Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1880-05-12

article in the Woodstock Standard on this sub
iect lie is the court auditor of Windsor county
and knows whereof he ailirms. lie states clearly
the disease, which is getting chronic, and 1t be-
hooves our people to be more careful than they
have OF late been about the qualifications of MEM
bers Of the next legislature. The skill required to
cure this fearful disease upon the body polite rem
ders the employment of any more legislative
quacks unwise. We give below the prominent
points of his article lie says
1t was recently announced that Z" in the vacation
preceding the last December term Of Windsor
county court fines had been collected for violation
of the liquor law to the amount OF $685. exclusive
of COSTS and that during the December term, fines
for violations of the liquor law had been collected
amounting to S1155. Also that bonds were for
feited in liquor cases during the term to the
amount of $50, and in other cases to the amount
of $3.50" From this statement 1t would appear
that the state treasury would be replenished to
the extent of 81 1885, provided the bonds forfeited
should none Of them be chancered by the court,
for any cause, below the amount for which they
were TAKEN and provided further that the for
feited bonds should all be paid in full This show
ing looks hopeful on the face of it and wears an
aspect of enterprise and thrift. To person not
behind the scenes" as they say of theater,
such a showing is delusive, and glitters only to
deceive.
| The state auditor for the years ending July 81
1871 and July 81 1878, in his report to the legis
lature at the October session 1873 gives clear
summary OF the court expenses, showing the ac-
tual expense to the state Of each county for
and criminal prosecutions and expenses, for each
of those years after deductug all cash received for
state fees actions entered, tried etc and also all
amounts received from all the counties for fines
and costs in criminal cases during said period
From this report it appears that the actual expense
to the state for courts and criminal prosecutions
for the fiscal year ending July 81, 1877, was
Sl13, 237 IL, and the like expense for the year
ending July 81 1873, was $40, 5i9.77, showing a
slight decrease in this latter year of S2,6S7 50
But rs compared with the same expense for the
year ending July 81 1876, the increased expense
for the year 1878 was over S35 600 90 what it was
in 1876, as was stated by Governor Proctor in his
admirable message to the legislature at their last
session in 1875 Here would seem to be " food foI
thought" and thought worthy the attention of
the people
He then illustrates his point by taking the court
expenses of his own county of Windsor, and, as
he must needs be thoroughly conversant with the
facts, his statement must be accepted as correct
As the result in that county is but a sample Of
that in the other counties of the state the great
need of n radical reform both in the laws them
selves and their execution will be seen. In that
county the gross amount paid by the state fol
court expenses for the two years ending July 3lst
1878, was SIS, 49, 49, while the amount received
by the state from all sources only So 1855 60
showing the expenses to be So 1913 20 over all re
ceip,s for fines and costs. The above statement
may be verified by the report of the state auditor
published in September, 1878. Since that time
three terms of the county court have been held
At the December term, 1873 the expenses wer'
Si III 80, and the receipts 81, 1S2 Al excess
of expenditures over receipts 81 ,02S "a. At til,
May term, 1879, the expenses were 81 0S6 II, anC
the receipts, SAG II; excess of expenditures owe
receipts, S3,637O5. At the December term, 1879
the expenses we're 81, 1878, and the receipts
S2,OOS0S; excess of expenditures over receipts
81, 7S067. The actual expense to the state, then
of these three terms was 50, 3i5 g. after deduct
| ing all money received for state fees, fines anC
costs. There would seem to be good reason 70
, these comments on the above facts.
, The figures show that in this county for the las
several years there has been gradual but con
slant net increase in the expenses Of our court
and criminal prosecutions How and when thi
2 condition OF things shall have an end is enttle
to and should receive the serious and candid al
tention of every citizen Of the county and state
for 1t is reasonable TO suppose that in this matte
of court and criminal expenses and receipts an in
vestigation will disclose the fact that most of tn
counties in the state will show relatively nearly
if not quite as large dsproportion of receipts
expenses as does our own In some counties, pal
ticularly bennington, Chittenden, Franklin, Rul
, land and Washington counties, and probabl
some others, the net expenses will be found,
think, to quite exceed those of this county; 5
9 that multiplying the expenses in this county b
t fourteen, the number Of counties in the state, W
+ get an aggregate which must clearly demonstrate
!. to even the most supplemented citizen the in
peratiye necessity that exists for our increase
, and increasing state taxes.
u In 1910 the population of Vermont was 29l, 9i'
a In 1860 it was only 3l5,00S, showing AN increas
, OF only 80 600 in twenty years. In 1870 the popr
|. lation OF the state was 800 55i, showing an ii
crease for the ten years preceding of 1888, an
r this increase mainly accrued in the towns of Blu
u lngton and Rutland. 1t can hardly be pretended
II therefore, that the increased expenses of the stat
b. and the increased taxation consequent thereon,
l. to be attributed to an increase of population
In no one year from 1910 TO 1860 did the stat
tax exceed seventeen cents on the dollar of tn
l. grand list and in only year during that pero
C it as high as seventeen cents, and that was
"a 1859 In the year 1860 the state tax was twent
cents The increased state tax for these last tw
wears WAS in consequence OF the expense the stat