Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-03-07
GR EFFORTS TO
STATE EXPENSES.


Now / am not finding fault with the &C
ton of the Republican conventions or
with the action of the legislatures. l have
had some acquaintance with the leg1sla-
tors of other states, and | know that YER
mont has had the most honest legislatures
of all that l have become acquainted
with.
Various feeble efforts have been made
to reduce state expenses. Gov. Smith
called attention in a forcible message, TO
the condition of things, but the movement
did not get anywhere. Gov. Stckney
made reference to the necessity of greater
economy and better system of accounting,
but the movement did not get anywhere.
When l had the honor to represent Rut-
land county in the Senate, / introduced
bill providing for new system of &C
counting and purchasing, which would
have gone long ways toward producing
a large saving in state expenses. That
bill passed the Senate, but when it struck
the pothouse politicians in the House of
Representatives, it was killed.
THE DEMAND FOR RETRENCHMENT
SHOULD COME FROM THE PEOPLE.
The reason that all such movements arr
futile is because they don't come from the
people. 1t is not a demand made by the
people for something, and the legislature
without giving such matters much atten-
interfere with graft. That's the Who'll
situation. Whatever is done has got to
be done in the same way that the prohib-
itory law was repealed. 1t has got to come
up as a demand from the people, and
then there will be no difficulty about it.
LOCAL ISSUES LOST SIGHT OF.
1 glory in the republican party and the
long line of illustriOus patriots who have
been its leaders in its glorious achieve
ments during the last 40 years, and in the
part Vermont has taken in creating and
sustaining it. 1t is toward US that repub-
hcans all over the country have looked
every four years Tin our September elect
ions), to give the first note of approval
to the national republican platform. l am
proud of the answer Vermont has always
returned to the republicans of the nation,
but while we have been doing that, We
have neglected our own affairs and have
allowed gang of political shysters and
grafters to rob the state treasury, and
no one has been able to stop them, al
though we have sometimes mad good men
in office who have made vdlient effort to
do so. The trouble has never been
and We have been indifferent and per-
hapS negligent. You can assign any cause
you have a mind to,-the result is there
and cannot be disputed.
DECREASE IN MARKET VALUES.
Now while the expenses of operating the
125 per cent. in the last 90 years what has
been the course of all values? Va-ue
during that time have decreased in some
cases more than 30 per cent. A farm,
which in 1870 was worth $4,000, can be
bought today for $1,000 and farm prop
erty generally throughout the state has
values of 1870 were inflated values. We
had not at that time gotten over the war
prices for things, but suppose that instea
Of increasing our annual state expenses
hundreds of thousands Of dollars an
mum, we had held them where they were
or had voted the money which we have
sQuandered, fQE permanent improve IneltS,
in the 80 years we would have built more
permanent roadwayS than any state in
the Union now has. If that had been
done, do you suppose for one moment that
our farms and other property would sell
at the low price it now sells for? DO
you suppose tlsat there would have been
a single abandoned farm in all Vermont,
if we had spent in the last 30 years S.
900, 900 in permanent rOadWayS? Vermont
would be gridironed with beautiful roads,
and believe that instead of depreciation
in values the old high values of war
times would have been practically main
tanned; but it is useless to surmise what
would have been, except as it may guide
us in the future.
NATIONAL APPROPRIATION FOR
GOOD ROADS PROPOSED
noticed the other day that a bill has
been introduced into both houses of Con.
gress, appropriating s24,OOO,O0O toward
the building of good roads in this coun-
try. The income of the country is i'm
mense. and the ability to pay is larger
world, 50 l say it would IT, a proper
measure for Congress to adopt. l have
no doubt but that within short time
The present bill provides that Vernon.
| shall have 600 on condition that she
confTibutes as much more toward tho
building of good roads: Let US get
| ready to have that $3.50, 900. We can con-
| trlbute That mucn toward building goot
| roads without really costing US a cent;
| that Is, we con save it from our present
| expenses. 1t takes time and it takes a
| large plant to construct works of such &
| magnitude economically. Let US starr
| now and not be behind our neighbors
| WHAT OTHER STATES HAVE DONE.
| New Jersey has spent more than 81, $780,
| contract.
| Connecticut has spent 81, 800 900.
| Massa chusetts S50GO, eco =
| New York $3000,000.
| And in ord to begin let the matter be
| discussed at lone and in the stores and
| in all places where men meet, and then
send your men to Montpelier charged
with duty. Tell them what you want
| and the rest will be an easy matter to
work out.
NO STATE TAX LEVIED IN 1902.
| In the year 1900 I told the legislature
that no state tax was necessary, but tie,
! did not believe it. In the campaign OF
| 1902, l called that fact to the attention of
| the people, and in the very next session
| of the legislature for the first time in the
| history of Vermont the legislature did
| not levy a state tax. 1 presume that tn :
politicians will say that my feeble re-
/ marks have nothing to do with their &C
! IlOn, perhaps IIey [, DuI anyhow 1t
! is a mighty strange thing that the legis-
! lature should have gone on for the last 80
/ years, raising a lot of money that the
| state did not need and spending it, and
| then suddenly conclude that a state tax
was unnecessary for the first time in 1872
! Whatever the reason was for that action
! it was good and |, as a Vermonter am
! glad to be relieved of my portion OF that
burden of debt, which We have been stag
/ gering under for the last 80 years.
| 1 am not criticising particularly the
| legislature of Vermont, nor the delegat es
J TO Republican conventions. The fault lies
back of all that. 1t rests with the People.
/ and it is to the people that l appeal, and
/ il is from the people that relief must
I come. if it comes at all.
/ The conventions were made up of Soc I
+ men, but men charged with nothing and
i they did nothing.
The legislatures have been made up OF
: good men, but men going to Montpelier
with no particular object in view. The
trouble lies back of the convention and
the legislature. 1t lies with the people
of the state. If we want things changed
we have got 10 take hold of these ma. tiers
and instruct our legislators what
want. and you heed have no Gears of the