The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-09-01
From Friend of
VIM. j. rleagI1er


pressed ip your recent sketch OF Mr.
Meagher, now candidate for the Office
Of States Attorney and how much
disagree with Citizen and Taxpayer
whose attack upon Mr. Meagher APP.
pears in This issue of your paper
disagree with Cllleu and Taxpayer
because tm forced 20 disagree with
untru Do, for all that is said Zoo the 90.
tempt 10 discredit SIR Moapher and
most of that said 10 bahalf OF Mr Dal-
ey is untrutn.
ln 1900 when Meagher and Daley
were admitted 10 the bar, having stud.
led law la Barber 81 Darling's office,
there was room 10 that Office for one
assistant. Barber * Darling chose
Meaghor.
la 1908 Mr Daley, c. 4. Maurer and
G. II. ason were candidates for the
Office OF village attorney. Bennlng.
ton chose Mr. Maurer.
"He has never given the trustees
legal opinion OF any moment without
first consulting Mr. Barber who IN ef.
feet has been the village attorney
says Mr. Citizen and Taxpayer.
have interviewed Mr. Barber and he
hes authorized me to stamp that state
ment as absolutely aud unqualihediy
false. In the relations OF the village
with the Gas Co. and TIE new street
railway and in the hundred small leg.
al questions upon which the trustees
require immediate counsel while Ia
session, Mr. Meagher has always Civ
en- sound and safe advice. In this
campaign he has the unanimous sup
port Of the entire board OF trustees.
Citizen and Taxpayer 10 one para
graph quotes the section OF the village
by laws which imposes upon the viii
lage attorney the duty OF prosecuting
for all violations OF the village by
laws and constitutes him an informing
officer with all the powers OF the states
attorney in any oiiense committed
within the village and in the last par
agraph says that Mr. Meagher has
usurped the perogative OF the states
attorney. The Inconsistency OF the
Two paragraphs is apparent. II looks
from the road as though some one had
inieriereJ with the personal gain of
the States Attorney. But Mr. Meagher
has done very little prosecuting aud
has taken no part 10 the scrabble for
fees
one word as to why the police :ofi-
GERS appointed and paid by the village
have been Instructed TO bring their
complaints before the village attorney
For some time past In the municipal
court, a respondent having been
brought ia charged with intoxication
and breach OF the peace, has been con-
victed on the first charge and the Sec
ond charge has been mol pressed. In
the intoXicaiiOn case the respondent
pays his fine, which goes into the State
treasury, and the costs which 20 to the
various officials. But the breach OF
! the peace case, the fine in which would
20 into the village treasury, If the re-
spondent we're found guilty, is dropped
and bill for the costs which 90 to the
various officials is sent in for the
village TO pay. In April. 1906 a bill
of sS0.96 for fees 10 cases in the munic-
| ipal court was presented to the village.
/ None of these cases we're instituted by
the village attorney and in none
them had the village been represented
in court. The village records show
the following vote at meeting of the
trustees held April >. 1906; "Voted,
that the police officers be instructed TO
bring their complaints before the vii
lage attorney This has resulted in
a saving to the village, but the act OF
dropping the breach of peace cases
and throwing the costs therein on the
villa gels still in the states attorney S
repertoire.
Citizen and Taxpayer has not told
the truth about the curb and gutter as.
sessments. The village report of Feb
ruary, 1906, shows the amount OF I'M
collected curb and gutter assessments
to be SS2l 20, and not 81. 600, as Citi-
zen and Taxpayer says. | have inter
viewed Mr.. Dewey, the village treasu-
rer, and have looked at his books,
which show that of the s693 % of curb
and gutter assessment levied during
Mr. Meagher's term of Office, there
remains uncollected S6979 The vii
lage attorney denies his authority to
bring suit for the collection of these
assessments only from the vote of the
trustees to that effect The trustees
have not judged it necessary to author
ize that step.
Mr. Daley did not prepare the case
of State VS.. Mary Rogers for argu-
ment before the Supreme Court Mr..
| Daley did not prepare the Sarqood
cases for the Supreme Court In one