The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-08-02
MR. spARoo's LsrrER
oevotes Attention TO the Pageant
and to the Banner

attention to the two charges which
the editor Of the Banner makes in
connection with the publication of my
letter on the pageant To the charge
of stirring up class feeling | do not
care to reply AS a matter Of fact,
everybody in town, with the possible
exception of the editor OF the Ban
ner, knows that great deal of indig-
nation was being freely expressed up
on the subject of the excessive char
ges- for the pageant long before
wrote or said a word on the subject
So far as the silly and ill-natured edi-
torial whine that "Spargo attacks
girls" is concerned, your readers can
be trusted to see its absurdity. The
pageant committee does not consist
of girls. So far as my comments on
the pageant can be called an attack
upon anybody at all, they are not an
attack upon the young ladies referred
to with insulting patronage as girls,
but to those who, like the editor of
The Banner, always hide themselves
generally behind the petticoats of
the ladies.
challenge the editor of The Ban
ner to meet me in public debate upon
this question, either in the open air
or in a hall. l will take the affirma-
tive of the following proposition:
Resolved, that the excessive charge
for admission to the pageant perfor-
nance is undemocratic and unworthy
OF the occasion, because 1t is bound
to exclude many of the working class
from enjoyment of it.
I In selecting this one incident for
public comment | chose it because it
admirably illustrated my constantly
| iterated contention that the attitude
of the privileged class towards the
working class is one of contempt quail
flied by fear. That is the attitude
of the Republican party to which the
editor of The Banner belongs; 1t is
the attitude of the local administra-
tion 1t is the attitude of the whole
of the so-called "better class"
am perfectly ready to uphold my
Icontention that charge of fifty cents
admission must exclude most of the
half day or less, and exclude
their families. No amount of hyster-
ical special pleading and appeals to
sympathy can get rid of that fact or
of it's corolary that a pageant held
upon a basis which excludes the
great mass of the wage earners is an
un-American, snobbish affair.
The defense of the committee by
one of its members who hides his or
her identity, but presumably speaks
| for the committee, Is worthy of more
attention. At least, it addresses it,
tself TO the question at issue, and does
not attempt TO shield the committee
behind the petticoats of the Dung la
dies whom the editor of the Banner
| insutingly refers to as girls"
In this defense reference is made
to "the committee appointed at a
public meeting of townspeople." Ii
was to that committee my criticisms
we're directed. That committee was
of The Banner very well knows. His
whole atribilious TRADE was an at
tempt to throw dust into the eyes of
the people and to deceive them.
| The defense of the committee says
that free pageants have been tried and
found not to be successful. In the
first place, it might be in order to ask
for place, names and dates. AS a
matter of fact, the most successful
pageants in this country as well as
| in Europe have been free. The lar
gest attempt at anything of the kind
which we have had was a communal
affair. paid for out of the taxes and
free to everybody.
II is precisely because the pageant
ought 10 bring the townspeople to-
gether socially" and because that is
| impossible where there are prohibit
tive prices of admission, and various
classes of seats, that some of us have
felt IL necessary to express our disap-
proyal of the committees methods.
| | note that the defense of the com
mittee refers TO an admission fee OF
twenty-five cents, and the editorial
furry includes similar reference
Am | 10 understand that the com.
mittee has already decided to come
down a peg? In all the announce
ments which I have seen heretofore
land even in the advertisement In
this evenings Banner) the prices an
nounced have been fifty cents and
one dollar. Not a word about TWEEN
ty.hve centsl
The defense misses the whole point
OF my criticism, not, think, without
a good studied effort to so miss IL
THE attempt is made TO appear tina
want something done for the poor
a free show for the working people
Nothing of the sort. The working
class doesn't want charity, nor pat
ronage. 1t wants simply justice. Tn,
master class is quite willing TO give
charity. II is quite willing TO do
things for the poor" II will do any
thing except get OF the back of thu
working class.
The niger in the woodpile' Il
that in the making OF the arrange
ments for the celebration the inter
ests OF the working class have beer
entirely neglected. No amount o
protestation or explanation will hide
that fact from the working people o
Bennington.
Now that the committee has conde
scended TO make 50 much explanation
will IL proceed and tell us just exact
lily how much of every dollar received
In admissions will be paid to the pro
fesslonal director OF the pageant? lie
us see the commercial inside OF thii
patriotism
Faithfully yours,
John Spargo.
lAaa T.,t,. fQIf