Newspaper Page Text
1 VERMONT WATCHMAN & STATE JOURNAL, WEDNESDAY, MAKCH 23, 1892. ftt'lattjnnan Jciurnarl. WKDNESDAY, MAHCII 23, 1802. Sknatoii Momui,T has iroproved during thc past low days and his fam ily is hopeful that he will rccover. Ui: eats li' artily, is buoyant and cheerful, and holda his strength well. Sknatoh David B. Him. is swing ing around tlie southern clrcle, niakin speeches froni tlie rear platforrn of liis train and pulling in dclegates. Clevc land, in a letter to his " true and trusted friend," Gcneral Bragg, ha9 put liimself in the hands of liis triends, but BayB not a word abont free silver. Wkitks a subscriber: " I appreciate your interest in sustaining and en forcing the prohibitory law in Ver tnont, and am of the. opinion that if sueh papers as thc Rutland Herald would make one-half thc effort to sus tain the law they do to knock it down, it rnight be enforccd cven in Kutland." FBOH the abysmal depths in which the Watciiman has corked up and wired in the Argus and T'atrint comes thia feeble plaint: " The public heallh will soon deraand that the Watciiman be isolatcd by thc authorities." And, Hiram, you may be pulled out of your hole and " isolated by the authorities" for impeding an officer. THK capital of the state, it i8 proper, should be repreacnted at Minneapolis, and the Watciiman suggesla the pro priety of presenting as alternate for Ex Goveruor Dillingham for by com mon consent he seems to be conceded the post of the leading delegate at large thc narae of Colonel Fred E. Sniith, president of the local republicau league club. THE raalady which afflicts the ear of the German emperor is reported to be rapidly growing worse. Tlie diseasc is incurable. Tlie inflammation, which heretofore has been internal, ia said to have caused a painful swelling in the side of his neck and to have extended toward the base of the brain. To the effects of this disease are ascribed the kaiser's aberrations and extravtigant utteranccs. The Rutland Ilerald has beconie the cap-and-bells of the Vermont press. It swings its sword of latfa right valiantly, imagines itself a hero, and is inordi nately pulfed up with its own conceit and doub'c leads. Ilaving ruade Ver mont thrice solid for prohibition by its Quixotic tilts for high license, it is now moving to make Colonel Fuller's noni ination unmimous by its foolish slurs. Poor Woniba ! Editor Atkins, after spoiling a couple of colurutis in a pacific address to the democrats of Vermont, appeara to have expressed his real sentinients in a short and more iuteresting edito rial: " The BtUowt FalU Times seems to have changed ils altitude toward the ediior of the Aryus and Patriot. In an editorial, laBt week, it pledged itself to stand by the present organization of the democratic party in Vermont by aaying ' We back the wiuner.' " Coneernlng the fiovernorshlp. Our luminous jourualistic friend, the New York Sun, last week discussed Vermont democratic politics, and re ferred to the coming convcntion at Montpelier as H Vermont' enap con vention." Siya the Sun: Hon. Hiram Atkina is not a gallina ceous politician, and his knowledgc of the time of day is perfeot. Auybody who starts out to unheave Hiram nndertakes a very large contract of upheaving. But liow hanl It is to satisfy Hoino people. First they kick at time and then at space. If heels were brains, wliat a cerebral su r pl us there would be in the ranks of the Convex Propliet. We agree with the Sun that Mr. At kins' " knowledge of tlie time of day is perfect," but we are a little in thc dark as to how it conatrues the word " galli naceous." It iferencc to Webster's dic tionary will satisfy those who know Mr. Atkins and have seen the Aryus after democratic victory that he is uoth ingif not gallinaceous. To those independents who are dis trised because the republicans did not, perforce, prevent the democratic free silver majority in the bouse from bring ing up the Bland bill for consideration, we commend the followiog from the chiefest and most consistent of the mugwurap journals, llarpers Wtekhj: So in congress, honest-motiey dem ocrats beseech republicans to help them save the currency. But the party reply is conclusive: 'The currency is safe with the veto of a republican president. But the demoeratB