Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1908-04-13

AS to the first proposition, we do not
know whether it is true or not, neither
do we care; but if it is true, is it to
Mr.. Prouty's discredit that he has
been able to so impress those who are
responsible for the policies of the pres
ent administration, that they believe
he is the right man to carry forward
those policies and improve upon them.
AS to the second Indictment, the fact
that he is the present lieutenant-govern-
or should not be weighed, for or
against him.
The third charge is false in every
particular, and inasmuch as the anony-
nous writer, from whom it was quoted,
claims to be an old acquaintance of Mr..
Prouty, and as he puts it "a friend of
both Prouty and Stanton" it would
seem to be deliberately malicious.
The business of the Prouty & Mil
Ter company was started in 1873, by
the late John A. Prouty and 0. c. Mil
Ter, and they were uniformly successful.
but did not enlarge the business to any
great exent. In 1885, George H. Prouty
became one of the partners, and in 1886
he became the managing partner, his
father practically retiring from bust
ness at that time. For the next IL
years Mr.. Miller was in charge of an
entirely different business, in which
Prouty & Miller were stockholders,
and since 1856 G. H. Prouty has had
the active management Of the business
of the Prouty & Miller company; has
been not only the guiding spirit, but
the active, working manager, and only
within year and half has Mr.. Mil
Ter taken any active part in the office.
In 1886, the entire business of the firm
was about 81 $4,000 per year. Last
year it was almost one and one-half
millions of dollars.
The above facts are matters of COM
mon knowledge in Orleans county, and
any person who has known George H.
Prouty for the past % years knows
them to be true, and knows that he
has been considered by all conversant
with his record and business abilities
as one of the ablest business men in
Vermont. He has never been seeker
as the member from Newport in 1896,
without solicitation on his part, and in
1904 he was the unanimous choice of
the republicans of Orleans county
as senator, and his work in both houses
during his terms so impressed those
who were conversant with it that he
was recognized as one of the strongest,
ablest and most influential legislators.
He was elected president pro tenn of
the senate of 1904, although there were
many able men in that body, some of
whom had longer experience in legis-
lative matters. His work in that
senate, his influence upon matters
which came before that legislature,
his absolute independence, and his
sound conservative judgment, impress
ed all with whom he came in contact
of his ability as legislator and leader.
In 1906 he was nominated lieutenant
governor over two strong ssmen, and
without in the least rejecting upon the
ability or fitness of his opponents for
the position, it is only fair to Mr. Prouty
to say that the people chose him be-
cause they believed he was more in
sympathy with the new ideas of the
republican party, which is requiring
more fidelity to office and a greater
regard for the rights of the people, and
that his good judgment, strong person.
atty and independence, would be of
very great value in formulating and
urging the passage Of such laws as
would accomplish what the republican
party wished. The result justified the
expectations of his friends, and his
work in the position to which the people
chose him was of such character was
to satisfy large body of the voters OF
the state that his services to the state
should not stop with his work in the
senate. but that he should be given more
and wider responsibilities.
Mr.. Prouty has recently issued E
statement in which he defines his posi-
ton upon some of the important mat
tiers in which the people of the STATE
are deeply interested, and have beer
generally and favorably commented
upon as copied elsewhere in this issue
HASKINS VS.. PLUMLEY.