The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-05-10

crease in population has been attend
ed by breaking down of moral
fiber. Every nerve should be strain
ed to overcome these evils. The in
creased registration at the industrial
school and other things along the
same line have proved that Vermont
is not doing what it should for its
orphaned and worse than orphaned
children. Are we going to do any
thing about it? The state needs
great sanitarium where may be cared
for the INDECENT victims of tubercu-
losis in its advanced stages. Shall
we neglect the responsibility? We
are sending the victims of drink and
drugs to Jail and prison and punish
ing their families by extracting their
scanty earnings to pay fines and
costs. Is this right? Untold mil
lions of Vermont money are being
sent out of the state for investment
because our tax laws are not favor
able TO the man who wants to buy
home, a farm, or to establish an en-
terprse in this state Shall we give
up trying to better Vermont condi-
tons?
These are few of the many i'm
portant issues before the people of
the state of Vermont. These things
and issues of similar nature are what
have been the principal topics of
discussion in the columns Of The
Banner during recent years Per
haps we haven't spent proper
amount of space in preaching party
loyalty and unfolding the party or
ganization. Perhaps we have been
sometimes too radical and too anxi-
Gus for progress. Undoubtedly we
have said many foolish things. What
man, who earns his bread by news
paper writing has not?
On the other hand, with these
great and important issues before the
people Of Vermont, what part has the
Manchester Journal taken in trying
to achieve actual results? During the
past few weeks has 1t printed
column, paragraph or a line in its
editorial department to aid the voters
of Vermont in reaching just con-
clusion on even one of these issues?
And yet during these same few
weeks the Journal has found time
and space for toward a score Of
columns devoted solely to an attempt
to discredit the editor of The Ban
ner here in his own county. He has
even sent marked papers containing
his attacks to known personal friends
of Mr. Howe here in Bennington and
in many other places presumably to
influence their opinions
He has done this, he says, because
Mr.. Howe aspires to the Office Of
lieutenant governor, which is largely
an honorary Office with almost no
real power. The lieutenant governor
is merely the presiding officer in the
Senate and doesn't have a vote ex-
cept in case Of tie. He does not
appoint the Senate committees nor
can he join in the debate Still, two
years ago the Manchester Journal
editorially approved of the election
of. Mr. Howe as speaker of the House
"a place OF ten times the weight and
influence of that OF lieutenant COVER
nor. And most of these crimes, of
} which Mr. Howe is now alleged to be
guilty, were committed prior to his
service as speaker What is the
logical conclusion?
The joke in this connection is that
} the Journal prefaces its remarks by
stating that 1t has no personal feel
} ing against Mr.. Howe. We can con-
ceive OF only two things that would
} inspire the treatment which the
Journal has accorded the editor OF
The Banner. One of these is person
al hatred and the other is filthy
lucre-and the Journal assures its
readers that there is nothing per
sonal in this controversy at ALL"
1t is gratifying to learn that there