The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-04-23
Oontlnned Irom Fir.t Pags.


rect to the separate institutions; in.
stead Of buying at retail, as is now
largely done. BY having thoroughly
organized system throughout state az
fairs. with vouchers for all expenses
forwarded Immediately to the state
auditor. instead OF lying for six months
before they receive any attention from
the higher officers OF the state. In
myriad Of other ways. which | have
no time to enumerate. or you to per-
sue. Each abuse corrected bringing
into sight more abuses, which can
be corrected.
In regard to taxation, do | under
stand you to assert that because
Judge Thompson, 16 years ago fail.
ed to improve our tax law, that no
attempt is ever to be made TO improve
it? Are we TO remain stationary In
the ruck of so years, while the states
around us are advancing?
Now in regard to that portion of
your letter, which treats Of sweeping
aside all party ties. Do you think
II is quite fair to assume that because
we wish to sweep aside the ties of
The party this year. and have good
old-fashioned house cleaning, that we
want to destroy the parties? Do you
think it is quite just to intimate that
we wish TO substitute for 40 years OF
Proctor, 40 years of Clement? Is It
not fairer TO assume that your Wis.
ion of future Clement dictatorship
came from your knowledge in wax
ing moments Of a present Proctor die.
tatorship? That your dream of Glenn.
ent as life governor came from your
knowledge of the plans to send Fetch
er d. Proctor 10 the Senate two years
hence to succeed his father as life
senator?
We say that the name of the state
of Vermont has been blemished by
shameful Encouragement OF state
institutions, graft among some OF it's
officers. maladministration and ex-
travagance in it's business affairs,
due 10 ring rule throughout"
And your reply is. my sakes!
When did this happen. and we not
hear Of it?" We supposed your city
to be a well.informed city. by vir.
tue of it's most excellent paper, the
St. Adams Messenger, we know you
by reputation to be well-informed
man. Has the Messenger suppress
ed all the shameful evidence that was
brought out at the Investigations OF
the states prison, the house Of cor
rection and other institutions; has
It failed to mention the munsfaugh
ter cases that have arisen from the
killing Of feeble patients in tho ssy
lum at Waterbury? Has your vwr
interest been so slight that you have
failed to keep in touch with thes,
developments in state AFFAIRS, or Is
your conscience, as citizen, com
pletely satisfied by the report Of thu
states prison commission that th'
superintendent didn't know about II
In regard to graft You accuse m,
of SANDER for saying that IL exists
among some of the officers Of oul
state. What fortunate state w,
are Though our Lame has beer
branded through the Union for tn,
shameful abuses, which have beer
shown, though you know as we'll as
that there Is many town in thi
state, in which graft exists amonl
some of the officers. little or big, W.
are to accept your withdrawing
statement, that any charge Of graf
is a SANDER, and pronounce thes'
men, some Of whom we have known
all our lives to be dishonest immacul
ate. Here. have referred to illega
graft; now as to graft that complies
with the letter, but not the spirit o
the law The graft that exists
where every man arrested for intox
ication has filed against him, also, ;
complaint for breach OF the peace
and where with. equally unfailinl
regularity the complaint for breach
of the peace is nolle pressed, and thu
costs charged up to the state, so tina
the judge aud complaining officer car
collect fees. to which, in the spiri
of the law, they are in no wise on
, titled We do not say that the biam
is Gov. Bells for the rottenness Il
. this state; we say that II is the rt
suit of continued government Of tn
state by one party for so years. W
do not say that the abuses would nc
have been greater had any other pa
ty had an unchallenged lease of pow
err for such a period. Every man VIII
signed the letter accompanying Ii