have here an overwhelming majority, and are about to appeal to the country. Why, then, itooe no harm to the cur rency will follow, lbould the republi cans prevent the democrats from show ing to the country that their majority is willitig to di b ise the curreuc'i" In otlier words, why should the republicans ennble the democratic party to carry the electinns under false pretenstsV That is the who e case, very lersely and accu rately stated. The situation as to the govcmortdiip is devolo)ing. The supporters of can didate", or of theorics or grounds upon which candidates should be choaen, have taken position, and the preaent oullook is for a contest more or Ubb angular rather than for a duel, aa was the casc in 1890. As is apt to be the casc in any political canvass, somc strenuous partisans, adapting their utteratices to new conditions, are illustrating anew what inconaistencies can obtain, and what irrelevant things can be educed to fortity new positions and to meet new emergencies. One contcmporary, for example, in sists that the candidate tnust be se lected with direct referenco to his quality as a vote-winncr. Paramount state interests, special dutics to be per formed, or particular scrvice to be ren dfred in the next biennial tcrm, are of secondary importance. The touch etone of pre-emincnt fltness must be, How niany rotes can be polled for the candidate on the daj of election ? Other contemporaries " view with alarm" the allegcd activity of candi dates in their own canvass. Horailies are published on the impropriety of ofllce-9eeking, and eulogies are pro nounced on tho?e who secm to Btand and wait. AU these things hare an old familiar sound. The vote-winner in Vermont in prcBt dential year is he whom the republi cans nominate for the office of chief executive of the nation. If he has the confidence and arousea the enthuBiasm of the people of Vermont, he wins their votes. Was the majority of 25,000 for Farnham, in 180, at tributable to his personal magnctism and popularily, orw.is it due to aburn ing enthusiasm for Garfi ld and the great principles he represented ? Was the majority of 21,850 for Colonel Pin gree, in 1884, assignable to any flaw in the worthy and gallant candidate for governor in that year, or was it due to cauaes growing out of the nomina tion the republicans had made for president ? These clectiona strikingly illustrate the truth cf our proposition. 1'laced in juxtaposition, they fully an swer the vote-winner argument. Given a candidate for president who com- mands the united and cordial support of the men of Vermont, with any good represeutative republican as the candi date for governor, and the state's cus tomary majority is assured. Four years ago Vermont had a pe culiar interest in the nominee for presi dent, and a peculiar responsibility was placed upon her. Her delegation led the Ilarrison column at Chicago, and to the steadfastnesa of its support his linal triurnph was in some large measure due. The democracy held thc presi dency. The iudustrial welfire of the country was the i-suc. Political power, lost in 1881, must be recovered. Mr. Proctor had pledged Vermont for .'10,000 majority for Ilarrison, and the repub licans of the state entered with un- wonled ardor mto tlie canvass to re deem this pledge. To these things, primarily, Vermont's splendid major ity in 1888 is assignable. It will be so again in 1S02, whomsoever the nominee for goveruor may be. Xow as to the self-seeking accusa tion. Itis no dishouor to aspire to the offn:e of governor and to woo it by all honorable meana. How often in the history of the state has any oftice, from a Uuited Siates senatorship down through the entire list, been without an ardent aspirant who has entered directly and personally into the canvass for his nomination or election? Twice did Mr. Morrill enter personally and with unslcep itig diligence into the canvass for the high ofllce he now holds. Letters, iru poriunities, personal appeals, newspa per articles, were scattered all over the state thick as enowrlakes iu a March quall, both by the present emincnt senator and his brilliant rival, Juilge Poland. The history of arduous con tests for the ofllce of represeutative in congress need notbe rehearsed. Rarcly has the oflice of governor