St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1909-04-28

+. there. In 1897. | resigned that otfic
and immediately resumed the activ
practice oflaw at St. Johnsbury, and S
continued until the spring of 1900, whe
President Mckinley appointed me
member Of the Philippine commission
an appointment due directly to the yea
: of Senators Ross and Proctor and Rep
= representatives. Powers and GrOut, ant
agreed upon without application iron
NE, and without my knowledge, while
was attending to the business OF Yer
mont clients in closing out bank II
New Mexico which they owned. | LEFT
my house and furniture in Vermont tC
be occupied by relatives without rent, so
that | could have my home to return to
When came back on leave in 1908 |
occupied my own house, had the best
time of my life among my old and dear
friends and familiar scenes. At the end
OF 1906, resigned by reason ofill health
and was given six months leave OF abb
sence, which passed at Washington try
ing to recuperate from the prostration
caused by years of tropical lite and aid
ing so far as | could in securing from
Congress decent treatment of our Fill
ipino wards. AS soon as my leave eX-
pred, | returned to my home in Vermont
and there remained until October when
the knickerbOcker Trust company failed
and | was made one of the receivers. |
continued in the performance of that
trust untilthe summer of 1908, when at
once returned to my home in Vermont
and there remained until cold weather
came on when | was sick in bed and
was ordered by my physician to seek
a warmer climate, which | did. | was
to return to my home this spring, had
not this appointment to Spain interviewed.
During all these years | have been a
legal voter in st. Johnshury my name
has been on the check list of that town,
l have kept my house with no rent for
the sole purpose of having a home to
which | was greatly attached. All the
real estate | have owned is there.
never was entitled to vote anywhere
else. | never did. have voted there at
every state or national election since
was of age when have been in the
country, including the state and national |
elections of September and November,
1908. might remark that when the last |
November election. occurred | was visit
ing my daughter on Long Island but |
went back to Vermont expressly to vote
tor President Taft What VermOnter did |
more? Did all of them take the pains
even to cross the street to vote? When
n Samoa or the Philippine Islands man
testify could not be in Vermont. | am
Vermonter in precisely the same sense
that William H. Taft is an Ohioan, no
more and no less. | have no other home,
and never had and never expect to have,
and decline to be read out of the state
~ any one.
Ii any Vermonter feels that his chances
or useful public service have been dim
nlshed by reason of positions having
ONE to me, | am very sorry. But the
way in which my appointments have
ONE about, and the character of them,
ave been such that it lis improbable that
ny one has been the loser by reason
hereof. On the other hand MANY Yer
1onters have attained very important
ositions by reason of my opportunities
aid them, and this fact has been
reat satisfaction to me. Judges of the
uFreme court of the Philippine Islands
eceive a salary of $4,000 year and
ldges of the court of first instance re-
Give from 81, 500 to $500. Of four
merican judges of the supreme court,
wo were born within rs miles of Mont
elier VT, and of Is American Judges of
lie first instance four were born within I
he same circle. Two came from Lancas-
r. N. H., but practiced law largely in S
mr. ba ~ Ill | !
onters. Everyone was appointed by [
e or upon my recommendation. One c
the four members of this board G
overning the city of Manila is a Yer t
onter appointed by me and receives /
llary of $4, 500. All were excellent men
nd were appointed upon their merits. T
had remained all the time in St. t
'hnsbury, possibly none of them would t
i've come to the attention of the C
lthorities or been brought in touch a
18th the large careers now open to d
em. One of the most promising Young S
wyers of st. Adams was offered by "
e position in the attorney generals
hce at Manila at salary of $4,000,
hich family consideration prevented
5 accepting. If he had gone he would -.
obably have been judge before this ~
he. Many other young men whom h
could name, Vermonters, have been !,
lped by me into useful careers in the e.
bic service. 1t was a pleasure to help 10
EN-, because they were of the kind that 90
AXE good, and are valuable to the SER =;
'e. Other excellent men have been :.
pointed from other states of course, ~
is Vermont the poorer in her share -
public servants by reason of my ~,
are therein? Could our people onthe Of Of
lole have Jared better if had always -.
ssed my time in St. Adams or St. &
nnsbury? The circumstances of my fo
Sc were exceptional. They reflect no ~
ecial qualifications on my part, but 49,
re mainly the result of circumstances H. t..
d my appointment to Spain resulted ~ ~
m them. 1t came without any solici- +;I
non or request on my part, and I'M ~
ubtedly grew out of my relations in -,
:, Philippines to President TAFT. 1t is W. W.
honor and belongs to our state and IN,
to me. ins
Nothing except my own, act can de- -,
We me OF the honor of being a citizen .,
our noble state, and l shall not per- S 1I
m that act. ~
Very respectfully yours, vs. U.s.,
n ", SI