The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-11-04
Cheap Political Talk

The st. Johnsbury Caledonian is
calling long and loud for a special
session of the legislature to deal with
the railway situation. Among other
items of railway improvement that
bear heavily upon the contemporary
mind is that the companies may go
to work and strengthen" their brid-
ges. The Caledonian did not men
ton il, but it presumably is awake
to the fact that in a special session
of the legislature its candidate for
the governorship would have SPLEEN
did opportunity to strengthen his
fences. Rutland News.
This attempt on the part of The
News to befog the editorial sugges-
tons of this paper, relating to the
railroad situation by charging a po-
litical game is the last form Of
opposition to the ideas advanced the
editor expected. We do not see how
special session OF the legislature
would be Of special benefit to the pos
sible gubernatorial candidate from
st. Johnsbury In the first place an
other aspirant would be a member
of the legislature and, have just as
good an opportunity as any one TO
strengthen" fences. If any adyan-
tage could come TO the st. Johnsbury
man ii would simply be because the
other candidate did all he could to
that end during the regular session
while the St Johnsbury man refused
TO use his political position as a pol
itical weapon. Secondly the st.
Johnsbury man does not need any
special sessions to correct political
records He has had legislative ex-
perience and met tests so well that
further tests are unnecessary.
AS to the main issue of what shall
be done In the railroad dispute, we
do not advocate special session, If
the railroads will settle the Brattle-
boro dispute within a reasonable
time. But we do not think the state
should wait for the competing COM
panies to settle all their differences
at outside points before having JUS
| tice done within its borders. II is
apparent that the New York, New
Haven and Hartford railroad intends
to have a direct service between
Quebec and New York and Montreal
and New York, that II will have it's
own line through Bratleboro If II
can and If IL cannot then on the New
Hampshire side OF the Connecticut
river If it is built on the Vermont
side of the river 1t will increase the
amount of railroad mileage In the
state that is subject to state taxa
ton. Furthermore If the railroad is
on the Vermont side of the river all
new industries that may be estab-
lished as the result of the great pow
er at the Brattleboro dam will be
built on the Vermont side of the riv.
| err. II the road Is built on the New
Hampshire side 1t will do all in its
power to get industries established
on that side OF the river on its own
line.
There are great possibilities for
the development OF Vermont at stake
in the dispute at Brattleboro that the
Vermont legislature can protect II II
is called in special session. They
are In danger OF being sacrificed in
great railroad fight that is being
conducted between two mighty sys.
tens of road in southern New Eng.
land, in Maine, and in Canada unless
Vermont acts in its own interests
and settles the Vermont dispute It.
self. These are the reasons why we
believe a special session may be
justihable. People should not allow
any political thrusts to blind them
to the real issue and act on the is.
sue itself as their best judgment dir.
ects.-St Johnsbury Caledonian.