The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-09-01
Candidacy of
VIM. r. Daley

II
catering Biographical sketch OF the
{ Fusion candidate for states attorney,
, MrW. j. Meaghor The reader was
, given 20 understand that by reason OF
his legal learning, iurldicial expert
ence and judicial acumen, be was the
logical candidate and OF necessity must
be the choice OF the majority OF the
voters OF this county.
Let us see. Mr. Meagher was stud
ent IN the Office OF Barber and Darling
and was admitted to the bar In 1900.
That was six years ago. Until week
or so ago he remained in the Office
practically as a student or Office boy.
lie never tried case before jury Ia
the county court in his life, never pre-
pared brief and has never appeared
ina case before the supreme court.
The extent OF his experience has been
confined TO petty cases In Justices
court or to minor prosecutions in mum
lcipal court. He is in his third year
as village attorney, yet has never Civ %
en- the trustees a legal opinion OF any
moment without first consulting with
MIR Barber, who In effect has been the
village attorney.
According to the village charter the
village attorney is elected to "prose-
cute for all violations OF the act OF in
corporation, bylaws, rules or ordin
ances of said village, 10 commence and
attend 20 all suits brought by, and
have charge Of, answer to, and defend
all suits brought against the village
! corporation. And such attorney may,
upon taking the oath Of Office and caus'
ing the said appointment aud the Ger
tifcate Of said oath written thereon 10
be recorded in the Office OF the village
clerk, be an informing officer, with all
the powers of states attorneys for any
oifense committed within said viii
lage."
Mr. Meagher has induced the trustees
to instruct the police officers to bring
all complaints before him which under
the charter be nigh, do, thus adding
to his income, but which is entirely un-
usual wnen the states attorney has
been a resident of the village These
prosecutions have been attended to 20
the utter neglect OF matters vital to the
interests of the village, such as the
collections of sidewalk aud curb and
gutter assessments, of which more than
two thousand dollars (32OOOOOj are
over due.
NJ any of these assessments have by
neglect been permitted to outlaw within
the past three years, and all OF them
will soon be beyond the pale OF the
laws. Even the suits brought against
delinquents by prior village attorneys
have been permitted to dwindle into
innocuous desuetude.
According to the article in the Ban
ner, this is our logical candidate for
! LIe OlllCt VI oLdlt dikOIutl.
Per contra. MIR VIM. II. Daley is
the candidate on the Republican ticket
for states attorney. He was, like M
Meagher, a student in the Office of Bar
Der and Darling. and was also admit
ted to the bar in 1900 Within two
months thereafter he stuck out his
single and began the practice of Law
Independently. In the December term
1901, he made his first appearance be
fore jury in county court.
He prosecuted one case for the stat
and obtained a conviction, and defend
ed another and obtained an acquittal
Since that time he has had cases in tn,
county court at every term. He de
Tended Leon Perham and Perham go
life sentence, while Mary Rogers
defended by other attorneys, was con
victed OF capital crime and executed
Mr. Daley was elected states attor
ney two years ago, and OF course hai
had two years experience 10 that Office
He prepared the case Of State vs. Mari
Rogers for argument before the su
preme court, tried Sa7good for perjur!
and attempt to poison and got yer
dict in each case in the county court
He also prepared these cases for tho
supreme court and assisted in the hear
| inr of tho eauap thprp
1t is worthy of note that the CRANE
jury has always lasted, from two tC
three weeks under former state attor
neys. At the last term twelve case,
we're presented in a day and half anC
nine true bills found, thus making q
great saving TO the state in grand jury
and witness fees.
Mr. Daley is under seven thousand
dollar (S7O00.00) bends to faithfully
looKiafter state cases for the county o
Bennington. and it is no part of Nh
Meagher's duty to act as an informing
officer, though he has assumed thaN
duty without bond of any kind, usurp
ed the prerogative of the states attor.
ney for personal gain, to the neglect o.
the important concerns of the village
as before stated.
Citizen and Taxpayer