The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-07-09
All subscriptions payable In advance
FRANK B. HOWE, Editor and Publisher
rhe Office Of Attorney General

The Office of Attorney General
The Herald believes that Vermont
is supporting a needless dignity and
an official sinecure in the office of
encouragement This Office, created
to reward a thoroughly INSCRIPTIONS
politician for tainted service, had
never an excuse in actual need; II
merely came into existence through
the complaisance and delusion of
legislature that permitted the state
to become party to a most reprehen-
sible piece of barter Certain news
papers, observing the general calibre
of the lawyers presented each year
by county conventions as candidates
for states attorney, and seeing the
course of justice practically bur
lesqued by untried and incompetent
prosecuting officers, projected the
brilliant idea of making law that
would place a skilled master in
charge of these callow advocates, In
stead of going at the root of the
trouble and requiring none but skill
ed and competent lawyers to be placed
in nomination. Thus the state became
III lht NbuAlAlto blOOd vi
pin-feathered legal goslings and gave
the delectable job to an attorney fresh
from a hairbreadth escape from Off
cial disbarment. The state needs an
Encouragement just about as much
as it needs navy. If county conyen-
tions went soberly to work and nomi-
mated the best men OF the county bar,
even If the salary list had to be
scaled up, there would not even be
need of talking encouragement,
much less Of employing one.-Rutland
Herald
The editor of the Herald has been
overworking during the severe hot
spell and needs vacation. The
foregoing is the talk of mind not
in good resonant condition It is so
wide of the truth and savors so
strongly of blind knocking regardless
of direction or result.
The Office of Encouragement has
proved one of the best investments
the state has ever made and 1t has
been filed by a remarkably bright
and competent attorney. 1t was pro
posed and advocated for years but
Vermont is always slow in making ad
vance so that it was only four years
ago that the Office was created and
the filling OF 1t was something of an
accident, Mr.. Fits being on the
ground and just having proved him
self before the legislature to be a
man of striking ability.
The salary and expense of the
office is from $4,000 to $4,000 per year
and the state saves this and as much
more in money formerly paid to law
yers to assist states attorneys in
important cases and in counsel
for state officers, legislative commit
tees and members of commissions,
all of which is now furnished by the
Encouragement.
The Herald proposal to scale up
the salaries of states attorneys until
the leading lawyers of the several
counties will take the places is alb
surd In the first place the voters
will insist on electing new men to Of
flee occasionally and seeks to assist
promising young lawyers in getting
started by electing them states at
torneys. In the second place If the
salaries were raised enough so that
the leading lawyers would take the
places 1t would mean an expense OF
thousands of dollars annually more
than by the present system. For in
stance who thinks for an instant
that ]. X. Batchelder or o. M. Bar.
Der would take the office of states
attorney of Bennington county unless
the salary were raised to some $260O
to $4,000 per year which would make
the pay for this one county equal to
that of the Encouragement and this
is only one of the fourteen counties
of the state.
Surprising this were done too, who
would furnish legal advice for state
officials, committees, ETC.? Wouldn
each and all of them get as good lega
talent az possible at the expense o
the state and the cost would be more
than the whole expense of the altor
ney-generals Office. The Herald hal
mistaken a spot on its own spectacle'
for browning mountain.