been thrust unbidden upon a cilizen. From the beginning of bieunial elections from Stewart and Billings to I'age and Wood bury the oflice has been the object of personal ambition and somelimes of bitter contention. In the present can vass our contemporary of the Ludlow Trihune in particular upbraids candidate Fuller for his ambition to occupy the office, but the Ludlow editor two years ago was a super zealous partisan of the present executive, whose desire to be governor was not couceived in a day or born without travail, and who, if we remember correclly, participated some what actively and conspicuously iu the rtccoucftement of the object of hia am bition. Should any of the present as pirants for executive honors be con demned to be stoned to deatb for cher lahlng an ambition that is the political birthright of every Araerican citizen, and who have backed their ambition by work, and should the editor who is innocent of the charge of aidiug and abc'ttng men thus ambilious be com mauded to east theflrst stone, no life iiiHurance company holding a risk iu the victim' existence would by reason of the stoning bave a dealh claim to sett'e.and no surgeon would be needed to bind up the wounda of the proposcd target for editorial brickbats. Objec tion to any man now in the fleld on the score of Belf-seoking is insincere, and is made tocovcr some ulterior and unworthy purposo. Whencc comcs thc call for " a rep resentative farmer" for governor? When did the agriculturists of Ver mont make the Messenger of St. Albans or the News and Citizen of Hyde Park and Morrisville, with the corporato or ofllcial influcnces back of either of those journals, their political rnouth- piece ? Why Ihtl sudden and un wonted solicitude, in those quartera, for the farmcrs ? Our brothren of the plow are of age, and are abundantly able to speak for themselveB and to scek their own leader and champion. They protest that their political inter ests shall not be jeopardized, and that they shall notbe made a mockery and a jibe by this sort of championship. There is one man who has been, in the fullest signiflcance of the t rm, " a rep resentative farmer." In the legisla ture he has stood up six-feet six of his seventy-cight inches of stature for his brethren againsl corporate inrluences and for everythiug that would help his class. He has been no passivo trib unc. In season and out of season he has worked, voted and spoken for the farmer; but for this very reason he is discarded by the knot of politicians who are working this representative farmer racket mo8t industriously, and more passive " representatives " are sought and pushed to the front. This man is William Chapin. No better represeutative of the farmer class can be named,and no more succeBsful vote winner could be chosen, if there is any strength in this argument. Why forego the leadcrship of a Gladstone and sub stitute a subaltern ? Lieutenant - Governor Fletcher is another whom it is no misnomer to call a representative farmer, and who has a record of unswerving devotion to the interests of his class and the state at large. The dominant issue of the last state canvass will not be forgotten. Colonel Fletcher was among those who most strenuously maintained thatiasue. Can he or his associate9 in that can vass justify the abandonment of that issue at this time? Appreciating this facl, like the sincere and honest man he is, he rcfuses, directly or indirectly, to enter the canvass for the governor ship, and those of his true frienda who value their conMstency and maintsiin their honor are looking elsewhere for their candidate. They are not willing to lie down under the imputation that the non-promotion issue was mcrely a trick designed to exalt Carroll S. Fage over Colonel Woodbury. To turn about at this time, without excuse or warrant, and nominate, or advocate the nomination, of Colonel -Fletcher would be a wanton act of frivolity which Colonel Woodbury and his frienda would have a right to resent as an in sult. Colonel Levi K. Fuller of Brattle boro has had a large experience in state affalrs, Ile has had much to do with legUlatton. He has a wide ac rpuaintance in the state and country, and experience and acquaintanceship have been supplemented hy forcign travel and observation. He