Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-12-05

1Hduh1 ~ tllt EubllEl'N ElNtt INK
matter by a few righteously Indignant
newspapers among the Vermont press,
the people of this state are beginning
to realize what a monstrously unjust
government is possible in this common
wealth under a false pretenSe of the
Republican form guaranteed US by the
Constitution of the United States.
The people Of Vermont are beginning
to realize that with the power of max
ing and unmaking laws in the leglsla-
ture in the hands Of l2i men represent
ing only u per cent, of the population
of the state, Vermont is not being gov
erned by ajOrlty rule and that this Is
not government "of the people by
the people but a government of the
people by the small towns. The great
bulk of the population of Vermont re
sides in comparatively few large
towns, but those towns are held up at
the point of the rural vote and made
to help support the highways and
schools of the small towns and now the
small towns demand three-quarters of
the money to be received from liquor
licenses beside.
It's an old story, this hold-up of the
large towns. and The Messenger has
often referred to it before, but this
year the spirit behind it has shown it
self with even greater greed and stub
bornness than ever and ii Is we'll nigh
time the people Of Vermont awoke to
the full import of the situation. In re
cent issues The Messenger has printed
the comment of the state press on this
subject. and there will be found else
b.r e 2 h 81
est arguments ever brought to bear
upon it.
This question must be settled and
settled soon or there will be a politi-
cal revolution in Vermont that will
make the campaign of 1902 appear like
5 o'clock tea beside it. The people
showed their mower in the campaign
this year, perhaps it may be said that
it was the first time this generation
has awakened to a realization of how
much power it had. But now that it
has found it out, now that the great
mass of voters realizes its own strength,
we shall have more government by the
people and less by party leaders here
after The Republican party has kept
its pledge to submit license-local OPP
ton law to the people, that is to say,
only the last few details are necessary
to complete the promised legislation.
1t does not matter now how the Re
publican party came to do this, or
rather how it was forced to do it. The
pledge has been kept and that much /
good is done, at any rate. The people (
have learned that the way to get any
thing done by the dominant party in
this state is to demand it at the bal .
lot-box. The people of the large towns
are now demanding that justice shall .
be done to them in this matter of high I
way and school taxes and the division
Of license fees. The Republican party
mas it in its power to grant this relief,
f it will. The Republican party is in
control of the government and it can
pledge itself to the repeal or moditica
ion of these obnoxious laws if it will.
If it will not, the people can take the
natter into their own hands and elect
government that will. There is vot-
ng strength enough in the towns that
ire wronged by these communistic
avs to make or break any party in
he state of Vermont When they ex-
,rt that power few years and smash "a
ew states, then our friends in the small
owns will realize that it may be well to
reed the cry for justice.
Briefly, until the constitution of Yer
mont is amended so that men and not
and will be represented in the legisla
ure, the unrepresented majority must
ook to the Republican or dominant
,arty to guarantee that justice shall be
lone to it in all legislation. 1t is in
he power of the Republican party to
10 this if it will. If it heeds the warn
ngs that went up from the large towns
asst September, and that are going up
rom them now, it will take up this
ssue and champion the rights of the
majority not only in the
ompletion of legislation this year, but
ill make it platform plank in 1904.
f it does not, then the large towns
lust go to the party that will, or or
anize one of their own for the pur-
est. Adams Messenger.