Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-08-30
or BARBER ON STATE ISSUES
The Same Old Parties at Wharf.-The
Fusionists Present No New Issues,

Former State Auditor O.. NJ. Barber
has written n letter to the Bennington
Banner in which he says:
30 far as the State ticket is concerned.
1t seems to me there is substantially no
issue between the Republican party and
It's opponents.
An examination OF the republican plat
form, land space prevents my going in
to II In detaiD will disclose to any fair
minded voter that there Is no policy that
~ liable to he OF benefit to the State
that the 30 called fusion candidates re-
rresent that Is not contained in the re-
publican platform.
Graft and unnecessary "opens in the
administrator of state affairs are freely
charged.
For the four years ending October 1902
I was honored by being state auditor.
In this capacity I had full opportunity
to know respecting these matters, and I
know they have no real foundation.
Expenses of living 'and Of doing busi-
ness. all incidental to the improved ron
ditlons under which we live, as compared
to thirty years ago, have increased; so
have State expenses. Go back TO the time
when there was in the village of Ben
nington no water supply. no sewer sys-
| 'til ho tl'FcTlC llgnIS ana no rplppnOnc
and you will reach IA period when the ex-
pense OF living were less than now, and
SO were State expenses. Condition re-
Q'iiring an increase in the living ex-
penses Of the average individual tend
~legitimately to increase the expenses Of
the administration of State affairs.
For the four fiscal years. covered by
my term as auditor, beginning in 1898
and ending in 1902. the net expenses of
the State were from five hundred thirty
to six hundrcd nifty thousand dollars in
round numbers annually.
1t is obvious when one considers that
the total net expenses of the state of
every name. kind and nature are includ-
ed in the foregoing sums, that there can
he no large amounts diverted to any i'm
proper use.
Vermont has always been singularly
free from any defalcations or embezzle-
ments of its funds by any OF it's officers.
Her citizens are. on the average, pos
sessed of the same rugged honesty and
tendency to economy that has character
lied them from its earliest 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 5;nirch tho fair
fame of our State in these respects
would tell us how our total net expenses
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 re-
lation to the administration of its nnan-
cial affairs, Vermont has a record not
exceeded by any state in the Union.
It Is charged that by reason of our
extravaganza it will be necessary for the
next legislature to raise a direct State
tax. Perhaps a State tax will be neces-
sary. 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 lave always obtained in tn,
State. The so called fuslonists, however
do not tell ns this.
Stripped Of all DISCUSSES, the fight /!
in the main the same old contest hetweet
two dominant parties. the republican anc
democratic.
Has any republican a good reason t.
desert his party and what does he expec'
to gain thereby?