St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1911-08-30
Cheap Political Talk.

1e The st. Johnsbury Ca1edonian is
calling long and loud for a special
session of the legislature to deal
with the railway situation. Among
other items of railway Improvement
q that, bear heavily upon the contem-
porary's mind is that the companies
may go Il to work and Strengthen"
their bridges. The Caledonians did
not mention it, but it presumably is
awake to the. fact that in special
session of the Legislature its candi-
date for the goyernorship would
have splendid opportunity to
D. strengthen his es.-[Rut-
I land News. ,,-e9, .sea hi a5srt.l.,
LIE This attempt on the part of the
News to befog the editorial sugges-
tons of this paper relating to the.
railroad situation by charging a
political game is the last form of
opposition to the ideas advanced the
editor expected. We do not see how
a special session of the legislature
would be of special benefit to the
possible gubernatorial candidate
from st. Johnsbury. In the first
place another aspirant would be
member of the legislature and
"a have just as good an opportunity as
any one to strengthen" fences. Ii
any advantage could come to the
ST. Johnsbury man it would simply
be because the other candidate did
all he could to that end during the
regular session while the st. Johns
bury man refused to use his official
position as political weapon. Sec
ondly the ST. Johnsbury man does
not need any special sessions to cor
rect political records, He has had
legislative experience and met tests
so well that further tests are un--
necessary. ...... ..-..,...+ -..,-e
..tf, AS to the main issue of what shall
be done in the railroad dispute, we
do not advocate a special session if
the railroads will settle the Brat
tleboro dispute within a reasonable
time But we do not think the state
should wait for the competing COM
panies to settle all their differences
at outside points before having JUS
tiee done within it's borders. 1t is
apparent that the New York, New
Haven and Hartford railroad in
tends to have a direct service be-
tween Quebec and New York and
Montreal and New York, that it will
have it's own line through Brattle-
boro if it can and if it cannot then
on the New Hampshire side of the
Connecticut river. If it is built on
the Vermont side of the river it will
increase the amount of railroad
mileage in the state that is subject
to state taxation. Furthermore if
the railroad is on the Vermont side
of the river all new industries tha5
may be established as the result OF
the great power at the Brattleborc
dam will be built on the Vermont
side of the river. If the road is built
on the New. Hampshire side it viii
do all in it's power to get industrie:
established on that side of the riv
er on it's own line.
There are great possibilities fo1
q the development r Of Vermont a
stake in the dispute at Brattlebor,
that the Vermont Legislature cal
protect if it is called in special .ses
sion. They are in danger of beini
sacrificed in a great railroad fgh
that is being conducted between tw,
mighty systems of road in southern
New England, in Maine and, IN Can
ada unless Vernon acts in its 4Sowi
interests and settles the Vernon
dispute itself. These are the reason
why we believe a special sessio
may be justitiable. People shout
not allow any political thrusts t
blind them togstheFF realI tgshe an
act on the issue itself as their hes