The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1893-05-05

shall require, not by any means upon the
plan lately attempted to be foisted upon
the village, against the will of the ma
jority, as expressed in two meetings Al-
ready held; not upon the scheme of un-
equal taxation proposed in the sewerage
act of 1892, by assessing the lease lands
of the homes of the poor and the wage
Garner, and the COW pastures, at the
same rate per front foot, as the lands
upon which stand the most magnificent
blocks, in the heart of the village, com
manding rental of many thousands Of
dollars per annum, and the manufactO-
ries which have brought their owners 10
affluence. Apropos, this scheme of ua-
equal and unrighteous taxation appears
to have about the same paternity as the
scheme in the charter of the Water Com
pany, which would enable a minority
exceeding, by one, one third of the YoteEB
voting, to defeat the will of the majority,
lacking only one of two thirds of the
voters voting on the purchase of the
water works. What voice did the village
have in establishing this Outrageous
scheme of assessments? The threat Was
made on the heel of the last village
meeting, by prominent and wealthy
citizen, that they would continue to call
village meetings in the day time, in fur
therance of the prop sed sewerage sys-
TEN, until the laboring class would get
sick of it, and then they would have it
their way. Shall such a black-hearted
conspiracy against popular government
be permitted to conSHmate it's diaboh-
cal purpose beneath the very shadow Of
the majestic shaft which so fifty coh-
memorates the valor of the Bennington
d., sRf, sY,4 4l,A lnfn nHF
their homes and firesides? God fobid-
Rather let the citizens of Bennington
come forth from their homes and their
workshops, to the village meeting, ut
one o'clock, p. m., next Wednesday,
the 10th, inst, and show that they are
worthy sons of noble sires, by stamping
tie seal of their final condemnation Up
on the effort to force upon them a sp-
tenn of sewerage, at best but imperfecaF
meeting our wants and as likely to be
death-dealing, as health preserving, b.
be paid for, in large measure, by assess
ments which are no more nor less than
legalized extortiol; by re-captnriAg
their right to majority rule, taken away
by the waterwOrks charter, and assert
ing their right to own and control the
clear, sparkling water which flows 80
bountifully from the motherly breast Of
of our grand old Green Mountain, IN
polluted by comingling with the waters
of Sucker Pond, teeming with it's filth,
it's evils and pollywogs. Let every ciG-
zen stand shoulder to shoulder with liS
neighbor, in willingness to bear his
share of the public burden, assessed up
on the Grand List, for the common bene-
fit, for water works, for sewers, as oar
present and growing needs do and shall
require, and for any other needed pubic
improvements, which our circumstances
reasonably permit, and we shall have
united community, pressing harmoAi-
ously forward to the goal of the greatest
good to the greatest number. In taking
this step, let us not forget the courage
and public spirit of our benefactor, Mr..
Putnam, but cheerfully yield to him, and
his water Company, their own, with use,
to the last penny which can justly sr
reasonably be expected, with thankful
hearts and willing hands.
W. B. SHELDON.