The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-09-28
FIR INK 3 HOWE. Rditor and PubIishs
WHO WAS TO BLAME?

been prominent in Franklin and Chit
tenden counties and to less extent
in Rutland county through the divert
ing of business from municipal courts
to justices of the peace for the sake
of fees the Rutland Herald says:
This legislation Ito correct the
abuse was attempted in 1908, but
was thTottled by the judiciary com
mittee which seemed to feel that the
smaller pettifoggers of the profession
needed the money which results from
the unholy alliance of certain dep
uty, a certain justice and certain law
yers, for the justice trial of certain
cases"
We wish the Herald would be more
explicit and state that the throttling
was done by the judiciary committee
of the senate of which committee the
shining light was Judge f.. M. Butler
of Rutland. BY the way what has be
come of the House and Senate Jour
nails of the last session of the legisla-
ture. These records of proceedings
will fix responsibility in many cases
for things done and undone and should
have been printed and distributed last
spring, but have not yet come to
hand Is the delay the fault of the
printers, the printing commissioner
or the clerks whose duty it was to
prepare the copy?-Bennington Ban
ner
The Herald's memory is not accur-
ate enough to place the blame defin-
itely in this business of throttling a
much-desired reform, but it is true
that Judge Butler was chairman of
the senate committee on judiciary and
that he must passiyely or actively
have stood for" the defeat of the bill.
Our opinion is, however, that GER
tain Franklin county politician instig-
ated the slaughter and that Senator
Donoway was the chief eXecutioner.
The delay in publishing the House
and Senate Journals is due, presuma-
bly,, to the ST. Adams Messenger fire,
which destroyed the forms or copy, or
both, and now prevents a definite set
Ting of the blame for this particular
y fragrant piece of graft-permitting
legislation, or failure to legislate.
There has been time, however for
the Messenger to buy, install and per
feet a new plant. Surely it is high
time that the journals were delivered.
Rutland Herald,
The Banner is in the same predica-
ment as the Herald in not liking to
trust memory in discussing so impor-
tant a matter as this through which
the state is being mulcted to the ex-
tent OF probably ten thousand dollars
per year. We merely remember the
fact that the bill was slaughtered in
the Senate after il had passed the
House and that Judge Butler was the
chairman of the committee that had
the bill in charge. We did not mean
to accuse Judge Butler of being sole
w responsible for the killing and are
glad of the additional data which the
Herald has furnished. If the Herald
will furnish us the name of that
Franklin county politician we shall
be glad to print that also. If there
are officials of the state. even justices
of the peace, who go to Montpelier
and lobby for the continuation OF fee
graft it would be a good thing to have
ii known.
AS to the House and Senate Jour
nails. as long ago as last June, the
Banner inquired of the manager OF
the st. Adams Messenger job depart
ment when they would be forthcoming
and was told that they would be out
sometime in July. Two months have
elapsed since then and still the edl-
torial writer's of the state are com
PEELED to rely on memory in discuss
ing matters of state interest and inn
portance
Moreover another state campaign is
coming on and we mistrust that
some OF the fellows who helped make
platform promises last year and then
helped break them later are looking
for further advancement. Is any in
Auence being used to delay the publ
cation of those records lest the story
4,. ,,,;lI toll no TOO eYDlicit?