The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-04-21
VERMONT

truth. Especially are the two follow
ing paragraphs worthy of assimilation
by Vermonters:
Improved transportation is a vital
necessity to Vermont. If it cannot
have more railroads across the Green
Mountains II should have trolley
roads. 1t is now difficult and tedious
to get from the eastern to the wes-
tern part Of that narrow State The
railroads 1t has, with the exception of
the Rutland, need better rails, cars
and locomotives, better time tables
and quicker connections. Railroad
travel in Vermont, except in the
Champlain valley, is often an impo-
sition Can't Vermont modernize its
internal functions!
"The State does not make enough
OF its advantages as q vacation
ground. Millions might be extracted
from summer visitors. The eastern
shore of Lake Champlain and the
northern islands are ideal for recrea-
ton purposes, but they are poorly
provided with hotels. The region
neds judicious advertising and plenty
of it, as the Green Mountains do.
Their summer hotel accommodation
are also Indifferent, yet there is not a
more lovely valley in New England
than the Black River valley or a
nobler mountain than Mansfield"
1t is unquestionably true that it
would be better if the political par
ties in Vermont were more evenly
divided as it would compel both par
ties to put up their best men for state
office in order to win IL the past a
Republican nomination on a state or
county ticket has been usually equiv
alent to an election and anybody who
was sharp enough schemer to get the
nomination was elected. On the 9TH
er hand the Democrats have been so
hopelessly in the minority that they
have often carelessly allowed their
nominations to go to men whom
many of the best members of their
own party would never vote for IL
there was any danger Of their win
ming. This does not apply to repre-
sentative elections which have been
largely non-partisan for a good many
years.
After all, however, our political
conditions will compare favorably
with those of our sister states and
are infinitely superior to those in
New York as is shown by Vermont's
freedom from a state debt, the fact
that we have had little or no state
tax for twenty years and have had no
scandals of state administration
within the memory of the present
generation. Vermont is today prob.
ably the most carefully, honestly and
economically governed state in the
union.
1t is not a revolution in politics
that is so much needed in Vermont
as a revolution in our business, social
and industrial life to bring about q
development of the resources of the
state. Vermont's trouble is that it is
ultra conservative and invests toe
much of her money and young blood
outside the state
Looking the situation frankly in the
face and not trying in the least tC
deceive ourselves it cannot be denied
that pral Vermont, away from the
industrial towns, has been in a baC
way and is not yet out of danger anC
yet we hope and believe that tn,
crisis is passing and that the trend IL
steadily improving.
The present generation of Vermont
ers is not at fault for the stagnatioI
period through which The state hal
passed during the past fifty years
The present generation will be a
fault If it does not hand down to thu
next generation a better heritag,
than we have received from our i'm
mediate predecessors, though the.
personally were not so much Il
blame. 1t was a condition which the,
did not realize until it was too late t,
control.
For fifty years so much Of our bes
young blood was attracted from tn
state that Vermont suffered to n dc
gree that is still sadly apparent. !
large proportion of the stirring, tn
aggressive and the ambitious depart
ed. Practically all the slow, weal
and unprogressive remained and Il
many places especially in the rura
sections these classes inbred, stag
mated and too often degeneratet
Whole townships lost their initiativ
and lost courage and power to tax
advantage of their opportunities
Every town had some of those class
es and not only were and are they G
no assistance in going ahead, bu
they were and still are drag on a
progressive efforts for the advance c
the state.
No one should jump at the conclu.
ion that Vermont lost all of her goo
blood. Thank God she did not an
slowly but, we believe, surely tn
good blood is overcoming not the ba
necessarily but the less good. w
still have an up hill road but Their
are many encouraging indication
and there is no doubt that the peopl
of Vermont of today can, if they will
accomplish the feat of reinstatin
Vermont in the progressive colum
of the sisterhood of states.
There is still a great fight to
made. The old self satisfied ignol
ance and slothfulness are still wit
us and hanging back. The sam
petty selfishness that fights improN
ing the roads, the schools, sanitar
conditions and other public improve
ments, because they cost a few do
lars in taxes must still he met TIL