Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-07-21
=, v,,,.11T pRITrIyo CO., Publishers
sRArrLEsoao, FRIDAY. JULY 81. 1905:



Al least one Vermont newspaper Is
generous and fair-minded enough 10
give a contemporary credit FOR eHor's
made along the line of public reforiiis
II NAV seem unreasonable. at nrst
tboupht IN these days of graft, when
everybody is looking askance at pup
lie officials and enterprises, FOR any
one person or influence to cialm circuit
for reforms instigated or estapiishea'
Rut public sentiment, which must be
back of all public reforms, does NO.
spring into existence voluntarily. IL
must be induced and strengthened ny
natient and persistent reiteration OF
Tho truth in all it's forms and aspects.
The Reformer long before II was
considered good form for vermont
newspaper to criticise the aoii'i''is
tration of state affairs or to adnh.
tho possibility of dishonesty therein
pointed out defects in such admins
tration and repeatedly called 1or III
vestigation. BY its reiteralioh' yea'
after wear, of the assertion that YER
mont needed a housekeeping. II SET
people to looking for dirt ana d'rec'e'
public attention to the dark cor"er'
and unyentilated closets of the state
establishment. The Reformer may
fms well claim to have first useo III
this matter of state institution re-
form. what the st. Adams messenger
elsewhere calls "the power OF SUCCESS
ton. by pointing its finger at one
thing long enough until 1t gets every
bodv else looking at it, too
The conditions already SHOWN Wy
the testimony given before the specia'
investigating committee apunoah''s
iustify the Reformer's long ana per
s;stent demand for a house cleaning
It ought not to be possible for suc''
conditions to exist in our PUBIC III
stitutions and to be ignored or con-
doned by officials. If they exist no"
If has been possible for them 10 eN-
ist all along. 1t will not be possible
in future, if the public can be proush'
To a full knowledge of the evil ana ~
a realization of its right and respoh-
sibility in the matter.
AS long as state officials are allowed
to make a secret service of the pup
lie business, conducting it solely &C.
cording to their own Judgment anc
as far as they choose in their own IN
forests. there are bound to be abuses
Of the public funds and confidence a
long as the public is kept In the carr
concerning the conduct of the puol'
hns,ness members of the omcia
ring will continue to shield each otner
Public sentiment should not stop q
this discovery Of bad management II
the state institutions. 1t should de-
mand the removal of all pupllc ser
wants implicated in auestionaoi'
methods or practises and the estao
lishment of system Of Responsible
supervision over their successor
which shall provide for full publicit!
Of public business and a frequent an.
strict accounting of expenses whicl
shall show them to be WITHIN iesl'i
mate boundaries.
1t is a shiftless housewife VINO al
lows her servants to scatter iargess
from her household supplies and II
a weak and gullible lord of the mano
who knows that his household ex
penses are of undue proportions ou
who dare not ask for the items.
indicates a similar shiftlessness on tn
part of directors of state institution
and a similar weakness on the par
OF the people of Vermont who furnis
the money to run them. when comb
lions shown by the testimony befor
the investigating committee are al
lowed to continue.
When public sentiment is develope
to the right point in this matter.
will not pay state housekeepers to D
either shiftless or dishonest.