News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1916-09-06


coming to Senator Page that there ha
been prepared in the office of William
& Smith at Newport, political head
quarters of Allen M. Fletcher in On
leans county,, an affidavit by forme
employee of the Senator, Mr.. Arthu
NJ Rich.
Senator Page, in his political adver
Using last month made mention of thi
affidavit showing that it was part o
well laid plan to discredit him page
and that it emanated from the sam
office as did the Lamoille County Saw
ings Bank & Trust Co. attack.
1t would never do to print this tissue
of falsehood, misrepresentation ano
insinuation after it's Newport parentagt
had been exposed to the public. An
other affidavit therefore had to be Sc
cured
The Rutland Herald under date OF
September 4 under five column front
page heading, gives the Rich affidavit
and the Harald's story. Someone has
well said that "a chain is no stronger
than its weakest link" and if this line
of reasoning should be applied to this
unique concoction it loses all it's force
if it ever had any.
1t is exceedingly fortunate in this
campaign where the wrecking of char
acter seems to be the chief business of
the Allen M. Fletcher Club that Mr.
Rich's original letters and a copy of
the replies thereto have been preserved
for no holder or more deliberate at
tempt at character assassination was
ever perpetrated upon a citizen iof
Vermont than this Rich affidavit Sc
cured by the Rutland Herald.
When Senator Page went to the
Senate in zoos he found there VIM. S.
Bean who had been the Secretary of
both Redfield Proctor and John W.
Stewart. Senator Page was then en-
titled to Secretary and clerk and he
appointed VIM S. Bean.
Mr.. Bean was from Newport, Ver-
mont, and living at that place was one
Arthur M Rich. Mr.. Bean suggested
that Senator Page secure Rich's SER
vices as stenographer and that he also
bring from his home office at Hyde
Park another stenographer, assuring
the Senator that he could handle
his work better in that way and that
these two stenographers would gladly
work for the allowance made for clerk
or messenger
Without further Introductory re-
marks there is presented herewith the
letter press copy of William S. Beams
letter which tells story, not written
in the stress of a political campaign,
not written when it was ever expected
that there would be need of its public
ity. Even without comment, Senator
Page feels that he could leave the letter
of William S. Bean alongside the affi-
davit of Arthur M. Rich with fullest
assurance that the reasoning judgment
of his people would condemn the affi-
davit.
COPY OF BEAN LETTER TO RICH.
December 81, 1909
Dear Arthur
Yours of the oath rece we'd
Think your plan good one. If you
leave Newport at IL :25 Saturday night,
you will reach n. Y. about 80 Sum
day morning. If you turn to the right
as you go out of the station towards
5th Avenue, you will find a good res
taurant in about a minutes walk, right
hand side of the street, Child sRestaur-
ant. That will be handy and wi II
save you lots of time.
enclose you Penn. folder showing
Sunday trains to Washington. Pre-
sumo you will have time to get lunch
and get across the city in time for the
1:25. You had better allow yourself
three-quarters of an hour or an hour
to get from the Grand Central to the
Pennsylvania ferry at West 23rd st.
Take a 4th Avenue car south from the