The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-11-13
TEN DOLLAR PROCESS BILL
GIVEN PUBLIC HEARING
At MONTPELIER
Interesting Discussion Of the Merits
Of the Proposed Legislation
Held Wednesday Evening

AAN'N H~NN'ANNANy -NNflNANA
Montpelier. Nov. ia very inter
esting discussion arose at the public
hearing before the Senate judiciary
committee Wednesday evening on the
bill which exempts the wages of the
laboring man to the extent of SO from
trustee process, S. Hollister Jackson
appearing in behalf of the Vermont
Branch of the American Federation of
Labor, representing $1,000 workmen
and prayed for the passage of the bill.
He said that he had had the pleasure
of twice voting for the bill i'm the house
when it was killed in the senate. He
believed that if the farmer and law
yer enjoyed exemptions of one kind or
another that the laboring man des-
erved consideration He contended
also that the fact that the predomi-
nant party in this state inserted a
plank in its platform and promised to
give the laboring man this exemption
was a reason in favor of the passage
of the bill
An interesting feature of the even
ing was the debate between the auth
or of the bill, Mr. Barber of Brattle-
boro and Mike Moran of Brattleboro,
the other party to the bitter contest
waged for the election of representa-
tive in that town Mr.. Moran repres-
ented the merchants association Of that
town and stated that the committee
had petition praying for the killing
of the bill which bore the signature
Of every merchant in Brattleboro with
one possible exception Mr.. Moran
stated that he was not a member OF
the Republican party and somebody
asked him If the Democratic platform
did not contain a similar promise to
the laboring man. He maintained
that because the question happened
to be in the platform was no reason
why man should not object to il ii
he thought it was not right
Mr. Barber called attention to the
fact that Mr. Moran was a member OF
the Democratic stare committee and
asked if he did think that two pOliti
cal parties promising to carry out a
certain measure should not try to car
ry the measure to a reality Mr. Nor
an stated that he thought as a party
it should He said he was free 10 ad
nit that he was ignorant that the
measure was i'm the Democratic plat
form and that he was not a member
of the committee on resolutions a
the convention He believed that tn,
merchant simply wanted Justice He
didn't get any exemption as a mer
chant. Mr. Barber again answere,
him by saying that he got exemption
from his team and his homestead ant
that a. large percentage of The mer
chants had both
Senator Mcintyre thought thar thu
bin would work to- the dotriment %
both parties He said that he hat
been a workman and a merchant aul
he thought that the merchants wer
not unfair and did not resort to The
trustee process except IN cases wher
a man intended TO beat the merchau
out Of a bill. He said that he beliey
ed it would break down the credit o
the laboring man with The merchant
and therefore work 10 their disCredil
Senator Cory spoke effectively TO
the bill He said thar he had toll
some of the laboring men present iha
he should support tne bill If o'cc.e
as he thought 10 was right and h
should. He said that he had been
merchant for 81 years and that he ha
never trusteed but one mans wage
and il was the meanest thing he ha
ever done in his life Speaking Of tn
petitions of the merchants he sale
you could get up a petition bi
enough TO hang me if YOU went to IN
right people.
John Adams, who had listened {
the merchant apparently got his
stated that he did not believe that
should be a matter of merchau
against laboring men. He said b
based his credit on man and not o
strength of the trustee process.
a merchant he favored the bill. Ere
Blanchard condemned the idea Of pet
pie voting for a thing, right or wroni
because a party promised 1t i'm a pla
form. He said IL didn't matter on
iota to a merchant, the trustee bus
ness and like Mr. Cory he could nc
remember q case in which he had r,
sorted TO it. He thought the questio
should be decided on the Justice {
the question.
Several spoke in favor OF the hi
saying that If the bill drove the labo
ing men to a cash basis in trading