The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1904-08-30
$42o,8S4.0O
S464,s6S.OO

kept swelling expenditures
until in 1903 they reached
1921 GOl64, and after de
Quoting every dime of in
come from state instEu-
tions, or that was not in
the nature Of taxes
the net state ex- 600 1kO nE
penses were. P[OO,OOO' ~
The peoples money had
been thrown away almost in
proportion as the people
have increased Republican
maioritiea
In 1892 the valuation of the state was
Sl40, 1874 ,0G9 and the population Census
of lSs0l 1892 ,286 In 1908 the valuation
was Sl66,074,7l0 and the population
census of 1900 343, 64l.
Increase in population 3 l-2 per cent
Increase in property il l-2 per cent
Increase in expenditures 28o per cent
No other state in the union makes so
bad a showing. Maine, with her pro-
hibition and her next largest and steadi-
est Republican majority, comes next to
it. But Names increase Of population
in the same period was l2 per cent, or,
over twice az great. as ours, and her in
crease in taxable property 40 per cent,
or over four and one-half times ours,
though her bloating OF state expenses,
from the same disease OF Republican
misrule. was about the same as ours.
Yet this grand little state, where
comes such sorry showing from Repub-
lican policies and Republican legislation
and administration, was in the first
quarter OF the last century. under the
Democratic Governors Galusha, Butler
and Van Ness. the III Dorado >of the
union, developing faster, proportion
ally, in population, wealth and resources
than any other.
She was then what Nature and Ma
lures God intended her to be, and what
she will be again when blessed with
Democratic ideas and Democratic
methods, with her peculiarly good and
quickrenewinr soil, whose products are
everywhere recognized as the choicest
in the markets, her pure air and water,
that not only give such advantage in
dairving but make her the Switzerland
of America" in delightfulness of resi-
dence, her vast resources in mine and
quarry and timber.and and the we'll
nigh limitless power afforded by her
mountain-side streams
Some shallow pates in the class Of
politician economists not political
economists-have sought to explain this
condition of things by the fact that Yer
mont is without seaport. The truth is
that the states wonderful development
under Democratic rule was in times
when ocean commerce was large ele
ment in the nations prosperity. The de-
cline-as it may fairly be called, in com
parison with other states-has come in
the era of neglect of ocean commerce and
direction of American energies to inter
nal development. In the former era
Vermont prospered greatly in spite of
the disadvantage Of lack of seaports
from which other states prolted. In the
latter era she has Jagged far to the rear
of the procession among the states in the
kind Of development for which she was
by nature fitted best of all.
How far she has Jagged the census
shows. In the 20 years from 1880 to
1900, while her wealth increased only
i'll l-2 per cent-or but small fraction
Ios what simple interest should have
odded to the capital with which she
started-the wealth of the nation ms
whole has grown, in round numbers from
S44, 900, 100000 to sos 900 100000, or ll5
per cent or l-2 times faster than
Vermont
Others of these shallow pates say the
trouble has been the rapid development
Of the West and the drain of our popu
lation and energy to it. Undeniablv this
has been large factor; but so it has
in the other New England states, whose
progress has been several times greater
than ours.
The simple and the whole truth is
and there is no escaping it-that it is |
mans folly that has so sadly married
what Nature intended for Vermont, |
and that folly has expressed itself in the |
tremendous Republican maiorities that |
have taken away all sense of political
responsibilities. I'll the stimulus to good !
work which political competition would 1
arouse-have lodged petty politics where
Craftsmanship should behave brought .
personal intrigue end caucus manipulate
ton whore real appeal TO the people
would bring broadening and invigorating
and progressive policies-have brought