The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1890-08-21

Progress of any kind-moral, social,
industrial or pOlitical-has been fortu-
nate if it has never encountered any OBJ
stacle more serious than criticism-rea-
sonable or unreasonable. So the new
school law, and the law creating a
bureau of immigration and industrial
interests, and the officers appointed to
execute those laws, could hardly expect
to escape criticism. Under all the cir
cumstanccS, however, it was reasonable
to expect that the critics would seek to
be candid and would speak with some
reference to the facts. Fair and intelli-
gent criticism is always cOurted for any
enlightened measure, by any officer who
is honestly and conscientiOusly seeking
to do his duty. But it is one thing to
criticise and quite another thing to carp
at n law or an officer. We have heard or
read now and then just temperate, in
telligent criticism of one or both of the
laws we have mentioned and the officers
chosen to execute them; we have read
in two or three state papers what pur-
ports to be criticisms of both, but which
is in factsspetty, unenlightened fault-find-
ing, in kind as unpatriotic and as despi-
cable as the utterances of the men who
were carping and catching at every eff
fort of the government in war time to
put down the rebellion.
The state is at critical period of its
affairs. Two measures designed TO et-
feet favorable change were considered
by the legislature at the last session and
became laws after mature deliberatlon.
The new school law was the end of
! long period of agitation; the law Great
| ing an industrial bureau, the result OF
deep-seated conviction that something
must be done to arrest the abandonment
| of the hill farms of the State and repeo-
pie those which have been abandoned.
| Both of the officers chosen to execute
| these laws-intelligent, competent, pub
I lie spirited and patriotic citizens, VINO
have made their offices no sinecure-
| have been followed from the outset by
! few truculent editors, as if they were
public enemies. Falsitication of law and
fact, misrepresentation of circumstances
or official action, impugnmcnt OF mo
| tive or purpose have been relentlessly
employed, till very likely a few people
who NAV have no other means of infor-
nation have come honestly to believe
that Superintendent Palmer and Com
missioner Valentine should be drawn
and quartered-or put to death by cleo
tricity-to expiate their offences against
the public welfare. Each of these Off
GERS has nearly completed his first Off
cial term and is preparing his report, but
each is treated as if he had rendered a
full account of his stewardship and the
record of all his official acts was before
the people. Until this accounting has
been made, and all the facts are before
the people, there is no sufficient basis for
Judging these officers, and it is the part
of honor and fairness to wait till they
report before passing Judgment. 1t is,
however, only fair to say that, regarded
in the light of such facts as have trans
pired and such results as have become
apparent, both of these officers, under
circumstances of peculiar difficulty and
embarrassment, have faithfully and ef-
ficiently managed the affairs of their re-
spective offices; have achieved as high
measure of success as it was possible for
any one to achieve, and have paved the
way for regular results under laws
amended and better adapted in the light
of experience to the needs of the state
| UgfchmdH.