is an ex- cellent busmess man. ile has had a practieal business training. He is fa miliar, through Btudv and direct per sonal contact, with the problems that greatl y interest the people of Vermont at this time. Though not a rnember of the legislature in 1882, he took an in fluenlial part In the labors and dis cussious that ended iu the framing and passage of the corporation tax-law. In many other ways he has partici pated in important economic raove nients in this state, and is now closely identitied with measures to advauce her prosperity. He is a broail-minded man, enterprising and progressive. He has abundant abililyand offiolal experi ence adequately to pcrfotm not only thc technical duties of the oflice of governor, but a capacity and willing ness to devote himself, outside of those duties, to the welfare and good name of the state. For a good-all-round gov ernor, specially fltted and qualifled for the important duties and service that will, during the next biennial term, dcvolve upon the executive, Colonel Fuller is, in our judgment, the best quipped man that has yet been naraed. Aa the result of his in cumbency of the ollice, we believe Vermont would make some markcd improvement in material prosperity and be put in a way greatly to advance her rank industrially in the enlarging Bisterhood of Btates. TriE times are ripe for a revolt of vast proportions, or a reform that Bhall enlist the support and enthusiasm of hundreds and thousanda of houest men in Vermont, who for yearB have turned away from democratic mauagement in Vermont with sbame and disgust. No longer will the shameful and baneful practice of trading votes for Atkins for credentiaU to natioual conventions or other Btate or national ofliceB be toler ated by the masses of the unpurcbasable democracy of Vermont. The days of Vermont bossism and machine rule are numbered the days of democracy are just dawuing, for democracy meana treemen,and notslaves. A " Kicker," in the Brattleboro Heormer. I'm a Bobn with a Capital 0. Hiram Al Haschid, in the last ipsue of the Bagdad Bladder, the royal organ of the Faithful, occupied a column and two-thirdfl in explaining to his subjects that he is not such a tyran nical old caliph as the obstreperous Faithful al Damascus and Mecca would have folks believe. The royal mani festo is a wcb of flclion and fact, so skillfully woven that it is difflcult for the unsophisticaled to clearly dipccrn just where the fact leaves off and the flction begins. After the comrocnts all over Arabia upon the meetiug of the Select Faithful at thc home of thc caliph, and the decision to hold the next annual conclave at Hagdad, thc Commander clearly saw that he must efface from the minds of his subjects the suspicion that he was a bold bad Boss with a capital B. After scouting the idea that thc call ing of the convention at Bagdad was the result of chicanery and intrigue, Hiram Al Haschid remarkp, naively: " It was a very full meetlng of the com mlttee, and the matter was thorotighly dis cussed, that dlacusslon having, however, been temperate and without acrtmony, not withHtanding representationB that have been made to the eontrary." Passing over the unassailable fact that it was a '' full meeting" (this was probably after the grand vizier had worked the punch-bowl), we learn that acrimony was conspicuous by its ab scnce. The calm that obtained was as unbroken as a golden day in June. " If after every tempost come IQQta calmn, May the wtnda blow tlll they have wakeneit death!" A specimen of the calm was noticed when Effendi Meldon of Damascus arose and stated that he could prove by affidavits that Grand Pasha " Brad " Smalley of the windy city on the Eed Sea had stated, on his word of honor as an Arabian gentleman, that he would give his assurance that the next con vention should be held at Damascus, if the brother (Effendi Aldrich of Wood ford) would allow his resolution to be aroended. It was also calm when Ex Sheik John Robinson was pitched into for voting in favor of Bagdad while proxy for Effendi Aldrich. Wading a few more cubits through the royal manifesto, we learn that it will be " no dishonor to go down in open fight," as it will cause Hiram al Haschid " no personal grief or disappointmeut, but be a relief." This