Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-06-26
THE GRAHAM CASE AGAIN

THE GRAHAM CASE AGAIN
The more the people of Vermont learn
about the case involving the shortage or
whatever may be the technical name for
the "wrong doing which Graham admit
ted in his letter written for him by a
steering committee" the more mystifed
must they be. It will be recalled that in
the letter in question printed in the YER
mont newspapers in August, 1913 there APP
peared this statement:
81 have requested the Hon. o. NJ. Bar
Der of Bennington, judge Of the United
States court of customs appeals. and my
predecessor in the office of auditor Of ac-
counts. to make a thorough examination
Of all books and papers in the auditors Of
fec and to report the exact situation; and
humbly ask the people Of the State to
reserve their judgment in the matter until
Judge Barber reports his findings"
Months passed, and 1.-THE buck was also
passed" back and forth. the directors of
non-publicity in the case saying first that
the case ought not to be tried in court
as the Legislature would go to the bot
tom of the whole matter. and when the
Legislature actually met, urging in
turn that the courts had the matter in
hand and the Legislature should not in
terfere.
When the Washington county court
again met, the trial of the case was fur
Their postponed, or in court Technology or
Interminology. continued" as was also
yfhe case against former Purchasing Agent
Henley.
On June IA last the Free Press, moved
by the inquiry Of a resident of Burlington
as to the status Of these cases. reprinted
the whole letter stated, and raised
the question why the people Of Vermont
had never heard from this personally con-
Quoted investigation, during which they
were asked to suspend judgment.
The FREE PRESS has received from
its Bennington correspondent one answer
10 the question as follows:
Judge o. NJ. Barber of the United
States court of customs appeals, who has
just arrived at his Old Bennington home
for the summer recess, was this after
noon shown copy of the FREE PRESS
containing the editorial urging that For
mer Governor Graham be tried for the
char prefarred apojpst hin, opd xyt icb
resulted from his administration of the
Office of auditor of accounts.
1T is true said Judge Barber. that
I read Governor Graham's statement al
the time it was published in the news.
papers. 1t is also true that declined the
governors request
''Further than making this statement
Judge Barber did not discuss the matter
and shifted the conversation into an
other channel"
In other words, the steering commit
tee." having asked the people of Vermont
IN tho name of Mr.. Graham, to suspend
judgment until Judge Barber could report
never took the people of Vermont into
his or their confidence by telling then
Judge Barber had declined to act. or rath
Bs'he or they player a"confidence game" or
Tho people Of the State by letting then
think they would get a real statement o.
the whole situation from Judge Barber
the air. when Judge Barber declined t,
accept the task.
To paraphrase a famous utterance tn,
"steering committee" not only dissemble,
their love for the people Of Vermont blu
also kicked their publicity department
down stairs.
The people of Vermont would now Xix
tolsnow various things:
First, are they to look for any real dis
closure of the whole matter In the cour,
or must they expect to have the testimon
sifted through the meshes of the rules O
evidence and other red tape, which wi
prevent them from finding out what the
want to know and what they have
right to,know.
Second. is the Steering committee" sti
steering or has Mr.. Graham been cas-
adrift to look out for himself?
Third. II the steering committee" ha
not discharged itself, are we to have an
other postponement of the trial until tn
next Legislature mees in January. 1872
and then another continuation and SO o