St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1913-10-15
A Cyclone or a sulzer?

4 Cyclone or a Sulzer?
Some Of our contemporaries are
talking about legal trust" others
are saying that the legal trust is
busted" while others are talking
about "a tempest in a teapot" in
connection with the Bar Association
incident and attempt OF certain in
terests to shape the appointment of
judges.
The "cryptogram" as to invisible
government" and judges, which has
been referred to- will be found to in
vOlve the state constitution, and
when it is fully developed there will
be a volcanic eruption which will
make the present tempest" look
like a toy pistol beside a fifty foot
gun on battleship.
The above is taken from the edi-
torial columns of the Burlington
Free Press and may be considered
an authoritative statement 1t fol-
lows an unusual incident which was
made public in the editorial columns
of the governors twin mouth pieces
just previous to the meeting of the
State Bar Association. The incident
attracted much attention but evi-
IDENTIFY is not closed. This was the
incident. The secretary of the Yer
mont Bar Association sent Gov.
Fletcher an invitation to attend the
annual banquet of the association
as a guest of honor and said he was
sure he voiced the unanimous desire
Of the members in asking the gov
ernor to be present Very soon af-
ter the invitation was sent the APP
pOintments of justices and judges
were announced by the governor and
of course there were some disappoint-
ed persons, among them J. II. Mimms
the secretary of the. association. Sec
rotary Mimms promptly wrote the
governor that in view of his APP
pointments he wished to withdraw
his statement that it was the unani-
nous wish of the bar that the gov
ernor attend the banquet and the
governor as promptly notified Mimms
that he would not attend the ban
quet Then came the editorial an
nal and the Burlington Free Press
of the insult that had been made to
the governor by the Vermont Bar
Association, said announcements con-
tanning references to the legal
trust" invisible government" and
kindred undesirables. This was all
news 10 the other officials and mem
bers Of the association and as soon
as the president of the asso-
citation heard OF the occur
renee he wrote the governor eX-
planning that the organization had
been grossly misrepresented, express
ing his regret over the occurrence
and urging the governor to attend
the banquet The governor did not
attend but the Bar Association pass
ed resolutions condemning the act OF
its secretary, expressing regret and
disclaiming any purpose to unduly in
fiuence or to chastise the governor
for the performance of his legitimate
functions The governors organs !
announced that Secretary Mimms
had apoiogized for his act and Mr..
AIimms announced through the press
that they lied.
Our impression of the whole affair, /
so far as it was made public was that /
the governor had been grossly insult .
ed by Mr.. Mimms but in no wise by .
the Bar Association and that the gov
ernOr had made an unwarranted ap- /
peal to popular prejudice against
trusts" and hoped to gain public I
sympathy as victim of the in
visible government Now comes
the editorial quoted at the begin
ming Of this article which is a threat
of revelations very similar to those
promised by Former Governor Sui
ger of New York before his impeach-
ment. Suffers revelations were never
made and we are wondering if Yer
mont is to have a similar experience
with its governor who has been so
free in his charges that everything
connected with Vermont government
is rotten" except himself.
The public is entitled to further
knowledge in this matter. 1t should
be shown whether the governor is a
victim. of some diabolical political
plot or whether he, like Sulzer. is
posing as a political hypocriJe. With
his fifty foot gun on battleship"
already loaded and primed the pub