News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1908-05-27
PR0UTy'S POSITION

MOTTO OF HIS CAMPAIGN.
Communicated.
The daily papers of the state have
given to their readers the news that
f the state of Vermont, through the At
torney General, has brought suit
against the Central Vermont Rail
way Company and the Rutland Rail
way Company to recover taxes
which these corporations have
refused to pay under the law
created by the legislature at
the session of 1867. This suit
is brought under what is known as
the Corporation Act" and when
the bill was before the legislature
there was an active lobby at the
Capitol that as compared with any
previous third house" was as a
mountain to mole hill. The brainy
corporation lawyers were.there night
and day-the legal counsel of the
two railroads that have failed to
comply with the law they then
fought SO vigorously and viciously.
The act-now law and violated
by the two grea test railroad corpo.
rations in the state-was intr, duced
in the house and the corporation at
torneys did their most to prevent its
passage. 1t was favored by Gov.
Proctor and the representatives
stood by the bill and the governor in
great number, passing it by a tire
mendous majority, This was a
great disappointment to the repre-
sentatives OF railroats-men who
IN the past had dominated legisla-
ton and moulded it about as they
desired.
Their guns were then turned upon
the senate and here they found Lieu
tenant-Governor Prouty just as dom
inent factor in his desire that the
bill become law as was the Govern
or. 1t was pull, a steady pull and
a pull altogether by the working
par-Proctor and Prouty. The SEN
ators were no easier to handle than
had been the members of the house.
They were fewer in numbers and
therefore could be seen oftener
by the railroads opponents of the
bill. And they were seen
1t was on this measure that Lieu
tenant. Governor Prouty showed his
energy to work, his influence among
men, his tireless endeavor to perform
what he considered his duty to the
people of the state.
The senate passed the bill. The
Governor placed his signature upon
it and it was law.
This act of Northumberland
Prouty soured the railroad officials
against him. They have never sweet
ened in theleastAprobably never villa
1t is largely because he was instru-
mental in creating this Corporal
ton Act" that the Central Vermont
and Rutland Railway corporations
are out today, as their legal repre-
sentatives assert, to trim Prouty
and trim him good and hard"
Therefore, they must have a candi-
date. Who is the man?
Not Prouty, most assuredlv,
Is it Stanton?
None other, for he is the only other
one.
Station has asserted, and he may
assert again and again, that he is
not under retainer by these corpora
tions. But this is merel an evasion
of the true condition of thing as APP
piled to himself. Certainly he is not
under retainer by the railroads
while q candidate for Governor. That
isn't the main point. There is no
doubt about the position of Candi-
date Prouty on the question OF cor
poration supervision by the state.
There is a serious and mighty ques-
ton regarding what the position of
Candidate Stanton will be in case he
should be made the executive.
Prouty has made a record. He
1as declared time and time again
hat upon that record he will con-
-inue to stand.
The situations of the railroads is
ike this: They claim that the one
DER cent. tax on the appraised valu-
alton of their trackage is excessive.
Is it?
Let's see: The farmers and the
business men of Vermont have to I
oay fully so per cent. more than the '
-ailroads under the new act which
hey refuse to comply with. The act !
IF the two railroads in refusing to {
Jay their tax may be good citizen
hip from the viewpoint of the rail-
Dad corporations, but it is not good :
as viewed by the true and 5
oval citizen. 4Ht y
The railroads are trying their
trength in this Governorship con- :
est and they are straining mind and | /
muscle to the utmost. To win with 7