would seem to in dicate that the Commander of the Faithful i8 attcruptiug to hedge, and that he is not positive as to the result of the coming convention. The caliph insists that he bears no malice toward the kickers of 1S00, and has practically demoustrated it. Why, of course he has. Effendi Bullard of Underhill, Effendi McGettrick of St. Albans, and othcrs, can testify to that. When the opporlunity arises to placate a political enemy, he would be a poor politician indeed who would not embrace it, evcn if it involved a flnancial outlay. "Ifhe Hiram Atkiusj is not in error, there was no more effective talker at'ainst hini in the convention of H'M than &, . Baselton, and yet the Argui an4 Patrlot did everythiug in its power in 1891 to aid him in heing elected and re-eleeted as mayor." And, pray, what did thc Bagdad Blad der do for Judge Ilaselton except pitch into the Infldel Lyman? It would do that anyway, on gencral principles. Furthernmre, there is large reason to doubt that Hiram al Raicbid looked for the re-electiou of Mayor Ilaselton. And now we reach the most deli cious morceau in the entire manifesto: "Mr. Atkins has never attempted to con trol or 1 boss ' tlie democratic party of Ver mont. He has endeavored iu all instancoH to ascertain what tlie democracy desired to have done, and has then attempted to do just that. If for that he is to be attacked and traduced, he oonteuts himself with statinK the facts." Ilal bal bol hol and heel hee! Bhadei of Bosj Tw ed and John Kellyl As we ponder o'er this ingenuous utter ance we see, through wreaths of to bacco emoke, the familiar form of Hiram Al lia-chid, Commander of the Faithful, with abottle of Mumm's Ex tra Dry in one hand and a stub pen iu the other, humming unto liimself the following jocun I ditty: "Thore've bM iiuiniTous bosses of excelleut quality Kameil for tholr Jolllty, Wlt or frivolity, Many renowued for khell Btutt'iiraft auil pollty, All of them Kreat ln tlie bUfheBl dcree. Hiit whetlier acflaiineil for tlielr woudroui aagaclty, Oreed and raiiaclty, Truth or mendaHty, Uowever Ioiko their pum-li-Iiowrs rapaclty, None of them all holda a caudle to me. When iu state ln tny sanrtuiu ehalr. llosa Tweed would deelare, ln deipalr, That he uever could raiae, In hla paliuleat daya, A cluoh which with lnlnc would coinpare. And when I uucork iny llquor, If I meet with a kicker, I dlcker, And drnwu all hla aorrow For the paat or the morrow, All atteiupta to protest and to blcker. I rule the Faithful with Iron hand, And cultlvate a inauner blaud, Which Ia why 1 remark That for waya that are dark And for waya that are clear aa can he, Thouuh 1 deny It in prlut, On the iUlet H hlnt, I'm a hosa with a capital It, Larife H, Tin a hoaa with a capital II. President HarrlRon. Born in 1888( I'repidcnt Ilarrison has reached the full maturity of his power, and is at the point where a strong man rendcrs his highest service to his linv; thc point where strenifth rcmains un dimlnishtd, and experience steatlies and controls the impulses. He is also, probably, at the height of his public career. At the cloae of a succt asful adininistration he stauds out as the ap parently inevitable cboice of his party for a second term. Differing from bim on Important questious of public policy, The (Viristian Union has alwajs been glad to recogtiizo in our chief ma.'is trate a man of unstained record, ot sin cere patriotism, of large capacity, and of excelleut (quipment for his high ofllce. It is too early to sum up and characterize President Harrison's ad miuistration, but his record to date would make, him a formidable opponent to any candidate who mav be placed in the fielil anainst bim. He lacks the In langible quality of attractian which counts for so much in the career of public men like Mr. Clay and Mr. Blaine; he has little power of stirring enthusiasm. But he commands the confidence of his friends and the re specl of his opponents. Ile is known to be uprisht, outspoken and trust worthy. It is said of him by men of all parties and it is a fine tribute to his character tbnt he ia a president who never lies. He is often blunt and luckinyf in tact, but he never tells a man wbo sees him at the White House one thing and straightway does another. Aa a candidate for a sr e