The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-09-04
COL. NELSON'S PHILOSOPHY.
Recalled in Connection With vermont's
Recent Scandal.


Two things of recent occurrence have
recalled to memory William Rockhill Nell
son. First of these was the conspicuous
general publication of certain alleged
facts concerning the disappearance of pub
lie moneys i'm Vermont; second was an
appreciation in this newspaper of the
beautiful Boston seaside resort, Magnolia
where President Wilson had just con
cluded few days vacation. Colonel Mel
son, as he was called by his friends, or
Colonel Bill" Nelson, by his intimates,
or Uncle Bill' Nelson, by those who
were very close to him indeed, had
for years charming home overlooking
Magnolia Cove and almost directly oppo-
site the jefferson Coolidge. mansion, oc-
cupied by the presidential party on this
visit. His appearance annually had come
to be lookedsfor with great pleasure by
regular residents and summer colonists.
for he brought with him out of the West
a genial, democratic atmosphere, and all
the days, weeks, and months of his yearly
pilgrimages on the shore were marked, by
kindly words and deeds.
Colonel Nelson came from Kansas City,
where he owned two newspapers, The
Star and The Times. The first he prae-
tically founded; the second he purchased
and rebuilt. The properties came to be
very profitable, yielding him large in
come. Out of his private means he found
ed the Western Gallery of Art in Kansas
City, and it may as well be said here that
his entire fortune will eventually 90 to
the advancement of culture in the city in
which it was made.
He had not always been a newspaper
man. As contractor he had accumulat-
ed something like 100000 which. as an
investor in Georgia cotton growing he
had lost. In 1876, although compare
lively young man, he was given command
of the Samuel j. TiIden campaign in In
diana. He first tried his hand at Journal
ism in Fort Wayne of that state. but de
cided that a field farther west would be
for him more promising. His Judgment
in this was sound, as it was in many 9th
er respects, and within a few years he be-
gan to.wield a powerful influence in Mis-
souri,, Kansas, and adjoining states. Al
ways an independent, but never neutral
Colonel Bill Nelson's weight, thrown
to either side in any local or general con
| test, political or economic, went far
toward bringing about quick decision.
He was offered many positions of prom
inence, and stepping stones to positions
but he would have none of them, prefer
ring to be free from all obligations
nevertheless, he was taken into numerou.
counsels where his philosophical reason
ing was highly esteemed. This leads to
the point of present interest. He was one
N a fny bn -, L,4, l.. IN
| public trust, so-called. culpabiity rather
on the part of the public than on the part
of the individual offender. toward whom
the public happened for the moment tc
be pointing the finger of accusation. con
domination, and scorn. If public moral,
were loose, according to Colonel Nelson
that was the fault of the public. and tho
consequences should be charged to and
accepted by the public In such cases a,
that in Vermont, instead of joining in
the e-and-cry against the individual
who was short in his accounts, he in.
weighed against the looseness of the sys.
TEN which made the shortage possible.
The time came when the question OF
responsibility in such circumstances wa.
brought home to him. He was one OF
several directors of an enterprise in which
4 large amount of money was handled
In one of the branch agencies of this con
Germ young cashier became known to
his associates as free spcnder." The
young man explained his ability to "let
money fly by saying that he received
large remittances from home. His ex.
travagances were notorious. Suddenly
he was found to be six or seven Thousand
dollars short The managing official,
took speedy action. They sought to re-
cover the loss from the young mans ia
Their. Already shamed and grieved be
yond expression, the father, struggling
farmer, summoned to appear before thc
| directors on a certain day. laid down
$1,000, all in the world he could raise mn
on the table. He was questioned and
cross questioned by certain of the di
rectors. He was told that prosecution
must go on unless the shortage was en-.
tirely made good. There was great dea
OF moralizing and sermonizing. The voune
mans character, to the modification Of
his father, was roughly handled. Colone