The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-01-22
SHARP CONTEST
FOR Adult. GEN'L.
Major Lee S. Tillotson and
Col. H. T. Johnson Are
the Candidates
LATTER REVEALS
CORRESPONDENCE
Major Tillotson Returned on
Monday from France and
Wired His Candidacy

Some of the correspondence between
Major Lee s. Tillotson and Col. Herbert
I. johnson for the position of Vermont
adjutant general is given below, start
ing with a telegram which Major Tillot-
son sent from New York City on Jan.
20, as follows:
Il asked and obtained relief from for
eign service in order that | might return
to position of adjutant general of Yer
mont. Landed yesterday and was much
surprised to learn Of Johnson's candi-
dacy after his statement to me in letter
of Sept. 25 that he should not be a can
didate and would personally see to my
reelection. Impossible for me to re-
turn before election. / am candidate.
Please let these facts be understood.
Tillotson."
When interviewed regarding the state
ment made in the above telegram, Col.
Fl. r. johnson, acting adiutant general,
who announced his candidacy for that Of
fee on Monday of this week, made the
statement that he had written Major
Tillotson last summer that he (Johnson)
would not be a candidate for the office
of adiutant general so long as Tillotson
was in France, but that he had since
written Tillotson, when he found that
the major was coming home for the cleo
ton, that this fact changed matters and
that he tJohnsonl would be candidate
at the repeated requests Of friends.
The following is complete copy Of
the letter sent by Col. johnson to Ma
jor Tillotson;
Montpelier, VT. Jan. l0,l9l9.
Major Lee s. Tillotson,
"Adjutant Generals Department.
at was great relief to me to learn
that you were to return to the United
States in time to look after your own
interests in the matter of an election.
Gas long as the war was on and you
were in Europe, don't think there
would have been any difficulty, unless
someone had insisted u pom the provisions
of the statutes, and / doubt ii they
would, then But since the armistice
was signed and it is known that you are
to return before the election, the whole
situation has changed and / do not feel
that it is now my duty to work in your
interests, as I should have felt in honor
bound to if the war had continued and
you had been obliged to remain in En-
rope.
"Sinoa ii has been known that you
were to return before the election, have
been repeatedly urged to announce my
self as a candidate and told that my
name would be used anyway, as there
would be opposition to your reelection.
/ have told all these friends that could
not consent to any efforts in my behalf,
so long as you were in France.
However, from my own standpoint,
! have no good sufficient reason for not
remaining, If the people desire it. have
had to give up my farming interests and
move my family to Montpelier and
see no reason now why should not let
the matter work out as the legislature
desires.
q am writing you fully and frankly in
the matter as / feel it is only fair TO
you that you know as early as possible
Just the situation, and also, as ! prom
ised to look after your interests and to
keep you informed of any new develop
ments, as long as you were in Europe.
yours truly,
Herbert T. johnson,
assist. Act Adit. Gen"
These communications give an index