The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1912-08-29
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
OPPOSES JOHN W. GORDON.
."x. Y. a." Runs Into Sarcasm in Stating
His Objection to Candidate.

a. J.. II. RUNS INV odiSdsiH III Stdtiul
His Objection to Candidate.
Editor, Barre Daily Times: | have
read with pleasure the articles in Tht
Times giving reasons why Hon. John w
Gordon should represent our city in tn.
coming general assembly. am so much
in favor OF his election next Tuesday
that, in addition to the reasons given
beg to add one or two more.
A very important reason il seen in
Mr.. Gordon's great and good services ~
the city while he was mayor. In spite
OF many protests from prominent citi-
zens, he managed to purchase for the
city the Goodhue water system, the
East Barre part of which cost the city
not less than 100000. In less than six
months after the purchase came that
terrible epidemic of typhoid and other
diseases. Five hundred persons in the
city became its victims. Among the
deaths were prominent clergyman and
we'll business man. The infec-
tion originated from the drainage from
East Barre finding its way into the
water. Vote for John!
Apropos to the epidemic, the state
| board Of health took the matter in hand
and speedily condemned the East Barre
water 1t was shut off, No use to the
city since. A hundred thousand dollars
loss. Vote for John!
| As chief executive, Mr.. Gordon also
did excellent work for the city in max.
ing and signing the contract with the
| trolley car company, In consideration Of
the franchise, as the people of Barre
expected, the company was bound to
make the fare from the Barre end of the
| line to the Montpelier end not to exceed
| five cents each way. For year or two
this expectation was met; the travelling
public paid only five cents each way.
But, as matter of fact, the contract
provided that the fare from Barre to
Montpelier should not exceed five cents,
and that the fare from Montpelier TO
Barre should be only the same. This
wording of the contract, made and signed
by Mr.. Gordon, was interpreted by the
company to mean that the fare from
Barre to the Montpelier line should not
exceed five cents and that the fare from
Montpelier to Barre should be only the
same. After the business of the com.
pany got we'll established, therefore, the
company doubled the fare, collecting five
cents on each side of the line between
the two cities.
Had the contract provided, in un-
equivocal terms, as the people expected,
that the fare from end to end Of the line
should not exceed five cents, the COM
pany could not legally have doubled it.
But, as the matter was fixed up by
John, the people of Barre and all others
are now treated to the rare luxury Of
ra, sip far ~ fa,, no,,fe
that would be illegal; but FIVE cents
twice. that is legal Vote for john
Nor should we forget the distinguished
services of Mr.. Gordon in the Senate.
Never were the Green mountains so
proud as when he introduced to that
august body his great legal measures.
These documents will be remembered as
wordy as the trees Of the forests cover
ing the mountains; as windy as the
tornadoes which sweep over the noun |
tains in winter; as gassy as the carbon
dioxde which rises from the craters Of
all the extinct volcanoes in the state. |
1t is safe to say that no member of /
the Senate or House waded through |
these mysticisms and that no one of |
Johns constituents in Washington coun- |
ty attempted to examine them for fear |
of the nightmare.
When, therefore, these famous papers
came to. the voting ordeal, no wonder
they won the high honor of falling so
quickly and forever into innocuous de.
suetnde Vote for John
Properly, too, on the eve of freeman's
meeting, should all the voters of Barre
call to mind the fact that few years
ago Mr.. Gordon was a staunch Democrat.
But he found, OF course, that in Vermont |
the Democratic ladder is hard to climb.
Therefore, the ambitious politician
jumped over into the predominating par
ty, expecting to find the Republican
ladder more available. Next Tuesday
therefore, as the great purchaser, the
great contractor, the great legislator
tugs away at the rounds, let us all take
hold and boost.
Vote for John! He's dandy
X Y r. II