The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-08-02
ThR EVENING BANNER
BENNINGTON. VT, AUGUST ? 1si
Mr.. sPAReo AGAIN

MN. oFRHOO R6AIN
The Banner today prints another
eruption from Mr.. John Spargo which
contains so many untruths and half
truths that it requires no answer as
far as thinking people are concerned
and even the unthinling are not like
ly to be misle1 by his TRADE.
He tries to deny his previous
charge as to the responsibility of the
promoters of the pageant and trans
fer it to some committee which he
fails to locate. If he would spend as
much time learning about the page
ant as he has in writing about it he
would learn that the original promo
ters and who still take the leading
part in its arrangement and direction
are a group Of young women, a ma
jority of whom work for a living and
who call their organization the girls
civic league" Spargo says they are
not girls and OF course Spargo knows
1t all for he says so, but other people
may be willing to take their word for
it. The Banner is. Spargo says that
The Banner has insulted the girls.
We are willing to leave the question
to the girls themselves whether it
was The Banner or Spargo that in
suited them. They are the best judi
ges.
OF course the girls have had and
are having lot of help from the men
and older women, for all good citi-
zens try to help along sincere and
honest efforts for the benefit of the
community but the fact remains that
the original promoters are doing the
heaviest share of the work and that
decisions Of points at issue are most.
ly in their hands. Mr.. Spargo accus
es The Banner of hiding behind petit
coats. He is welcome to his opinion
We much rather hide behind some
good honest petticoats than behind
series of falsehoods, which is what
he is behind in this matter.
His statements in regard TO free
pageants are misleading to the
point of entire fabrication. The great
English pageants from which the
idea came are not free pageants but,
just as in this case, the proceeds are
for some worthy public object. At
some OF the English pageants there
has been a small free enclosure,
known in popular parlance as the
"paupers pen" for the desperately
poor. Perhaps Mr.. Spargo would like
a pauper's pen at the Bennington
pageant but we do not think anybody
else does. He criticises the commit
tee for not giving places and dates
but it will be noted that he fails to
do what he demands OF others.
The pageant prices have been a
public matter for a week or more.
Evidently he didn't want to know or
he would have inquired There was
some criticism OF the prices by few
people who didn't know anything
about it and who enormously believ
ed that the pageant was in four parts
and that they had to pay four times
to see II all. Since they learned that
II is complete at each production and
that the total expense, including as
good seat as there is, is only fifty
cents, there has been no criticism by
anybody except by Spargo and posi-
bly, one or two others like him who
are so devoid of public spirit that they
would rather stir up a row than {,
help along a public benefit.
His attempt to drag in party poll
tics shows the animus behind his at
tack. All men who have an ounc,
of brains know that there are rascali
in all parties but that the great ma
iority of all are honest and SINGER,
and seeking to do right as they SEE
the right When any man or faction
claims that all the right all the hon
est and all the good Is in one cam
or party he deserves no consideration
for he is seeking to mislead Their
is no call for class hatred over thi
or any other matter In Bennington
The pageant is in honest hands
Those In charge may and will max
some mistakes but they are sincerel
trying to do the best they can. W
believe that the people of Bennington
can and do trust them.
Mr.. Spargo's challenge to a join
debate Is joke. Street corner orr
: tory Is his trade and the editor Q
/, The Banner cheerfully comedies tina
he would be outclassed. We have n
| personal feeling against Mr.. Sparg,
He appears to have allowed himse
| to get wrought up over matte
| without learning the facts and tina
in anger and excitement he has sal
| things that he will regret when h
gets Gained down and can look O
the matter in retrospect All me
sometimes speak In anger and roper
| at leisure and We have no doubt thg
he will regret his error for he is
man OF brains and ability.
| This closes the discussion as "a