Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-06-01
Plain Enough.

The Mortified News recently re-
.ferred to Governor Bell 5 congressional
aspirations aud alluded TO the help he
would probably receive from ''par'
ticularly good political worker who per-
formed valuable service for him in the
gubernatorial contest and who was re-
warded with very good thing at the
time when he needed little feed at
the public crib. - Some of the news
papers of the state pretended not to
know to whom the News alluded, the
Montpelier Journal, in particular, call
ing for an explanation of what il terms
a "deplorable insinuation."
The News seems quite ready and will
ing TO explain and responds promptly as
follows:
Almost everyone understood who
was referred TO in the News paragraph
but for the especial benefit of its Mont
pelier friend, il does not mind saying
that the person it had in mind was
State Superintendent of Education Ma
son s. Stone.
If the general report of his political
missionary work in behalf of Cover
nor Bell s candidacy is true, and the
News believes il is, the former remarks
of this paper are warranted.
Mr.. Stone, though modest, will hardly
deny the allegation that he performed
valuable political service in Governor
Bell s successful canvass for the high
office he now holds. Neither will he
probably regard it as a very "deplor.
able insinuation'' to be charged with
helping his political friend in his pres.
ent great time of need Furthermore,
the News has never learned that Mr..
Stone has ever worried very much over
having attained the reputation of being
a most excellent politician.
All of which leads the News to re-
peat, that Governor Bell is trying to
offset the strong newspaper opposition
to his candidacy for congress by plenty
of quiet work-the kind of a perform
ance that is sometimes designated as
ga still hunt by the wicked
: If the success of Colonel Haskins s
candidacy for denomination is in any
danger, it is from the over confidence of
his friends and the quiet, unceasing
work over the district of Governor
Bell and his lieutenants.
1t is plain enough to anyone who
looks beneath the surface of these pre-
election activities of the worthy and
astute state superintendent of educa-
ton that state educational interests are
not the only interests he aims to pro-
mote thereby. At the very outset Of
this educational (9) campaign, The Re
former declared it to be mainly politi-
cal in its purposes. No existing need
or resultant gain sufficient to justify
its Inauguration is apparent. 1t is now
that other meetings are to fol-
low those recently held in the interests
Of elementary agricultural instruction
in the public schools, and are to favor
the similar teaching of the elementary
principles of other industries. Any citi-
zen of ordinary intelligence can readily
see what all this, put into practice,
would mean 1t would mean several +
more amusements added to the list
which now takes up the time our school
children ought to devote to the study of
the common English branches of gen.
eral education,
But the day of educational fads is
passing by. The results thereof are APP
pealing forcibly but unfavorably to the
good sense of our citizens. This edu-
,ational CD campaign may prove to
have been ill-timed, Notwithstanding
The reputation of its Inauguration as a
'most excellent politician. 1t is in
jeresting to note that in the current is 7
'ue of The New England Farmer, the !
of a New Hampshire
grange says that recent discussion by
hat body of the question, Should Agri- :
.ulture Be Taught in Our Public :,
Schools, disclosed the unanimous opin-
on that it should not; Gas one needs
,ractice as well as study and that can
lot be had in the schools. ~ The work
ng farmer knows the difference be- :,
ween work and play. a
A little play with vast subjects, di- =
ected by teachers whose only knowl- 4
dye may be what they have picked up h
uring few weeks of summer school! .,
What folly! The people of the second 4,
istrict would be unwise, indeed, if
hey were so deluded by such examples
f official conception of the needs of m
he "New Vermont as to underesti- bl
late real service which is steadily ad- I'll
ancing their prosperity in substantial W
'ays, both at home and abroad. fl
1t is plain enough-the political sit be
alton in the second district--and the A
eople are not entirely blind to it. RI
The Barre Times, short time since u
18th malicious intent suggested that an