Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1908-05-29
He Stands Firm For The Cor
pora,ion Act" Which Two
Vermont Railroads Refuse
To obey-Justiee To All. Ia
vors To None, The Motto OF
His Campaign.

4
what is known as the Corporation Act
and when the hill Was before the legis-
lature there was an active lobby at the
Capitol that as compared with any pre-
yious "third house" was rs mountain
to a mole hill. The brainy corporation
lawyers were there night aud day the
legal counsel OF the two railroads that
have failed tn comply with the law they
then fought as vigorously and viciously.
The act-now law aud violated 10y
the two greatest railroad corporations IN
the state-Sas introduced III the house
and the corporation attorneys did their
most To prevent its passage. 1t was fav-
ored bv Gov. Proctor AID the represent
atives stood 10y the hill aud the govern
or ia great number, passing it by ire
mendouS majority. This was a great
disappointment to the representatives of
the railroads-men who in the past had
dominated legislation and moulded it |
about as they desired.
Their guns We're then turned upon the
senate aud here they found Lieutenant !
Governor Prouty Just as dominant a fac
tor in his desire thakthe bill become a
law as was the governor. 1t was pull,
steady pull aud pull altogether 10y
: the working pair-Proctor and Prouty.
> The senators were no easier to handle
= than had been the members of the house
r They were fewer IN numbers aud there
fore could be- seen oftener 10y the rail
roads opponents of the bill. And they
were seen
1t was on this measure that Lieuteu-
ant 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 gov
ernor placed his signature upon it and
it was a law
This act of Lieutenant Governor
Y Prouty soured the railroad officials
against him. They have never sweet.
ened in the least probably never will.
: 1t is largely because he was Instrumental
in creating this "Corporation Act" that
the Central Vermont and Rutland Rail
t. way corporations are out to-day, AS their
legal representatives assert to trim
- Prouty and trim him good and hard. "
v Therefore, they must have a candidate
Who is the man?
u Not Prouty, most assuredly.
p" Is it Stanton?
' None other, for he is the only other
one.
Stanton ha, asserted, and he may as.
sert again aud again, that he is not mn
u. der a retainer by these corporations.
But this is merely an evasion of the
true condition of things as applied to
himself. Certainly he is not under a
retainer 10y the railroads while a candi-
N date for governor. That isn't tire main
n point. There is no doubt about the po-
! sition of Candidate Prouty on the ques-
b. ton of corporation supervision by the
state.
n There is a serious and mighty ques.
ton regarding what the position of Can
9 di1ate Stanton will be in case he should
J.. be made the executive.
Prouty has made record He has
~ declared time and time again that upon
that record he will continue to stand.
The situation of the railroads is like
Il this. They claim that one per cent tax
on the appraised valuation of their
, trackage is excessive.
y, Is it?
Let's see The farmers and business
i, men of Vermont have to pay fully 30
per cent more than the railroads under
the new act which they refuse to comply
4 with. The act of the two railroads in
"a refusing to pay their tax may be good
!. citizenship from the viewpoint of the
IN railroad corporations, hut it is not good
citizenship as viewed by the true and
n loyal citizen.
- The railroads are trying their strength
;s in this governorship contest and they
are straining mind and muscle to the ut
a most. TO win with the nomination Of
Stanton means their domination in mat
., ters Legislative.
1t further means that the men upol
-, the farm and in all commercial lines o.
industry will have a greater tax to pay
!. than under the act which the railroads
., are now fighting.
Summed up briefly the situation il
this:
A., With Prouty as governor the railroad
corporations must bow to the dictates o
m the law-the law they now detest ant
- are fighting in the courts.
Their hope is Stanton.
is They are energetically seeking hi
nomination.
The farmers and business men al
nj ,ver the state are with Prouty. The,