nd tcrm, 8everal things will count strongly in his favor. There is every reason to believe that his administration will be entirely free from scaudals; so far, no lack of personal rectitude has attached in any degree to the men whom Mr. Ilarrison has called about him, with perhaps a single exception. The de partments are said never to h ave been more efllciently managed. The public business is kept steadily in hand. In deed, so nssiduously does Mr. Harrison apply himself to the discharge of his duties that, like Mr. Cleveland, he is criticised for lack of the seuse of pro poilion in his work; for doing with his own hand what might well be passed over to others leas heavily burdened with great reaponsibilities. This is a fault, but it is one of those faults from which society does not greatly suffer. President Ilarrison stands clearly and definitely for a consistent public policy ; he is the ardent advocate of a high tariff, of subsidies to American sbip piug, of large pensions, of a new navy, and of federal control of elections. On sorue of these points The Christian Union is as frankly in opposition, but it thorpughly respi cts a man who nails his flag to the mast and keeps it flying seven days in the week. President Ilarrison stands for a defiuite, ag gressive policy, and in political strui; gles that is half the battle. The demo cratic party may prolitably study his example at this point. There is good reason to hope, moreover, that Mr. Ilarrison will go to the polls next autumn with every foreign complica lion dispoacd of, not only in the inter est of the country, but with a certain amount of political capital secured in the general settlement. A clean record of four years, a delinite and acrsres-ivc policy, and a successful settlement of foreigo coniplications, will make Mr. Ilarrison a formidable candidate for the presidency. He can be heaten, if at all, only by a candidate as frank and outspoken as liimself. Christian Union. COSTINCl FROM rtltRT PAOlt. nittcence. Now wliy cannot tliBse lobooil unltn their foroei and provlde for tlie rislng Keneratlon of studentB a good teleseopn? Vliat Ineitementl to expanilini; Htucly amt reHeaich, what, wliolesotne eni'ourai;einHnt to upllfting thorjghtl and pursnlts, tntght even a moderatelv-furnlslied astroiiomical ohservatory afford the youns! men and women of Montpelier and those who come here for study and cultivatlon! Tlie Governor Qnestlon. The attitude of many of the leading men on this side of tlie state on this questioo has been thus far one of wait ing for the pieferences of the republi cans ot the east side to concentrate, as between the several good republicans and worthy citizena named for the nomination. In the opinion of well iuformed porsous in four of the largcst OOUUties on the east side of thc moun lain, the indieations of preferencc al this tiiue ave decidedly in favor of Cnl onel Fuller of Brattleboro based upon his high personal character, his liberul ity and public spiri , and determined largely by ihe be ief that his wide ac quaintance in other states and his etier getic interest iu the farming and manu facturing Industriei of our state, can be and will bc of arcat service to tbe material in erests of Vermont, espe elally during the period of strong coin petition and development atteiuhug the great Columliian exposltiOD. Such con sideratioDI as these are the intluenccs which should decide the question, rather than the m tuipulations of wire-pullers, or the personal ambitioni of Individu als. The question, however, is still open, and is likely to be up to the meet ing of the convention. free I'ress. Itnm-Rnid Kxlrnordlnnry. Hiram Atkins, through his pnper, the Artit unil f'nlriol, ha long been the arch opponent if temperaaOS in thlS stHte and the obstruotor of the enforcenant of laws for the lupprssslon of lllegititnate trarlio ln liqnor. I.ast week he advanerd from the attitude of indireet to direct, overt, and per Honal ohstruetion, if tlie renorts of tlieotli eers of the law are true and if appearances are what they seem. Thurnday afternoon Depntv Sherlffs .lones, Cook and Camp Btarted from tlie court honsn to rald tlie saloon of AVilllam Miller on Main street. Just abOTt the otllce of the Atijuh nml I'utrint. Otlicer Caoip went. by