Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-06-05
Unwarranted Charges.
CONTINUED FROM PAGE two

FEOM FAGE TWO
had devoted time and energy to Mr..
Fletcher's relation to the grand list
of his own town and. by repeated
innuendo, has sought to weaken his
candidacy. The contemporary. feed
ing upon it's own mud, has grown
holder and holder in it's attacks, and
in recent issue made the following
direct charge:
THAT about the year 1906 certain
of the Cavendish listers demanded
that MIR. Fletcher make out an
inventory of his personal estate for
the purpose of taxation in said town
that Mr.. Fletcher deliberately
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
campaigns are SO easily seen through
that they deceive nobody and fall
fiat as far as effect is concerned: or
so thoroughly contemplate as to be
beneath the notice of any self-respect-
ing 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, in another and
more serious class. This charge by
the Montpelier contemporary we
brand as an absolute falsehood, with
out undation on factS and intended
to serve a purpose that is discredit-
able to everybody concerned in the
making of it. With any sense of, or
inclination to, fairness, the Argus
could have convinced itself-if it had
chosen so to do-that the charge it
was invited to make was not gospel
truth, and that the peculiar sources
of its information would bear investi-
CATION. The Tribune bases it's brand
ing of this charge on information OBJ
tanned from the authorities of Caven.
dish-a source as open to the Argus
as to the Tribune. Mr.. Fletcher did
not refuse to make out an inventory.
There was no arrangement between
him and the town that would release
him from his duty in the matter of
inventory. In the very nature of
things there could be no arrangement.
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 grand list far greater than
under the so called arrangement. 30
Let US see about this: Mr..
Fletcher. as citizen of Cavendish,
has always been willing to pay taxes
on all his taxable property and the
assessments made by the listers have
property. His willingness so to pay
made his return it was for practically
%
sessments previously made. rhe
increase in the inventory of 1912
is accounted for by the sale of real
estate located outside of the state, in
the fall of 1911, on which Mr..
Fletcher holds purchase-money
mortgage, this mortgage first becom-
ing taxable in Cavendish the present
year.
So far as relates to alleged
arrangement" or any difficulty
whatever between Mr.. Fletcher and
the listers. on which the Argus has
harped so persistently it need only be
said further that the Tribune has in
hand a statement signed by all the
listers resident in Cavendish, save
one, declaring that "the course of
Allen M. Fletcher as to his list for
taxation in Cavendish has been
entirely just, equitable and satisfac-
tory to the several boards of listers. -
The one signature missing from tn s
statement is that of Christopher. w.
Goodrich. and its absence can be
satisfactorily accounted for in detail
if the Argus will 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..
Fletcher's candidacy in one Or two
sections of Windsor county will not
! bear analysis in the light of fairness
and sufficient motive. Three or four
missionaries of the vltuperative. mud
singing cult have been busy of late,
with voice and pen, attempting to
generate prejudice and antagonism in
a territory where the broader view
of things political might sensibly,
wisely and safely prevail; and it is an
| interesting commentary on the sue
cess Of these distributors of tracts
and tongue-product that compare
lively few have been persuaded by
them. This may be politics." If
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.