The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-09-01

Democratic advertising agent. The
observing voter can judge for himself
which bears the ear marks of honesty,
and which the despicable odor of mis-
representation.
A MATTER THE AGENT EVADED
In his evasive attack on the admins
tration of the Republican party in
Vermont, the Democratic advertising
agent entirely avoided some facts con-
corning State expenses and their rela-
ton to State taxes which are of real in
terest to the voters of Vermont, and
which show that the Republicans have
continually striven to lift the burden
of taxation from the people with con-
spicuous success. Let us look at the
years 1882 and 1904 from another
standpoint and judge just why the
Democratic advertising agent did not
call the attention of Vermont voters to
this particular matter.
During the two years term ending
July 81, 1882, THE EXCESS OF EX-
PENSES OVER RECEIPTS WAS
THE ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF $751;
1912 and after the people had PAID A
DIRECT STATE TAX OF $464, $3.50,
or about $3.50 FOR EVERY MAN,
WOMAN AND CHILD IN THE
STATE, there was still a SHORTAGE
OF S1O2, 427.63.
During the two years term ending
June 80, 1904. there was a technical
deficit of Il very few thousand dollars,
and NOT A SINGLE CENT WAS
PAID into the treasury in the shape
of a DIRECT STATE TAX upon the
people, AND NO STATE TAXES
WILL BE REQUIRED FOR THE
NEXT TWO YEARS. What matters
it to the taxpayers of Vermont if State
expenses do increase as the State ad-
yances, if the Republican party can
and has legislated the burden of taxa
| tom from the shoulders of the people
| to the shoulders of the corporations
where 1t belongs. This is a feat in the
management of State affairs that can
| not but receive the praise of every
| ordinary taxpayer, be he Republican,
| Democrat, Prohibtionist, or Socialist,
and according to the Democratic adj
vertising agent the Republican party
is entirely responsible for it, because
he says they have been in absolute
| control during the period mentioned
WHAT WILL YOU CUT OUT7
The voters of Vermont are sure of one
| thing at least, and that is, the Legisla-
| ture will always enact the will of the
| people if such course is right and hon
orable in every way. III fact this is
| particularly true of the General Assem-
| bly, of Vermont, because the men who
compose it are direct from the people
and no legislators in the world are so
closely in touch with their constituents
as they. This being the fact the voters
of Vermont can strike from the above
| list, representing increased expenses,
any or all the items they choose, for
the legislators will obey them in all
honorable requests.
Keeping in mind that the administra-
ton of Vermonts government does not
cost the taxpayers a single cent in di-
rect taxes, what shall we strike out
OF the list!
| AS before noted the increase in the
cost of caring for the insane is entirely
due to the fact that whereas in 1SS1
the various towns cared for their in
sane at home or in Brattleboro as they
could with least expense, in 1904 the
entire burden was carried by the State
| WITHOUT A STATE TAN.
1t would be idle to assert that any
voter in Vermont will advocate going
back TO the town system in caring fol
the insane. An example of a single
town will illustrate the folly of such q
course. In 1889 Chelsea maintained
two insane people at Brattleboro at a
cost of about $500. In 1904 Chelsea had
ten insane persons being cared for by
| the State free of expense to the town
| WITHOUT A STATE TAX.
In 1882 Vermont let her veterans OF
the Civil war care for themselves sc
far as the State was concerned. II
1904 the State paid $11,2S7.50 as hel
share of maintaining the Soldiers
Home at Bennington. Is there Demo
crat in the State who will openly say