The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-12-23
The eoyernorshlp

week. illS opSCSAif hhS al N"oAf ""N
divided into three parts, his com
plant regarding the attitude of a
Montpelier paper toward his candid
acy, his opinion regarding taxation,
and what he thinks about "a primary
law for Vermont
The first part is personal between
the candidate and the newspaper and
so is not a statewide interest.
A Burlington paper reported the
candidates position on taxation as
follows:
Our system of taxation, he declar-
ed, was effete, inefficient and oppres-
sive. Under the present system both
real and personal property is taxed
equally. The result is that the tax
upon low-interest securities is confis-
catory, and since people do not take
kindly to conhscation, and since the
so-called intangibes are hard to dis
cover, a great amount of property OF
this description is never listed. The
banks OF the state are allowed the
special privilege of paying low tax
of seven mills This was on the the
DRY that it was better to get some
thing out of intangibles than to have
them entirely concealed. Competit-
ion has forced the rate of interest
which the banks pay up to four per
cent and in order to pay this and
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 farm
or improve it, he must pay six per
cent for the money he gets. The
banks cannot afford TO lend to him for
less, and, inasmuch as a mortgage
must be listed and taxed just as
house and lot would be, any other
person would better put his money
in the bank at four per cent, untaxed
than loan II at five or five and one
half Mr.. De Boer proposes that we
drop the tax on intangibles to a fiat
rate low enough not to be confsca-
tory, say five mills Tor banks and
other lenders alike
This seems like a bit of crude re-
porting. 1t hardly seems possible
that Mr.. De Boer did not say more
than this on the question of taxation.
What, for instance, is Mr. De Beers
present attitude toward the offset?
Abolishing the Offset has always been
linked with the low rate on intangi-
bles, and yet Mr. De Boer did not
mention Offset However, the repor-
ter might have nodded during part OF
the address, and the state has been
deprived of a part OF the candidates
utterances
Mr. DeBoer's attitude toward pri-
mary law is reported as follows:
The most important issue in Yer
mont politics today, declared Mr.. De
Boer. is the proposal of a change by
which men OF ability, of patriotism,
may have equal opportunity in this
state with men of great wealth He
said the need of campaign managers
and publicity bureaus, the necessity
of great expenditure in seeking nomi-
nations was not the fault OF the men
who ran so much as of the system
which isolated the people Of the state
from the management OF their own
affairs. and deprived them OF the priv
ilege OF CHOOSING their own COVER
uQrs at their own expense. The rem
cdy me- minated laf IN the institu-
ton OF nomination iy direct primar-
les by which th t1to would them
selves say who Ae nominees should
be Mr. DE Beers slogan seemed to
be Self government az your own ex-
. pense II you follow your inclination.
+ lie said he stood for the equalization
OF opportunity. and II that was ideal
. ism he would plead guilty of it.
There is a wide difference of opin.
/ ion In Vermont regarding the desira
bihty OF a primary law. In states
where the primary law is being tried
those who oppose IL are about as
many as those who favor IT, In the
DRY the primary law IS a desirable
proposition. In practice il seems &c
subject candidates to as much ex
pense and trouble as the old caucus
and convention system.
When Mr. De Boer speaks Of "equa
ity OF opportunity, he breaches q
/ subject that has been given serious
thought by many Vermonters. II Is
burning shame that for 20 years
only men of large means have beer
considered available for the highes
Office In the gift of the Deople Those
men are considered avmlaDle be
cause they have the money TO pay fol
an expensive preliminary campaign
The candidates OF ability and char
acter qualities OF mind and hear
that would make them valuable pub
lie servants. ought TO start on al
equal footing regardless of the siz'
OF their bank accounts II primar!
law will place on the people gener
ably the expense OF making nomi
nation and so place men Of large
means and small means. but of equa
ability, on an equality law, then b!
an means give as a primary law.
Mr. De Boer however. has no rea
son to complain of the present cam
paign. Allen NJ Fletcher, his onl.
opponent SO far. is supposed to be
man OF large means. but he is a ster
ling Ncrmonter Identified with abou
every desirable progressive measure
that has come before the people. fl
pays. We understand about one
eighth of all the taxes of his hom
town, Cavendish Although IL is SUI
! posed that he has money enough q
J pay all his bills and provide for
comfortable old axe besides, Il ha
never been charged that he has use
money illegitimatoly In furthoring hi
campaign or even that he has bee
3 over generous along legitimate lines