The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1907-08-29
Editorial Column.

Many owners of fine herds of cat
tie object to having the tuberculin
test applied to their stock; and as
the last Legislature passed law that
all cattle coming into this state must
be examined by the cattle commits
sioner or a competent assistant and
If thought necessary by him, the
tubercuIin test shall be applied, it
is feared that many fine herds from
other states may be kept from Yer
mont fairs because of this law But
that ought to work both ways. We
should suppose that the owner
would be more willing to send his
choice stock to fair where such
precautions are taken to prevent
any diseased cattle from being pres
ent to contaminate his herd. We
do not believe the fairs are going to
suffer because of this law.
Many of our readers may not have
taken the time to read the speeches
of Secretary of War Taft, who is
aspiring to be the next president of
the United States. Nevertheless,
they are undoubtedly desirous of
knowing his attitude towards the
various national problems. Here
they are boiled down:
l. All of the Roosevelt policies
for government regulation of the
railroads, controlling the trusts,
curbing "swollen" fortunes, are re-
affirmed by the Secretary of War
2. He favors extending the
Rate law by amendments prohibit
ing over-capitalization of railroads,
the purchase of stock in competing
lines and the election of common di-
rectors by competing roads.
B. He is opposed to government
ownership of railroads because it
would cost S12,OOO,OoO coo to ac-
quire them; they would not be man
aged effectively or economically,
and a reckless chief executive could
use them to control business and
politics.
4. He favors the criminal prose
cution and sending to Jail of wealthy
offenders against the Rate law and
the Antitrust law.
5. He defends combinations of
capital, declaring that, legitimately
conducted, they add to the prosper
ity of the country.
6. To curb swollen fortunes he
would not have the Federal Gov
eminent impose a graduated inner
ltance tax or an income tax until
some exigen y requiring additional
revenues arose.
Z. Roosevelt, instead of being
an advocate of socialistic measures.
he declares, would stop the growth
of Socialism by demonstr ating the
Governments ability to stamp out
evils which have caused social I'M
rest.
s. Of the Wall street slump he
asserts sit is not true that the Pres
ident is engaged in a raid against
all corporations.
9. He denies Roosevelt has
"out-Bryaned" Bryan, claiming
many radical differences in the poll
cies favored by the two men.
10. Of the tariff. he says free
trade "will certainly lead only to
disaster" but that it is the duty of
the Republican party to prevent ex-
cessive tariff rates. There are many
excessive schedules, but no attempt
at revision should be made until aft
er the next Presidential election.
The following is NJ. j. Hap
goods present plan for Vermont
legislation, as stated by himself:
"Prolong the invariable Thanks
giving recess from the usual seven
days to at least seven weeks-the
members in the interim, having time
to collect their ideas and consult
their constituents at home in re gard
to measures proposed and brought
forward ready for adoption. All
bills are to be introduced, and either
killed or advanced to the stage of
final passage, before the adjourn
ment; final passage to be after ad-
journment only,
Under this plan it is patent that
the members would know exactly
what they were to act upon when
they returned and would have full
time for deliberation. Had this
plan been adopted at the last ses-
sion it is reasonable to suppose that
a large, if not the greater part of
the laws enacted would have failed
OF passage. There seems to be
deep, prevailing sentiment, not on
ly IN our own state but in the coun-
try at large. that we are heavily
burdened by over legislation, and
Fiat some check must be put upon