The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-07-27
All subscriptions payable 10 advance
FRANK B. HOWE, Editor and Publisher
The Herald Versus Facts.

The Herald Versus Facts.
1t seems to be fashionable among
the Fits apologists to refrain with
considerable resolution from printing
the facts in the case The Benning-
ton Banner and the Burlington Free
Press have systematically ignored
the Heralds very brief recitation of
the chronology Of the Fits scandal
and have published only the govern
ment" side of IT, This is unfair and dis
honest argument and the Herald in
sists upon the right to be heard. In
the case of the Free Press, which is
not hampered for room, there Is posi-
lively no excuse for neglecting to
publish all the facts as the Herald
has set them forth. In the case of
the Banner, 1t is due this paper to
reprint at least the following tablet
July 2l-Hutchnson affidavit
July 2S-Senter charge in public
August l5-Whitney and Pope aft
davits.
August 20-White Affidavit.
August 20-Rich confession
August 22-Fitts whitewash.
August 3O--Unger affidavit.
September ELECTION.
October Rich disgraced in Fits
report.
October S-Iaw passed to make
Rendering company show books.
October 19-Rest of cattle commits
sion disgraced
March II. 1907-Rich fined; Rem
dering company fined later
Papers which tell a part of the
truth are not dealing fairly with their
readers. The Herald can stand it,
but the contemporaries who mislead
their readers with only one side Of
the controversy are placing them
selves in position which will GER
tainly rob them In a very short time
of their readers confidence. --Rut
land Herald.
AS long as the Herald has not yet
printed any particular facts in this
case, but has merely warmed over
some of its campaign red fire of two
years ago, regardless of facts, 1t has
no cause for action. Especially is
this true as, in this particular con
troversy the Herald was the first to
abstain from printing the argument
of the other side, making a brief ex-
cerpt from a half column editorial in
the Banner and using that as a text
In our opinion the Herald has
carefully avoided the facts In this
case apparently lest the facts might
operate contrary to the political
buncombe It was trying to work Off on
the voters OF Vermont. Suppose for
instance you saw what you thought to
be a gross and dastardly violation Of
law whereby the health, happiness
and peace of mind of considerable
number of people was endangered
Would 1t be your duty to promptly
notify the proper prosecuting officers
that the crime might be stopped, or
would 1t be your duty to sneak away
from the scene Of the crime and avoid
all mention of It until you could get
some affidavits, cunningly worded for
political effect, together and then eX-
plot the crime, not for the purpose
of furnishing the guilty parties, but
to try to defeat candidates In no way
connected with the alleged crime or
responsible therefor. The latter is
the Herald method. DO you consider
it the honest straightforwardness of a
public spirited citizen or the cheap
charlatanism of political tricksteI
bent OH twisting facts for his personal
advantage regardless of the good OF
the public.
Then too the Herald seems to feel
sore because the guilty parties were
punished through the ordinary chan
nels of justice instead of through the
columns of the Herald and the defeat
of the Republican ticket. 1t appears
that the Herald has yet to learn that
Justice is reasonably sure in Vermont
and that the voters are smart enough
.. to distinguish between an honest at
tempt to enforce the laws and q
wholesale effort to foul the fair name
of the state for political purposes
when the ends of justice could have
been better and more promptly served
through the regular channels, Fail
ing to make Attorney General Fits
a partner in this shady attempt, the
Herald finds itself unable to forgive
Mr.. Fits