The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-11-27
FRANK B. HOVE, EditOr and Publisher
aennInaton county in the Lea!sIature

are naturally interested in how they
are being represented at Montpelier
this fall and the Banner is pleased TO
be able to assure them from actual
knowledge that the county and all the
towns except the largest in the county
are represented by honest, faithful
men who are anxious to do their best
for the state. They undoubtedly
make some mistakes but the Banner
is not giving away any secrets when
it says that the members from Ben
nington county have agreed without a
dissenting voice that they would
rather be blamed for making few
mistakes than for sitting there like
bumps on a log and not trying to ac-
complish anything new and creditable.
All new laws are at first experimental,
but where they have been tried out
and found a success in other states
the state of Vermont would not be
running any great risk in giving the
reform a test here. There may be
some members of the legislature this
year who are ostrich like enough to
hide their heads and balk when new
things are proposed but the Benning
ton county members are not that kind
They are conservative and don't run
just because somebody hOllers stub
boy" but they are not afraid to stand
up and be counted on the side Of any
honest proposal that looks good for
The progress Of old Vermont.
Bennington county has as strong
representation in the senate as any
county in the state. Senator Il. f..
Potter of Pownal and Senator +. G.
Orvis of Manchester are both included
in the upper third of the Senate and
have an important part in shaping leg
islation. They are men of red blood
and knowledge Of human nature.
neither vague theorists nor dangerous
radicals, but quick to see and earnest
to benefit the state. Senator Potter
is chairman of the important joint
committee on Temperance and a mem
| Der of the committees on Railroads. on
| Public Health. Finance, and Insane.
! Senator Oryis is chairman of the Joint
committee on Game and Fisheries, one
of the hardest worked committees OF
the legislature and a member of the
committees on Municipal Corpora.
| tions. Claims and Street Railways On
I the committee on Railroads alone Sen
ator Potter has all the work that one
able bodied man ought to do and Sen.
ator Orvis is in the same fix on the
| committee on Municipal Corporations
which has 10 consider all amendments
to city and village charters and has
to give more long drawn out public
hearings than any other committee OF
the legislature
The members of the House from
Bennington county are a harmonious
lot and will continue TO be even II
they can all agree on the COURTEOUS,
bill. As a rule they work pretty vel
together on important bills. and are
the most regularly in their seats wher
the House is in session OF the mem
bers from any one county IN the state
One reason is that they are so fan
from home that they are not tempted
TO trot of every time that there is O
recess and then take two or three
days extra to get back after the recess
is over Another reason is that they
take their oath OF Office seriously anC
don't let their private interests inter
fere with their public duties
Patrick Henry Thompson of Airing
ton is the only Democrat in the county
family but he is amply capable of TAX
ing care of himself at all times. Ill,
is a member of the committee on
claims and was one OF the minority
members of that committee who's,
view of the case was accepted by IN,
House In the matter of the state jol
printing bills of two years ago which
caused so much controversy. Thii
was particularly q tribute to Mr.
Thompson's insight as he and on
other member OF the committee werD
alone on that side at the start.
Frederick G.. Stone of Dorset Is on,
OF the two natives OF Wales In thl
House. the other being Mr.. Roberts
OF Pawlet. Mr. Stone however. hal
lived IN Dorset since 1875 and hi
standing at home Is proved by IN,
fact that he Is the first Republican
elected from that town since 1892. Mr.
Stone Is a member OF the COMMITTEES
on Town Lines which Is having al
kinds OF trouble over the proposal L
divide the town OF Pawlet and IN
end Is not yet.
Charles A. Becker of Glastonbury &
the youngest member from the county
He is only % but has held many tow
offices In Glastonbury and is CONVEX
SAINT with town affairs, He Is a men
Der OF the committee on Mileage am
Dehentures which has charge of IN
pay and mileage of members, a matte
" ] of
$4,000 for the session.
Myron ID Bates of l.andgrove Is
native of SALISBURY but moved up IN
to Landgrove some % years ago an
Is one of the leading citizens of tina
town. Il Is reported on pretty goo
authority that Just before election las
September Marshall J.. Hapgood &
Peru. who assumes TO be the rule an
guide OF faith In that section and {
do all the heavyweight thinking f.
the northeastern part of the count.
sent word over to the Landgrove vo
ers not to elect Mr. Bates representa-
tive as another candidate would su
him OHapgoodl better and so be bett,
for landgrove The l.andgrOve va
ers, however. decided 10 send som
body broad enough to look al the ge
eral welfare OF the state and count
instead Of somebody Just to wear
Hapgood collar so they elected NJ
Bates, and they made no mistake. I
: Is a member OF the busy committee ,
= Grand List
. j. Henry Hicks OF Manchester Is ol
" OF the leading members from Il
y county He doesn't do much talkli
but Is a man Of judgment and stab
ity and has much influence. NJ
Hicks has been soloctman and ro.
commissioner IN Manchester 4
n many years and Il Is said to be- due
N him more than any other one pors,
that Manchester has The best roaI