The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-12-08
DEBoER IN BURLINGTON.
Addressed Large Audience Last Evening
on Campaign Issues.

Burlington, Dec, s.--Joseph A. DeBoer
OF Montpelier addressed large audience
at The Strong theatre last night in con.
nection with his candidacy for the Re
publican nomination for governor OF
Vermont. He was introduced by Mayor
Roberts.
Mr.. DeBoer outlined his relations with
the gubernatorial fights of past years
In 1904, Mr. DeBoer said many friends
urged him TO wage an active campaign
but another candidate that year was
member of calling so largely repre-
scnted in Vermont that it seemed TO de.
serve representation in the Office OF
chief executive. Therefore, in his way
he contributed to the election of Gov
ernor Bell. In 1908 he was again urged
to make fight for the nomination, but
at that time the financial condition OF
the country was such that his whole
time was demanded by the business OF
which he is head.
This year he persisted in his stand
that he would not 90 after the Office
The Barre Times wrote, asking If he
would be a candidate and he replied that
he would not have time to 60 after il
in the customary way. He went about
his business and in his absence, the citi-
zens of his town laid their plans to in
duce him to enter the campaign. Then
they asked him TO enter the race and
he consented to make a practical test
Of those ideas Of his, about allowing the
free viii OF the people to play some
part in the selection Of their governor,
which had been so often described as
idealistic and visionary.
Aside from the personal element In
Mr.. DL3oers heart to heart talk" he
dealt mainly with two issues rec
ommendation OF a direct primary for
Vermont, and the discussion OF tax leg
islation. The most important issue in
Vermont politics to-day, declared Mr..
DeBoer, il the proposal Of change BY
which men of ability, of patriotism, may
have equal opportwnity in this state
with men OF great wealth. He said the
need Of campaign managers and pub
licity bureaus, the necessity Of great eX.
penditure in seeking nominations was
not the fault of the men who ran so
much as Of the system which isolated
the people Of the state from the manage
ment Of their own affairs, and deprived
them OF the privilege OF choosing their
own governors al their own expense.
The remedy, he intimated, lay in the
institution Of nomination by direct pri-
maries, by which the voters would them
selves say who the nominees should be.
Mr. DeI}oers slogan seemed TO be "Self
government at your own expense if you
follow your inclination He said he
stood for the equalization Of opportu-
nifty, and II that was idealisn be would
plead guilty OF IL.
On the tax question, Mr.. DeBoer had
some equally positive ideas. Our system
or taxation, he declared, was effete, in
efficient and oppressive, ffty years I'm
der the present system. both real and
personal property il taxed equally. The
result Is that the tax upon low-interest
securities is eoniiscatory, and since pee
.plc do not take kindly 70 confscation,
and since the so-ealled intangibles are
hard to discover, great amount of prnp-
erty OF this description IA never listed.
The banks Of the state are allowed the
special privilege of paying a low tax OF
seven mills This was on the theory
that 1t was better to get something out
Of intangibles than to have them en-
tirely concealed. Competition has forced
the rate OF interest which the banks pay
UP to four per cent, and in order to
pay the taxes and make a fair margin
Of profit, they are forced to lend at six
per cent.
This means that if young man in
Vermont wishes to buy a farm or inn
prove it, he must pay six per cent. for
the money he gets The banks cannot
afford TO lend to him for less, and, in
asmuch as a mortgage must be listed
and taxed just as house and lot would
be any other person would better put
his money ID the bank at four per cent,
untaxed, than loan it at five or.five and
one-half Mr.. DeBoer proposes that we
drop the tax on intangibles to fiat
rate low enough not to be contiseatory,
say five mills for banks and other lend
ers alike.