The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-08-19
{. HOWE. Editor and Pub's
BENNINGTON, VT, AUG. 10. 1911
KNOCKING VERSUS BOOSTING

lIlCHtS vi Icduiu6 nldItOi aoOuI ~ AZ
companied by three or four cuts of |
the men that are to have finger in |
the pie. Thus New Hampshire gets |
publicity that confirms a prevailing |
popular notion that the people Of that |
state are alive and up-to-date. Yer
mont passed a law regulating the
practice of optometry several years
ago and proceeded to It's administra
ton as a matter of fact with no blow
ing OF trumpets. And Vermont, sad
to say, figures in the popular imagin-
alton as being more or less behind
the times. This is only one Of scores
of similar incidents. We need press
agent.-St Adams Messenger.
The Banner has so often commend
ed the Messenger that the st. Adams
contemporary will perhaps bear patti
emily with word OF friendly criti-
cism intended not only for the Mes
senger but for several other Vermont
newspapers.
After nearly three years the Mes
senger has at last discovered credi-
table act of the legislature OF 1908
but apparently only learned 1t by
way of an out of the state newspaper.
This taking three years to husk out
one nubbin of truth is rather too ty-
pical Of several Vermont newspapers
and OF large number Of Vermonters
when they talk about the legislature.
Back in 1908 nearly all the Vermont
papers fell into line behind partic-
ularly brilliant but not always dis
eliminating writer and We'd with each
other In seeing how hard they could
talk about the legislature. Some Of
the criticisms were deserved, and
some we're not, but the result is the
result always OF Wholesale knocking.
Legislators are human and conscious
ly or unconsciously are largely affect
ed by what is said In public print
just as the public is, whether 1t
knows 1t or not. The legislators saw
that they were roasted just as indis-
fortunately when they did a credita-
BILE thing as when they did something
not creditable. The result was they
got disguised, hardened and careless.
Now the truth is that the legisla-
ture OF 1908 did a good number OF
creditable things, but who of the
readers of the Vermont newspapers
for the past three years would ever
leven suspect IL?
When the legislature OF 1910 CON
vened a similar anvil chorus began
its music. The more discriminating
of the Vermont like the Messenger did
not enter this chorus with the same
violence as in 1908, but at the same
time they spent great deal more
strength and effort In knocking than
they did in boosting while there are
some papers in the state with abso-
Ilutely no first hand knowledge OF con-
ditions at the capital who kept up
continued snarl and do to this day.
No one in Vermont realizes any
more forclbly than The Banner the
faults and failures OF the legislature
OF 1910 and they were many and lam
entable. At the same time there was
an unprecedented number (for Yer.
mont) OF advanced and progressive
steps-as many as any state In the
union. In the support OF public
school education, in efforts to pro
mote agriculture. In road building
without direct tax or going into debt,
lin elimination OF fee abuses, In the
control OF public service corporations,
in progressive automobile legislation,
in weights and measures reform. In
the care of its INDECENT insane and
in doing Il all within the state income
Vermont leads all the other New Eng
land states except the rich and pros
porous state of Massachusetts and
even Massachusetts in some respects.
The Banner is not in the least OBJ
jectIng to criticism. Criticism to
reasonable extent is Christening ant
wholesome but indiscriminate knock
ing Is injurious to the beat interests
of the state. The Messenger la cor
rect in one thing. Vermont does need
press agent. She needs one In
every Vermont newspaper Office and
the slogan OF each should be Less
knocking and more boosting"
Vermont suffers from ultra conser
yatism. II cannot be otherwise when
for fifty years more than fifty pei
cent OF the young, ambitious and az
gressivo have left tho state to seek
other homes. They left because
other states offered greater opportuni'
ties but that time has passed. The
pendulum now swings our way and
Vermont offers as much In return fol
honest effort as any state In tn
union. But we cannot 20 ahead
we rest on our oars. Let US try 4
shake OF the ultra conservatism tina
has come to 10 through no fault o
ours. Let us dare try some ne'
things even II we aren't quite sur
that they are perfect II We continu
ally try, some moves are sure