The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-08-30
Ought To Be Ashamed To Kick Anybody Either Up Or Down
THE WAYS OF VERMONTERS
Interesting Letter Discussing the Political Sit
uatlon In Vermont.

uatlon IN vermont
a letter from Horace II. Chlttenden
to the New York Sun,
1.-THE difficulty which Mr. Clement en-
counters In his campaign for the gov
ernorshlp Of Vermont is unique and
lnsuperable There is throughout the
country a general tendency to rise and
destroy graft, extravaganza and b SIS
ism, aud almost anywhere else a party
promising 10 abolish those evils won "a
have a good chance OF success on that
Issue alone, without much regard ~
the personality OF candidates. Not 50
Ia Vermont There isn't any graf
here. The people watch men In Office
too closely. Every citizen is a dstec
tive. symptoms Of graft are instant
ly spotted and 1t dies a.bornin'.
There isn't any extravaganza,
either. The public expenses are alb
surdly small. You can't talk efIec-
lively about extravaganza In state
where the salary OF the governor is
$3.50 and where Judge OF the su.
preme court who works like horse
all the year round, doing the work al
lotted TO two judges anywhere else,
gets only $1,000 year; and other state
expenses are In proportion.
49, 10 bossism Senator Proctor
is undoubtedly boss, but he is a viz e
tuous boss He comes as near realiz
ing the ideal Of a benefcent despot as
human nature can. and the rule OF a
benetcsnt despoi is admitted to be- the
dearest thing to perfection in govern
ment. The Ncrmonior is reared 10 a
hard soil and Senator Proctor is the
complete and perfect flower. Any at
tempt to attack his integrity will prove
a mighty rocky adventure.
ITO succeed in Vermont requires an
intelligent tending of self interest and
walchfulness OF others which amounts
70 genius. The people will act to.
gether as body against a foreign
body. They will unite 70 despoil d
stranger or 10 make it unpleasant for
d newcomer. fla traveller wishes to
take a dollar Of his money out Of the
state he had better glue 10 10 his per-
son under his clothes, and it is as hard
for a newcomer 10 get foothold ia any
business as il would be TO dance a
hornp,pe on a quicksand Incidental.
w. these are two of the reasons why
the population Of Vermont does not
grow But these same people hold
one another to the very strictest &C
count
When you get Vermonter to apply
The experience gained 10 his private
life or in the public life OF his own
state to the national interest you have
an ideal public servant, because no.
body can get the better OF him. He
will be honest, too He wasn't born
any more so than other people, but he
mas spent his life under the surveil.
lance OF the most efficient police force
in the world his uelghbors and has
practIced compulsory honesty until il
has become second nature TO him. 1t
matters not whether this is the result
ofithrift or innate meaumindedness
Call IL what you like, the result is the
same.
"Mr Clement is fighting wiudmills.
There are always kickers, and these,
with the labor element. will give him
an appreciate vote in the cities and
large towns; but the Vermont farmer,
who is the backbone OF the state, will
stick to the straight Republican guns,
as did his father before him. He per-
sonally knows there is no graft or ex-
travagance and he loves his boss.