wav of Klm st.rpet and OAcefl Jones and Oooh hy way of State. Ah tlie latter left the vieintty of tlie oourt-house, they noticed a " kld " who seemed to he WatcblnS their niovements. Tlie lail passed the offioen on their way to Mlller's, aml from his move uients it was suspeeted tliathe was a vidette of the saloons and was nn the way to ffive the alarm. Officer Jones ealleil to tlie lioy as he appeared to tie turning into Mlller's, and began to im rea.se his own pace. At that monient Mr. Atkins was I'oining down Main street, and was between Mlller's and tlie Argut ortiee. Seeing the ottieers, amt apparently taking in the situ ation, he suildenly turned aliout aml has tened back to Mlller's, When Offleer Jones arrived at the door he found the way barred and obstrOOted by the hurly form of the democratic autoerat. With legs astride and swelling to his amplest dimensions, no room was lett or the entrance of the ottieer, although the portal to " Billy's " convtvtal abode is not of the"st,rait and narrow " kind. To the olhcer's representations of the nature of his mlasion and his urgent ex postulations, Mr. Atkins, as he is reported, replled brnsqnely, " Yoa won't get by me in a hurry ! " repeating the words a senond time. These things transpired somewhat quicker than they ean h" told, but delay enough had been caused, the "tip" hal been given, Billy had made for his "dump," the bottles were busted, ammonia was loose iu tlie " well," its punuent fumes haffied the offloers, and the jig was up. This is the oflicer's story. If it is true. Mr. Atkins is Kuilt.v of the oifense of Itnpeiling an offi cer in the perforuianre of his duty. But this is Mr. Atkins' statement : "I was on my way to the ortiee, in response to a telephone message. I wished to see John H.Senterat onee on important business, and, knnwind that he frequently stopped in at Milh'r's for a bowl of oysters in preference to going home todinner, I opened the door to Mlller's place and looked in. Mr. Senter was not there. At that moment Mr. Jones Krahbed hold of m. I held to tlie door and expostulated: 'See here, Mr. Jones, I don't like to he handled like this.' Jones whirled me one side, and went into the store. I went to my ortiee. I had no thought or intention of impeding Mr. Jones. Alt the same, although it, may be un charitable, honest people have no doubt, in view of his record and all the circumstances of the case, that Mr. Atkins' real purposein turning SDOUt when he. sighted the offlceH and in hurrying liaek to Mlller's wato warn him; aml, the ottieers heing close on his heels, that he intentionally barred the en trance of Depnty Jones till Miller could spring the dump aml tumhle tlie tell-tale bottles into the " well." Current cominect on the street at the time among men who were up to the " ways that are dark and trieks that are vain," snstain this view of the matter. The Watchman pubUshea the statements made on both sides, and the public has the showman's optlon, without mone.v and without priee, as to which they will ohoose to belteve, merely remarking by way of oonelusion that Mr. Atkins will have to do some uneommonly hard swear ing to obtain oredit for his speoious yaru. By the way, these "dumps" are a eiiri osity of Ingenulty in a bad cause. As do sorlbed by the omcers, Mlller's is sltnated in a imrk room the entranoe to which Is from beblnd the ooanter. it is a platform some thiriy inches sipiare, hingeil to swing down ward, and ti ted with a contrivauce for springing in the event of a surprise. Upon this platform when in position, a few bot tles of llquoi are kept for immediate use. Below the platform and of corresponding dimensions is arranged the " well," exteint- ing in tliis case several feet below the eellar I door, At the tiottom of the well heavv iron rmts are arranged iu a "eriss-cross " fasliion. Upon these when the "dump" is "sprutig" the bottles strike, are supposed tobe broken and thus destroy legal proof of infraction of the laws. A hottle of ammonia seems now to he added to the assortment of other tire- waters pla 1 on tlie dump, to impede hy its pungent fumes a too perslstent searoh for the eontraband. Now there is Ingenu lty and contrivauce worthy of a better cause! Candidate Faikhanks left for Mex ico immediately