The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-08-24
LETTER FROM
0. M. BARBER
Discussing Political issues Of
This Campaign.
SAME OLD PARTY ISSUE
The FuSiOnists Present No New
Issues In Their Party
Platform.


are 10 the field, that venture 10 make
as brief a statement OF the political
situation as can be done and cover the
ground but lmperiectly, hoping IL will
aid Ia an honest and intelligent ex-
preston Of the will OF the voters at
the polls.
So far as the State ticket is concern.
ed, il seems TO me there is substantial
y no issue between the Republican
party and its opponents.
An examination OF the Republican
platform, and space prevents my go.
10y iuto IL In deiail) will disclose to
any fair minded voter that there Is no
policy that is liable to be OF benefit TO
the state that the so called fusion can.
didaies represent that is not contained
ia the Republican platform.
Graft and unnecessary expenses IL
The administration OF State affairs are
freely charged.
For the FOUR years ending October
1902 was bonored 10y being State
Auditor 10 tits capacity I had full
opportunity to know respecting these
matters, and ] know they have no real
fou dalton.
Expenses OF living and OF doing
business, all incidental to the improv-
ed conditions under which we live, as
compared to thirty years ago, have
increased; so have state expenses. Go
back to the time when the was in the
Village Of Bennington no water sup
ply, no sewer system, no electric lights
and no telephone and You will reach a
period when the expenses OK living
were less than now, and so were state
expenses Conditions requiring an
increase in the living expenses OF the
average Individual tend legitimately
to Increase the expenses of the admin
istration OF state affairs.
For the -four fiscal years, covered by
my term as Auditor, lightning 10 lS9s
and ending in 1902, the net expenses Of
the State were from five hundred thirty
20 six hundred bity thousand dollars
in round numbers annually.
Ii is obvious. when one considers
that the total net expenses OF the state
Of evey name. kind and nature are in
cluded in the foregoing sums that there
can be no large amounts diverted to
any improper use.
Vermont has always been singular
ly Tree from any defalcatoDs or EN-
nezzlements OF its funds by any OF it's
officers. Her citizens are, on the
average, possessed OF the same rugged
honesty and tendency to economy that
has characterized them from its earl
lest history, and to a degree PROBABLY
greater than those Of any other state,
and they carry into public Office these
same qualities.
If those who seek to smirch the fair
fame Of our state in these respects
would tell US how our total net ex-
penses compare with those of other
states, computed upon the same basis,
the charges Of graft and unnecessary
state expenses would fall fiat, and If
the truth be told, it will be found that
in respect of freedom from scandal in
relation to the administration of its
financial affairs, Vermont has re-
cord not exceeded by any state in the
Union.
1t is charged that by reason of our
extravaganza il viii be necessary for
the next legislature to raise a direct
state tax. Perhaps state tax will
be necessary. We have not paid one
since 1902: for more than % years
prior to that time we have paid one
nearly every year, ranging in amount
from 4 to 40 per cent of the grand list.
Substantially like conditions have al
ways obtained in the state. The so
called fusionists, however, do not tell
us this.
But fusion, so called, is abroad in
the land. Just what does this mean?
There is no fusion party in the state,
county or town. The parties are the
Republican, Democratic, and self
styled, Independents, and each will
have their full ticket printed on the
ballots; but the candidates on each of
the last two will be the same so that
the Democrats and their allies, the In.
dependents, will, it is hoped, vote for
the same persons. In other words,
the Democrats say to the Indepen-
dents, 'you vote for our candidates
and we will vote for yours, and by our
united strength we hope to beat the
Republican party" If this trade
goes through, the Democrats will have
a senator, sheriff, side Judge, high
balilf, and town representative; the
Independents will have senator,
states attorney and side Judge. In
other words, the Independents will