The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-12-10
STATE AID TO TOWNS.


ings of the Legislature is the number
of applications by towns for the re-
pair or construction of their high
ways.
Some of these appeals for financial
help are from towns whose roads have
been damaged or destroyed by floods
and deluging rains. They all present
conditions which appeal more or less
reasonably and forcibly-an individ-
ual community to some 240 fellow
communities, most of them prosper
Gus, or at least in a well-to-do condi-
ton as to municipal debt and taxa
ton. The relatively small amount of
money the applicants seek would be
almost an inappreciable tax on the ag-
gregate communities. The real dan
ger in the matter is the possibility of
abusing the States bounty.
1t is not always possible for the
members of the Legislature to dis
cover clearly the real merits or de-
merits of each individual case. In
the nature of things they must pro-
coed rather more by faith in the rep
reservations of interested persons
than by sight of the real circum-
stances. There is always the suspi-
cion that town is seeking to unload
upon the State burdens it should bear,
and is itself able to bear, alone.
There is always the possibility of
unfair and unjust discrimination.
The weak may fail in good cause;
the strong may succeed in tapping the
| State treasury in bad or less worthy
cause A section of the State that
can pack the Capitol with power
| full lobby almost invariably succeeds
sooner or later; mountain town,
without the "third House" access
| series, without the means or the
standing to secure strong allies, or to
! impress itself upon the General AS
sembly in better cause, may be
"turned down" An undeveloped
! section of the State, lacking i'll &C
cumulated wealth but possessing nat
ural resources, asks for help to build
road which would shorten distances
and bring the region into more direct
connection with business centres. The
road would save long circuitous jour
would invite settlement along it's
route. 1t would tend to increase pop
ulation, production, and hence lncreas-
ing values and increasing revenues to
the State. The applicant section can
not support lobby at Montpelier, it
has no strong political supporters, it
has no pull 1t doesn't get an ap-
preparation.
Another section rich in resources,
richer in it's means of influence, abund
antly able to invest in internal i'm
provements and connection with its
neighbors, comes to the Legislature
with all appeal for help to build elab-
crate and costly connections with the
rest of mankind. 1t is able to organ
ize lobby, to persuade the General
Assembly to go bodily to the locality
Of the desired "help," a land flowing
with milk and honey, and with barbe-
cues and like convincing appeals to
the most sensitive side of legislative
body it wins out and places under
heavy contribution the first named
section of the State-as we'll as others.
Very much depends ON the pull"
Grand Isle county was vastly better
able to pay the cost of uniting its
members by bridges than is Essex
county to build road that would
bring it's scattered communities into
market and into neighborly proximity
But the one shall be taken and the
other very decidedly left.
AS general rule, when we'll ascer-
tanned facts show that little boost
ing by 245 municipalities will help tC
make the condition of the 246th more
tolerable in the midst of unpropitious
circumstances, or under crushing mis-
fortunes, it is mighty good, wise and
benefcent policy for the State to
stretch out it's financial arm in un
grudging assistance.
, The fact that Lincoln's portrait il
to be placed in the Mississippi Hall o.
Fame is taken as another sign thai
there is no longer a North and South
; but one country The great men o.
} that titanic struggle are honored by
all those who have come after them
The genius of Lee, equally with the
genius of the great President, is part O.
, the glory of our nation" The sigI
sentimental and the sign practica
} often vary widely. Now and then tha
country is up against indications tina
the "lost cause" still finds mourner
in Dixey.
{ DON'T HANG SHAW.