Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-08-21

state expenses, expensive commits
sions and unnecessary offices hut names
no change except TO establish another
salaried state board to be its purchasing
agent with large array of clerks and
assistants. for all the different institu
lions 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 OK
penditures and shifting large burdens
of expense from the towns to the state
and not through corruption, inettici-
ency, prodigality or mismanagemcnt.
Which part Of this settled policy
would Mr.. Clement repudiate?
We have now hospital for the insane
owned and equipped by the state,
equipped with modern convenlences
and conducted in accordance with adj
vanced and approved methods for the
safety and recovery of these unfortu-
nate members of our society, answering
the proper demands of a sympathetic
and philanthropic people.
We have n House Of Correction for
the less incorrigible 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-
ton for the blind. the mute and the
weak-minded. We raise , percent
state Tux to distribute among our towns
which are richer in road mileage than
in grand list We equalze in a 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 toVn Of this burden and secure
better treatment and care. We expcnd
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 ;his been so
provided for by our system Of corpora
ton taxes that the state tax assessed
upon the Grand list is less than II was
twenty years ago. Undoubtedly this
method Of corporation taxation can be
improved upon and extended and the
state tax he still further lessened and
even entirely dispensed with.
A commission reporting when Mr.
Clement was in the Senate that the cor
porations We're bearing only about one
fourth of their fair share of the burden
of taxation an effort was made to in
crease corporate taxation, but Mr. Glenn
ent was strenuous in opposition and 1t
was defeated. He was then President Of
the Rutland Railroad system. He now
asserts that no state tax was needed and
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
very day, ne 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 for
many years been an influential citizen
of Rutland and has been IT'S Mayor and
yet these abuses continued without cor
rection when he had official power and
without rebuke from him as man.
Mr.. Clement alleges that he doubts
the sincerity Of the Republican party in
Vermont In Its plank concerning the sub
mission of the license local option law
| to the vote of the people and seeks thus
| to Justify bis secession. But when was
the Republican party OF Vermont or Of
the nation untrue to Its 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 protcc-
ton to American industries under
Hayes. Garfield, Arthur, Harrison and
Mckinley. crowned by It's honorab bic
and ph1lanthropic position towards
Cuba and the Philippines--when and
wherein has IT in either state or nation
betrayed its trust or wandered from
the paths Of honor, justice and recti-
tude2 In the light OF its history then.
he who would fmpugn tho 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
hibtion because II was deemed a wise
and proper concession to a growing tnd
insistcnt demand for such Il reference
which came alike from the friends and
the foes Of the prohibitory law.
Those who opposed prohibition as
serted that local-option law would best
control and would best restrict the sale
OF intoxicating liquor, and that refer.
ence to the people would show a ma
jority favorable to such n law. Friends
Of State prohibition claimed that such
reference would show that the peo-
pie We're not in favor OF n license local.
option law, and that the wide and thor
ough discussion and agitation which
would precede the vote would result in
the rejection OF such a law and in the
better enforcement Of the prohibitory
law and its establishment as the set
tied and unquestioned policy of the
state.
Both of these asked that the proposed
substitute be submitted in order that
the people might vote intcllgently hav.
| In hot 1,~ = a.