after the Itepubliran nominating editorial appeared. Lots of men have rled the couutry for less rea Bon. Hardwick Oazette. Note aud I'omment. An optimist is u man who helieves that all eggs will halch. A pessimisl is a man wiio believes that all the chest nuts have worms in them. Ram's Horn. Ik, when the republican conveution uieels, a compromise between Ilarrison aud Blaine is deciiled upon, there will be no one bo well tiited as Mr. White law Hcid for the compromise candi date. New York Ilerald. It is said that Sarah, Abraham's wife, is the only wom m meulioned iu the OU1 Testament whose age is re corded. This rather indicatcs that the delicacy allachtng to mention of womeu's ages ib not a bil of modern sensitivenesB. Thk " greater New York" bill, which provided for a subinission to the popu lar vote of the people of New York, Brooklyn, Staten Island, aud parts of Westchester and Oueens couulies the questi ui of whether or not they want to be formed into a consolidated city, was defea ed iu the New York nssembly last w e by a vote of 45 to 54. Fnrtber as to the Haple Sugar Koiinty. Oommlsstoner Mason has ruled that when palls or packagcs of sugar of less than ten pounds each are enelosed in other packages of suoh kind as are used iu the trade for shipping purposes, aud which are suscepti- ble of heing properly markedi thc whole quantity, makfng anaggregate weight of ten pounds or incire, may he treated as a single paokage in regard to weighing and marking, if the sugar is all the same grade. The oommissioner deotdes to allow sugar pro duoers to aggregate small packages to larger ones for thc present. Thu oommiaslonaf'a rullng is made in view of the fact that is heing hrought out that the ten-pouiid pails of the trade weigh only about inne aud a half pounds. The right way to obviate all question on this point is for prodttoers to put ten pounds of sugar in what purpurts to be, and sells for, ten pounds. The iuspector's hrand will he a eertiticate of purity; it should also be a ceitillcate of full weight. li is not likely that the oommissioner will oontinue tins ruling as to "teu-pound packages " heyond this season, but that produoers shouid be al lowed to aggregate cakes or bricks to make ten pounds is reasonahle, and the practice will probably oontinue to reeeivo otticial sanotlon. A produeer writes the Watchman ex plaining how the ruling that " applicauta for bounties my cboose to which weiglier they will carry their sugar, hut, having choseii, they must coutiuue with the same Weigber through the season," will work a hardship in his case. He is advised to state Ihe oiroumstauoea and address his state ment. to James E. French, collector, Mont pelier, Vt. Mr. French will forward the same to tbe couimissiom.r at Washington aud procuru a ruling. This is the proper course to be purstied hy any other pro dueer who Bnds that the rules and rrgula tious adopted work injuriously to his iuter ests under tlie law. 'I he rules aud regula tious will he atnended in the light of iutor mation tlius ace.uired aud of tlie experience gained in the tlrst year of the operation of the law. Produosrs should rememher that all sam ples of sugar should be seut by matl to UoUeOtOI James B. Freuch, Montpelier, Vt. Any Information deaired by sugar weigh ers OOnoerning rules and regulatious oaa 'e furuUhed )y applviug to James K Freueb, collector, Montpelier, Vt. a RBMAitKAiii.K tragedy oocurred at XII" fln, ObiOi last week. Walter A. Snyder, a wealthy aud popular young man, whlle uu gaged in Oonversatlon with two of his om plovers, Burton W. OribaUgb and Kilward T. Naylor, suddenlv ml led a revolver aud bagaD iirtng at tbem, Xbomaa Dowuey, a fellow'-elerk, iuterfered, and was sbot three times, probably fataily. Cribaugh and Naylor will recover. Snyder saved the last bullet for hia own heart. Dk. Josbi'H Drai'BB, nuperintendent of the Vermont aslum at Brattleboro, died last Thursday ight. He oontracted a eold while iu Boston, a few days before, and bronobltls, followed by pneumonia, hastened the end. lr. Draper was a native of War Wioki Mass., where he wa born iu 1S34. He made tlio Vermont asylum a uiodel oue; he waa a moral foree in the couimuuity iu which he lived, and bis death waa a great shook to the people of Brattleboro.