The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1909-03-11
HARD TO KEEP GOOD MEN DOWN.
Hapgood Speaks Out In Open Letter
To Editor Howe or The Banner.

Ii seems that in your edition the eve
ming before election you had a good
deal TO say about me, calling me some
pet names etc. very much to my edit
cation.
In regard to the distribution OF those
circulars, | would not deny participa'
ton in the act even if ! could, so far as
any disrepute is concerned in the mat
ter. dare say that you naturally sus-
peeted me remembering the fact how
visited your Office upon my inspection
tour and requested you to publish the
amount the proposed new court house
would cost each seperate town upon
the basis of your own 6gures-as you
reckoned it 50 y of the list. THIS YOU
REFUSED TO DO-as lit would be
misleading" using your own words
"misleadn up our way | presume,
Perhaps, however, the fact that Man
chester voted sum of money to de-
fray the expenses of printing and err
culating these bills may throw some
light upon the matter.
AS regards the truth OF the sums
stated in the handbills | personally
know this much-that when the ques
ton came mp whether the exact amount
now called for to start operations by
the bill should be used or said amount
increased by part, at least, OF the IN
evitabe "afterclap" which always ac'
companies such movements. 1t was
though by the body of representative
North Shire citizens considering the
matter that justice TO the voters de-
manded that something somewhere
near the TRUE amount should be
used. 'You can fool some of the peo-
Pile all OF the time, and all of the people
some of the time, bnt you can't fool all
of the people all of the time. are the
words of the lamented Lincoln apt to
this occasion. All Of us older ones re-
member back. and when you attempt
ed to make us believe that you were
going to build new court house much
better than the present, new Jail OF
the most improved plans, separate
house for the taller, all in the most de-
sirable locations, with no other build
ing within forty feet, for the amount
mentioned, you gave so strong dose
TO our stomachs that it went up rather
than down. And not even second
series Of biographies would have been
able to have kept il in place. 1t fact
we suspected what you made as
your main argument in the Monday
evening edition, that all this was large.
ly in order to scatter money and EN-
ployment to the places contiguous, also
as Mr.. Putnam commended, in order 10
"embelish."
Yon say that four years ago ] made
a statement 10 you that hated Ben
nington and should always do all ]
could TO injure the town" will use
no epithets, they are cheap, but to
make the statement correct, II should
have been to the purport that ! hate
Bennington County politics and should
do all could to purify them. And my
acts have borne out that assertion.
How II have hated Bennington, 4" lei
acts also speak. That same four years
seo initiated and put through the
legislature the appointment OF com.
mission for suitable memorial for
Seth Warner the, leading hero of the
Green Mountain Boys. Two years age
. | myself introduced bill appropriatinR
a sum Of money 10 erect this memorial
10 the town Of Bennington
making a special visit TO the capitol
after my rejection on account OF sup
posed connection with the postoiiice
10 attend 10 lis interests. The bill pass
ed. bal for some unexplained reason
received pocket veto from the Gov.
errlor. Now M chairman OF comihis
son appointed by the Vermont Histor
zeal Society. am using my best efforts
10 secure an appropriation, ten times
the original bill for staine Of Warmer
10 be erected. 10 far as my influence
can 20. in the town OF Bennington
, This is how bate Bennington.
As 10 the eourt house IN Manchester,
she still stands. and, meihinks. she
wiIl stand. 10 spite Of all maehinations'
~ long A. you and stand above TIE
Gods which will sometime cover Us.
4 Your charge that ! vas unable %
locale The court house in Bennington,
after having testified 70 lie adequacy
/ t,oa personal examination 10 resented