Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-01-28
WHAT OUR NEIGHBORS SAY
Piracy ana Piety In Connection with
Liquor License and state De-
ncits.
CFrom the Rutland Herald

40 Legislature of Vermont was ever
guilty OF a more highhanded and I'M
considerable bit of brute force than the
attempt of the present House and Senate
TO wrcst from the five or six larger
towns of Vermont money enough by way
of license fees to make UP a threatened
deficit. It was might against right few
INSCRIPTIONS politicians cnlistng the
smaller towns against the larger by
cunning and hypocritical appeal to their
cupdity The guilty thnncss Of tho poll
ticianS skin was shown by the writing
protest and lofty indignation of several
when Rcprcse Howe of Benrlng-
ton, for the moment Welding to just
fable Indignation. called this act 'high
way robbery"
At the risk OF being excluded from the
Statc-housc the Herald will go further
ana call II piracy. All the mon who on
ginecrod this steal need to complete their
character is some black whisl,ers. n
couple of bread knives and black flag.
The genesis of this singular movement
was somewhat remarkable. IT originated
in a couple Of unreooicd prohihitionists.
who gave tho highest and purest motives
for this proposition to take the license
fees away from the towns that collect
them and. az first proposed. distribute
them to all the towns pro rata. This was
a little too barefaCed and was speedily
amended at the ironical suggestion Of
Joseph DcBoer to deposit such moneys
in the permanent school fund. where
they might be sancthed.
The House promptly swallowed irony
sanctihca,ion and all, passing the Jones
hill and sending It to tho Senate. Tho
Senate offered to amend 1t. being a triAe
less hypocyi,ical than the tIouse. by
placing these funds in the State trea-
surv The House refused to amend and
tho matter remained hung up until
the dread spectre of deficit began TO
stalk about the Statc-house. Then the
members Of the House forgot their nlctv
and set out to desroil somebody There
was Just trifing difficulty, a mere cup
henisn,
The House had passed portentiouSlY,
four different times, on this question Of
putting the license fees IN the perman-
ent school fund. and always took pains
10 insist that this was a holy. highly
moral and benevolent attempt ia save
the license towns from the frightful dam
ger of receiving their own revenues and
First-Housc advanced the bin to n
third reading.
Second House voted 10 accept the DO
Bcor amendment.
Third--It passed the bill with vir-
tuous flourish.
rourth-Tt refused with scorn and in
dignation to concur in the Senate's pro-
po-ed amendment.
rifth-It accepted the report 81 It's
committee of conference and insisted on
the pious device of placing these looted
fees IN the permanent school fund.
Then came the bombshel' Of the
Fletcher statement on Saturday. follow
ed by a further statement on Tuesday,
which showed that the state was face
10 face with n state tax or deficit.
Then panic hogan to affect the high
proved flnanciers and patriotic leaders.
and the usual scramble for funds be-
gan Confronted with the results Of
their own cvtravagarce. the members or
the House glanced desperately about for
somebody to rob.
All, ha. the license fees!
Rut stor; we are on record as opposing
the idea Of using those funds for reve-
nue. purposes. said few in protest. Re-
cord. what's record? This House has no
record Besides the administration IS op-
posed to state tax
But the Senate has not acted an the
result of its conference committee, pro-
tested few parliamentarians II may
recede from the amendment and pass
the bill then We should he in pretty
mess Reccde IT won't rccede; declared
the would-he buccaneers. we have that
matter fixed up. Just pass the Otis bill
amended to cover the suhieCt matter on
which we have already declared our
solves and tho Senate will concur and six
or seven towns in the state Will have
to turn over some nnety-odd thousand
dollars to tive State treasurer. And so II
came 20 pass
The Herald admits that this Is pretty
near "the limit of brazen robbery. Sub
mittod to "A popular vote, such an OBJ
vious and deliberate attempt TO mold
up the larger towns would hardly pre-
vail In the Legislature with burlington.
Rutland St. Alhans Bennington, Mont
peler. Barre and Colchester represent
a by exactly the same number OF votes
as Glastonbury, St. George Somerset
Rclvdere Jamaica and Victory, the
thing was possible.
The big towns must submit, hut they
| will not submit tamey. Representative
I.eary voiced the feeling when he prom
!sed the House that the state OF YER
mont would never get dollar OF bur
lington's money in this way. Rutland
fools exactly thus. An alliance for pur-
poses defensive and offensive is Just as
certain rs towns vote license in the
spring. which is little more than DOUBT
/ full
The Herald promises the state OF YER
mont the most hearty revolt that money
| ingenuity and outraged deconcF can or
canize. The state will not gain by TINS
| action Il will lose.
| CONGRESSMAN FOSTERS POSTAL.