The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-03
FRANK E. HOWE, Editor and Publisher
Criticism of the Legislature.

tie in commentator OF it that the
Banner hesitates to enter the discus
sion in disagreement with the major
ity Of the state newspapers for the
reason that the editor of this paper
was a member of the legislative body
and is therefore undoubtedly disposed
to view it more leniently than other
editorial writer's of the state. Because
of this connection, however, the writer
cannot but be betterinformedas to the
actual work of the legislature than
those who have viewed it only from
the outside, and we will endeavor to
speak only from actual knowledge and
with as little prejudice as possible.
On this page is reproduced some Of
the comment of several leading state
papers on the work of the ,c5islature
and from this it will be seen that it is
severely criticised, both for what it
has done and for what it has failed to
accomplish Some of this harsh crit
icism is perhaps deserved but much
of it We feel sure is not only not de
served but is made without a fair
study of the situation as it actually
existed.
The legislature of a state is the
great general court to which any and
all citizens can apply on any subject,
without employing lawyers, without
paying docket fees. term fees or court
charges, and with the expectation that
they will be given fair consideration
by the duly elected representatives Of
the people The legislature recently
in session had before it $50 cases set
for hearing-S22 bills and IS joint res
olutions More than that some of
these bills and resolutions covered
more than one subject and many
branches Of each subject There was
one bill that covered 16S printed
pages, another Of 1870 pages and
scores of from a dozen to fifty pages
It takes some time to dispose Of $50
cases and give each of them a hear
ing. 1t takes just as long on an aver
age to consider the bills and resolu-
tions that are killed as for those that
are passed and often the attempts to
revive them in order to modify them
INTO more Acceptable form makes them
consume even more time. Consider
too that the jury on these cases was
composed of pa men, from all walks
of life. and representing all sorts Of
conflicting interests. Our wonder is,
not that it took SO long, but that it
did not take much longer.
Even the seyerest critics Of the leg
islature have stated repeatedly that
this body has had more important
matters 10 consider and more yexati-
GUS questions to act upon than has
any previous Vermont legislature of
this generation This is manifestly
true. After long stagnation Vermont
is growing. Ii Is changing from q
rural to a manufacturing state Cor
porations are taking the place of in
dividuals in doing business and the
corporation question alone in one form
or another-charter taxation control,
extension, etc.-took from a third to
half of the time of the session. The
character of. our population is chang
ing from the pure pilgrim stock to the
composite American of the goth cen
fury. Labor and capital begin to ap'
pear in legislative councils. The in
creased demands of high pressure
methods of living and doing business
have taken within the granite walls
at Montpelier the place of the old
academic arguments over capital pun
ishment and woman suffrage. The
question of manual training and in
dustrial education have usurped the
position in debate once held by the
town versus district system OF
schools. Scientific forestry, conser
walton of the states resources are sub
iects of anxious and earnest consider
alton in place of auctioneers' licen
SEES. Ticklenaked pond and tightening
up the liquor law prominent few
years ago.
We do not mean to say that the leg
islature has not done any foolish
things. It has-and what legislature
has not? Only the faults of proceed
ing Vermont legislatures are forgotten
in contemplation of the faults of this
Neither do we mean to say that the
legislature has not spent time over
trivial matters. 1t has and It is right
that 1t should. Not all the interests
of the state and its people are great
interests. and the rights of small eli.
ents must be considered as well az
those of the great ones. Likewise we
are willing to admit that 1t was what
might be called n scrappy body. But
there is nothing like fight to bring
out the facts. There Is said to have
been trouble even in Heaven once up
on time and tradition has 1t that the
world has been educated through this
What we mean TO convey is our sin
cere belief that the recent Legislature
worked hard and earnestly to solve
the many problems that were placed
before IL. The writer hereof has beer
in attendance upon every session oil
the Vermont legislature for the past
sixteen years. Longer and more con
tinuousiy we believe than any other
news or editorial writer in the state
save one and he believes beyond ques
ton that no preceding legislature mas
gone so searchingly into details ana
probable effect of proposed measures
as has the legislature of 1908. Com
mittees have worked increasingly
night after night until midnight ana
later in an honest effort to sift Out
the truth and place It before the leg
Islature IN straightforward form
Il Is said that the legislature was
10 "a