The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-06-04
CURRENT COMMENT
Unwarranted Charges.

/ IOI SEVERAL VEINS wv N'NNftNI
gus has been carrying on a campaign OF
mud singing as against windsor eouh-
ty's candidate for the governorshlp, Al
len Nj. Fletcher Of Cavendish. On TINS
low level of political warfare, It mas
been assisted by coterie OF local talent.
| The Argus, apparently in the interest
of its own idealistic candidate, has de-
voted time and energy to Mr. Fletchers
relation to the grand list OF his own
town, and, by repeated innuendo, mas
sought TO weaken his candidacy. Inc
contemporary feeding upon its own mud,
has grown holder in its attacks, and IN
recent issue made the following direct
charge:
"That about the year 1906 certain OF
the Cavendish listers demanded that Mr..
| Fletcher make QUE an Inventory oil his
personal estate for the purpose OF taxa
| ton in said town; that Mr., Fletcher de-
| liberately refused so to do on the ground
| that he had an arrangement with the
town; that for ten years at least this
condition existed"
Some tactics adopted in political cam
paigns are so easily seen through that
| they deceive nobody, and fall fiat so far
as effect is concerned; or so thoroughly
contemplate as to be beneath the notice
of any self-respecting candidate; and
most of the tactics INDUCED in by The
Argus belong in one or the other OF these
classes. The charge it makes, as above
quoted belongs, however, i'll another and
more serious class. This charge by the
Montpelier contemporary we brand as an
absolute falsehood. without foundation
on fact, and intended to serve pur-
pose that is discreditable to everybody
concerned in the making of it. With
any sense Of, or inclination to, fairness,
| The Argus could have continued itself
| il il had chosen so to do-that the charge
| it was invited to make was not gospel
truth, and that the peculiar source of
its information would bear investigation.
The Tribune bases its branding OF this
charge on information obtained from the
authorities of Cavendish--a source as
open to The Argus as to The Tribune.
Mr.. Fletcher did not refuse to make GUS
an inventory. There was no arrange
ment between him and the town that
would release him from his duty in the
matter of an inventory. In the very
nature of things. there could be no such
arrangement. Mr.. Fletcher could have
no grounds for seeking such an arrange
ment. The town would have no right
to make it.
Another charge made by The Argus is:
That the present year said Fletcher
had made out an inventory and has a
grand list far greater than under the
so-caled arrangement
Let us see about this; Mr. Fletcher,
as a citizen of Cavendish, has always
been willing to pay taxes on all his tax
able property, and the assessments made
by the listers have been made to cover
all such taxable property. His willing
ness SO to pay is proven by the fact that
when he made his return it was for
practically the same amounts as the
assessments previously made. The in
crease in the inventory of 1912 is ac
counted for by the sale OF real estate
located outside of the state in the fab
of 1911, on which Mr.. Fletcher holds a
purchase money mortgage, this mortgage
first becoming taxable in Cavendish the
present year.
So far as relates to alleged arrange
ment' or any difficulty whatever between
Alr. Fletcher and the listers, on which
The Argus has harped so persistently, it
need only be said further that The Trib
tne has in hand statement signed by
all the listers resident in Cavendish, save
one, declaring that "the course of Allen
NJ. Fletcher as to his list for taxation in
Cavendish has been entirely just, equita-
Bile and satisfactory to the several boards
of listers The one signature missing
from this statement is that OF Christie
pher w Goodrich, and its absence can
be satisfactorily accounted for in detail
Iii The Argus win take the trouble to
look the matter up. The truth is. there
never has been, at any time, any trouble
or controversy between Mr.. Fletcher and
the board of listers or any member of
the board.
The animus OF the opposition to Mr..
Fletehers candidacy in one or two sec
tons of Windsor county win not bear
analysis in the light Of fairness and
sufficient motive. Three or four mission
aries of the vituperative, mud singing
cult have been busy of late, with voice
and pen, attempting to generate preiu-
dice and antagonism in a territory where
the broader view of things political
might sensibly, wisely and safely pre-
vail and it is an interesting commentary
on the success of these distributors Of
tracts and tongue product that so com
paratively few have been persuaded by
them. This may be politics" Ii so. it |
is pretty cheap brand OF the article,
and will not count for much with the
thinking people of the county and the
state.--Ludlow Tribune.