The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-07-15
AS to a Smaller LEGISLATURE

! In regard to the smaller legislature.
| 1t would seem that the News would
remedy one evil by substituting an
other for it, that is even worse. Now
we would put the following PROPOSE
| tion up to the News There are
| towns in this state which have only
seven voters. Now We will suppose
one of those small towns adjoined
Mortified and Mortified had say
| 1895 inhabitants and therefore under
the plan suggested by the News had
| to take this small town as a bride.
How does the News think North
field would enjoy the wedding? In
this case this small town would rep
resent Nortnfield one-half of the time.
And Mortified could not go outside ~
this small town for representative
or outside of those seven voters, NJ
matter if there was not one among
them that knew enough to find his
way to the capitol. OF course we are
aware land much to our regret that
this situation could not arise in North
fields case. But there are other
towns that are entitled to considera-
tion in tnis respect.
Again, may we ask the News if ii
thinks 1t is fair proposition TO COM
pei two towns of 900 inhabitants each
to select a man to represent them for
four years, from town that has only
10 or 20 voters, no matter whether
there is a man among the lot that is
fit to represent town or not? Even
the negroes of the south are not dis
franchised to tnis extent.
Natxsg cleo GRO a n 0urnlf,arl-
ed public sentiment as cure for sell
fishness in our lawmakers. Certainly
but let us first get the sentiment. 1t
might be easier TO get the constitut-
ional amendant then the sentiment
and certainly no harder to be the sen
timent than it would be to get rid of
constitutional amendment of this
character Ii was the representatives
from the small towns, that saved tne
poor men of the state from a law abol-
ishing offsets, and we can only won
der if the small towns are willing to
surrender that power for ever?
We have read the editorial COM
ments of the Free Press on our letter
and can only wonder If the Free Press
thinks its readers have any intelli-
gence at all? The Free Press knows
very well that the tax reform bills
were killed by the men of experience
and ability watch they refer to and II
they deny it we defy them to publish
the vote on those bills as cast in the
House and Senate.
We charge Mr.. Free Press that the
men of experience and ability were
determined from the start TO the fin
20 no ahnlfChaH
and five tenths of one per cent placed
on intangibles or there was to be no
change In the law at all; and that ii
was the men from the small towns
that saved up from that unjust law.
We agree with the Free Press how
ever, when it says the Legislature re-
fused to be led by anybody. We think
they did and God bless them We sent
them there to represent us, and not
the men of experience and ability;
hence we love them for the enemies
they have made and no doubt the men
of experience and ability considered 1t
notorious that the legislature refused
to be a tail for them TO wag. The
Free Press refers to the New York
legislature as a splendid example for
us to follow. So far as we know the
New York legislature is the rottonest
law making body on the face of the
globe and we can only wonder if the
small towns are ready to vote for a
boss ridden machine of this kind.
The Free Press says small commit
tees do the best work. We would call
attention to the committee which the
men of ability and experience had APP
pointed on the tax bill, which we be-
lieve was the largest in history. In
conclusion we will say we regret tne
Free Press garbled our letter and
thereby made it read much different
than it otherwise wonld.
j. H. NELL of Westfield in the
Mortified News.