News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-06-12
Whittier Are We Drifting?
From the Barre Town News

IdCl tlat the taxpayers are looking
up their records the better it will be
for those leaders.
1t does not require that man
should be very great prophet to
discover that unless some course is
taken by those at the helm to change
the present condition of affairs, Yer
mont will in less than five years be
on the very verge of bankruptcy.
The state cannot stand a drain on its
resources of a million and a half dol
lars once in two years, with an in
crease biennially in the ratio of the
past ten years, without seeing more
deserted farms, more rotting mills
and noiseless factory wheels than
now; even an imported population
Will refuse to submit to such a drain
What guarantee can be given the tax
payers that the legislature of 1890
will be less extravaganza than its pred
ecessors? Those who have looked
over the field understand that there
are sure to be requirements for vast
appropriations. The Bennington mon
ument dedication appropriation is all
ready for an early introduction to the
assembly; Commissioner Valentine
will doubtless ask to have his official
life prolonged another two years; the
state militia will go for a big appro-
priation to purchase and fit per-
manent camp-ground; doubtless the
state will be asked to be generous in
making an exhitRe1at the Worlds
Fair at Chicago and by the time the
Legislature asscaaPtfSs there will doubt
less have been Coacocted in the fer
tile brain of some man looking for
soft snap, a feasible plan for leveling
Cancels Hump or utilizing Lake
Champlain for the irrigation of the
summit of Mt. Mansfield, and COM
mission, at S. per day and expenses,
asked for to do the work. The past
has furnished precedents and before
the legislators are hardly aware of it
the combined spirit of patriotism,
state pride and good fellowship will
have led the assembly to appropriate
even more than the legislature of
1888.
This is the answer that the average
voter is rapidly working out in his
mind as the point to which the state
is, in the light of precedent, drifting,
through the reckless extravaganza of
its Legislators.
The next question that presents it
self is, How can this state of affairs
be remedied How can the reckless
ness and improvidence of the legisla-
ture be guarded against? This ques-
ton a great many are not finding as
hard to answer. The obvious answer
is, See that a governor is chosen who
will have the courage to set his face
against these extravaganCes and re-
fuse to be inundated or cajoled into
signing bills appropriating a cent for
any unnecessary object. The repub-
lican party now apparently has three
men to choose from, although in real
ity there are only two, for the Her
aLd'S candidate is just decoy to land
delegates in the camp of one of the
other candidates when the convention
assemblies. The two prominent and
real candidates are Carroll S. Page,
of Hyde Park, and u A. Woodbury.,
of Burlington, with his Judge Royce
attachments.
Have the taxpayers any reason to
think that the Woodbury-Royce com
bination has any of the qualities that
are required to protect the taxpayers?
Let US see. Mr.. Woodbury., who is
the principal in the alliance, is Lieu
tenant-Governor and held that office
during the session Of 1883. Did any
member of the Legislature ever know
of Lieutenant-Governor Woodbury.
deprecating by SO much as single
word, in private conversation or pub
lie speech, the extravaganza of his
colleagues Has he ever made any
public assertion or allowed his friends
to make such assertion, that he
would, if elected Governor, stand
firmly against a lavish use of the pub
lie money? Has the Lieutenant-Gov-
ernor ever explained why he allowed
himself to become a party to one use
less extravaganza in accepting place
on the junketing Insane Asylum
Commission at S. day and ez-
penses? Is there anything in his re-
cord that indicates that he will favor
and insist on the striCte5t economy ?
We assert without fear of contradic-
ton that every question above can,
and must, if truth be adhered to, be
answered in the negative. He is the
Self-asserted candidate Of a powerful
corporation that has cost the state
millions of dollars, and it will be hard
work to convince tie taX-paying farm
erS that he is not virtually committed
to any measure that that corporation
or its friends may favor regardless of
the pockets or purses of the people.
1t will also be hard to convince the
people that his co-partner and run
ming mate, Judge Royce, adds any
more assurance of an economical ad-
ministration. AS to Mr. Woodbury.
as a financier, there is little to say.
He has no record that he wishes to
talk about, and therefore neither he
npr his friends have cared to make
any show of hands on this topic. Did
they do so they would understand
that there are documents extant that
would not make such a claim very
easy to substantiate.
On the other hand, as opposed to
the Woodbury-Royce combination of
railroad candidates, there is Carroll
S. Page, of Hyde Park He has all
the qualities that under any circum-
stances would go to make a good
governor. His executive ability is
second to that of no other man in the
state, and as evidence of this his vast
business, which is SO systematized
that it will run for weeks without his a
attention, is one standing proof |
another is the magnificent orgahiza-
ton of the Republican party in the
last campaign, where by his astute
and executive ability the
party was enabled to poll larger vote s
for Governor Dillingham; than it had "
ever polled before. He is independent
and does not bow sub5ervience to any
ring or corporation, his motto being,
81 will not, even for the sake of being
governor, tie my hands in any way, or :
pledge subservience to any interest"
He has quickness of perception, as is :
by the fact that he saw at :
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