St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-05-27
PrOuty'S Position.


The daily papers of the state have
given to their readers thqhews that the
state of Vermont, through the attorney
general, has brought suit against the
Central Vermont Railway Company and
the Rutland Railway Company to re-
cover taxes which these corporations
have refused to pay under the law
created by the legislature at the session
of 19O6-07 This suit is brought under
what is known as the Corporation
Act" and when the bill was before the
legislature there was an active lobby at
the Capitol that as compared with any
previous third house" was as noun
tain to a mole hill. The brainy corpo-
rationlawyers were there night and day
the legal counsel of two railroads that
have failed to comply with the law they
then fought so vigorously and viciously.
The act-now law and violated by
the two greatest railroad corporations
in the state-was introduced in the
house and the corporation attorneys did
their most to prevent its passage. 1t
was favored by Gov. Proctor and the
representatives stood by the bill and the
governor in great number, passing it by
tremendous majority. This was
great disappointment to the representa-
tives OF the railroads-men who in the
past had dominated legislation and
moulded it about as they desired.
Their guns were then turned upon the
senate and here they found Lieutenant
Governor Prouty Just as dominant a
factor in his desire that the bill become
law as was the governor 1t was pull,
steady pull and a pull altogether by
the working pair-Proctor and Prouty.
The senator's were no easier to handle
than had been the members of the house.
They were fewer i'll numbers and there
fore could be seen ottener by the rail
roads, opponents Of the bill, And they
were seen.
1t was on this measure that Lieuten-
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-Gover
Prouty soured the railroad officials
against him. They have never sweet
ened in the least-probably never will.
1t is largely because he was instrument
tai in creating this Corporation Act
that the Central Vermont and Rutland
Railway corporations are out today, as
their legal representatives assert, to
trim Prouty and trim him good and
hard.
Therefore, they must have a candidate.
Who is the man?
Not Prouty. most assuredlv.
Is it Stanton;
None other, for he is the only other one.
Stanton has asseI ted, and he may
assert again and again, that he is not
under retainer by these corporations.
But this is merely an evasion Of the true
condition OF things as applied TO him
self Certainly he is not under a retainer
by the railroads while a candidate for
governor. That isn't the main point.
There is no doubt about the position Of
Candidate Prouty on the question OF
supervision by the state.
There is a serious and mighty question
regarding what the position OF Candi-
date Stanton will be 10 case he should be
made the executive.
Proutv has made a record He has
declared time and time again that upon
that record he will continue to stand.
The situation of the railroads is like
this: They claim that the one per cent.
tax on the appraised valuation of their
trackage is excessive.
Is it?
Let's see: The farmers and the bust.
ness men of Vermont have to pay fully
so per cent. more than the railroads
under the new act which they refuse to
comply with. The act of the two rail
roads IN refusing to pay their tax NAV
be good citizenship from the viewpoint
OF the railroad corporations, but it is
not good citizenship as viewed by the
true and LOYAL citizen
The railroads are trying their strength
IN this governorship contest and they
are straining mind and muscle to the |
utmost, To win with the nomination
OF Stanton means their domination in
matters legislative.
1t further means that the men upon
the farm and the men in all commercial /
lines OF industry will have greater tax
to pay than under the act which the
railroads are now fighting.
Summed up briefly the situation is this.
With Prouty as governor the railroad |
must bow to the dictates
Of the law-the law they now detest and
are fighting in the courts.
Their hope is Stanton.
They are energetically seeking his
nomination.
The farmers and business men all over
the state are with Prouty. They have a
reason.
The Prouty campaign will be waged on
The policy of fairness to all, favors to
1one; just tax levied on all property.
railroad as we'll as other holdings; laws
70 punish the violator of laws; prosperity
or the people-a greater and grander
Vermont.