, who. inasmuch as the truth has
come out about the manner of my re-
tirement. may find in the end that they
have builded better for me than they
knew, and that this temporary throwing
Of ME down may result 20 my positive
advantage and their discontinue IN the
future. The public generally is in favor
OF square deal"
With due apologies for writing you
so much at length, and thanking you
for your kind consideration, ! beg 70
remain,
Yours very respectfully.
Alfred h. Watson.