St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-08-13

| DOlL TIE Gully euLlOu WueU us dNIiOh 4"
not in accord with their own desires.
As an exemplar in political morals he
leads in the most causeless and wicked
bolt known to political history.
He attacks the financial management
of the state and yet his convention ac-
cepts as its Candidates the nominees OF
the Republican party who are the re-
sponsible financial managers of the
state.
He discourses upon the increased
state expenses, expensive commits
sions and unnecessary Offices but names
no change except to establish another
salaried state board to be its purchasing
agent with a large array of clerks and
assistants, for all the different institu-
tons of the state.
No one denies that the state expenses
have largely increased during the years
of Republican ascendency but 1t is be-
cause of the settled policy of the state
regardless of party requiring such eX-
penditures and shifting large burdens
of expense from the towns to the state
and not through corruption, inettici-
ency, prodigality OF mismanagement.
Which part of this settled policy
would Mr.. Clement repudiate?
We have now a hospital for the insane
owned and equipped by the state,
equipped with modern convenences
and conducted in accordance with ad-
vanced and approved methods for the
safety and recovery of these unfortu-
0ate members of our society, answering
lus proper demands of a sympathetic
and phiianthropic people.
We have a House of Correction for
the less incolrigible law breaker where
reformation may be secured; we have
the industrial school for the young
where virtuous manhood and woman
hood may be wrought out of what would
otherwise become fixtures among the
criminal classes. Our Colleges are
aided from our state treasury in order
that poverty shall not prevent the am
bilious youth from obtaining broad and
thorough culture. We provide inStruc-
llUu lOI LIE UllIlO, tllt mute anu lllC
weak-minded. We raise a ) percent
state tax to distribute among our towns
which are richer in road mileage than
in grand list. We equalize in Il degree
the burden of school taxation by an
eight percent State tax. We make lib
eral provision for our State Normal
Schools. We care for the insane poor
at the state expense and thus relieve
each town of this burden and secure
better treatment and care. We eXpend
a considerable amount upon our state
militia and our Soldiers Home.
All this and much more is done be-
cause the state has approved of it and
yet this large expenditure has been so
provided for by our system of corpora
ton taxes that the state tax assessed
upon the Grand list is less than it was
twenty years ago. Undoubtedly this
method of corporation taxation can be
improved upon and extended and the
state tax be still further lessened and
even entirely dispensed with.
A commission reporting when Mr..
Clement was in the Senate that the cor
porations were bearing only about one
fourth Of their fair share of the burden
of taxation an effort wasmade to in
crease corporate taxation, but Mr.. Glenn
ent was strenuous in opposition and it
was defeated. He was then President of
the Rutland Railroad system. He now
| ac ca,stet III 10 mo- a q to u-oc naA1o1 10 Il
that he voted against increased cor
poration taxation because no additional
revenue was required. but as the chair
man of the Senate Finance Committee
of 1900, he in fact recommended the
r very day. he brought about the defeat
of the corporation tax bill, the very
, tax which you are now paying.
He describes the method of liquor law
= enforcement in his city and draws many
: illustrations therefrom. He has fol
many years been an influential citizen
of Rutland and has been its Mayor and
yet these abuses continued without cor.
rectiOn when he had official power and
without rebuke from him as a man.
Mr.. Clement alleges that he doubts
the sincerity of the Republican party ir
Vermontin its plank concerning the sub
mission Of the license local option law
to the vote of the people and seeks thus
to justify his secession. But when was
the Republican party Of Vermont or OF
the nation untrue to it's pledges? From
its inception to the present hour has the
party of liberty under Fremont, of the
Constitution and Union under Lincoln
and Grant, of sound money and protec
ton to American industries under
Hayes, Garfield, Arthur, Harrison anG
> Mckinley, crowned by its honorable
:, and philanthropic position towards
: Cuba and the Philippines--when anG
wherein has it in either state or Datior
betrayed its trust or wandered from
the paths of honor, justice and recti
, tude? In the light of its history then
he who would impugn the honor and
good faith of the Republican party i'm
peaches his own.
The Convention favored the submits
sion to the people of the question OF
license and local option or state pro
> hibition because it was deemed wise
, and proper concession to a growing and
, insistent demand for such Il reference