The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-01-03
A LATE REPENTANCE
The Inca Of Peru Sends Back Some
Conscience Money

The following letter from Marshall
]. Hapgood to State Treasurer e. II.
Deavitt is self-explanatory
E. H. Deavltt, State Treasurer,
Montpelier, Vt-EnclOsed please find
check for 1870 which you will kind
ly put back in the state treasury as
conscience money unduly taken by
me for full mileage one way upon
occasion Of the Thanksgiving recess
session of 1904. To this interest
should be added but | do not desire
to be over scrupulous in the matter.
AS I received $35 for regular mile
age for what actually cost less than
81, it strikes me very forclbly that
the fare for this adjournment for
mere pleasure and convenience
should have been at my own expense.
This ten cent mileage Is a relic of
old stage coach times when the actu-
al cost was about that amount. |
profess to be a Christian and aim to
be true citizen. | have sinned, al
though thoughtlessly, but am assured
of forgiveness in case | make due
amends and public acknowledgment,
which / hereby do.
This action is not taken for effect"
or because | have so much money
that | do not know what to do with
it. have only part of the funds
which | would like and which are
popularity attributed to me and which
could make full and true use Of. Its
propriety came forcibly to my mind
last week when | attended a session
of the legislature when the question
of mileage for the holiday adjourn
ment was being discussed. First n
motion to accept no mileage was dis
cussed and voted down. Next, like
action was taken with a motion to
take one quarter mileage, about the
actual cost. The same treatment
was given to only one thing, it seem
ed, would satisfy a majority Of that
assembly, and that they had previ-
ously voted for full mileage both ways
for the previous Thanksgiving adj
| iournment, five times what was right
and just.
This action was so Objectionable
that | determined to enter my earn
est protest against it, and to ask that
this matter be reconsidered; and il
not reconsidered, to call every mem
ber's attention to the fact that the
only true honorable and self-respect
ing course will be, when final settle
ment is made, to take from the treas
: Jury only what justice, not technical
/ law, will allow.
Only two other legislative acts have
appeared to me as offensive, the one
appeared to me as offensive. On'
was the action of the state senate
last Friday when majority of IT.
members presented one of their Owl
members as a candidate for STATE
office by itself created after havini
adopted a constitutional amendment
forbiding such an act; the other wa'
the well-nigh revolving SALARY Grab
OF the last legislature. When GU
highest interests are entrusted 4
bodies Of men governed by such prin
clples, we have good reason to fea
that those interests are in extreme
danger.
Yet firm, unyielding minority ma.
accomplish much, in connection witt
1 an aroused public sentiment. Let u
ever seek to build up and guard tn
| honor and glory Of our grand oil
state, even though II has to be don
by acts of repentance, like mine here
l by taken.
1 Better late than never" hav
as much respect for those who TAX
what they vote for as for those VIII
take what they, as matter of sur
| posed principle, vote against. Their
is no excuse for such taking.
iii j. Hapgood,
| Peru. VT. Dec. 20, 1910.