The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-04-06
Recognized Principles

or That good homes and care OF
their inmates constitute the founda-
ton of lasting governments.
co That successful government
of any kind, especially a self-goyern-
ment of the people and by the people
must respond to the test OF constant
ly increasing its service to all the
people as real proof that it is also
a government for the people.
(4) That, inasmuch as the gov
eminent obtains it's power from their
consent, so too the people must eX-
ercise it and demand its restoration
where II has been lost or impaired
60 That in concurrence, while
conservation of material things and
their increase should be constantly
sought, all causes and conditions
must equally tend as well to the con
slant progress of mems intellectual
and moral life; and, finally
co That, while great talent and
honest ambitions for either power
or wealth should not be stayed, yet
all laws should primarily safeguard
and promote the interests in all
things of all and not Of few.
The Blight of Dead Letter Laws
1t costs public money to place q
law upon the statute book. If 1t
proves to be a good law, the return
upon the expenditure is great be
cause eyerybody's interests are con
served thereby. If 1t proves to be
bad law and is so recognized, 1t at
least supplies public experience and
can be changed or recalled when the
legislature next sits. If laws exist
however. which are binding upon the
courts. If called upon TO interpret.
but which are universally ignored be
cause they are out of date or unjust
or really unenforcable, their contin-
ued existence on the statute book not
only teaches disrespect of law but
also in the case of some. like certain
Of our unenforced tax laws, breeds
crime and, further, through inequali-
ties In the treatment of different
classes of property, seriously inter
feres with their honest acquisition
and natural use. thus retarding in
dustria development and expansion
The conservation Of our progress as
state government and OF our
chance to develop our natural oppor-
tunities as a state, founded upon the
prosperity of individuals, rests funda-
mentally upon sound laws, and among
these none are of more Importance
and none will better advance conser-
walton in every one of its forms than
proper and just tax laws, uniformly
applied and perfectly administered,
just as far as that object can be
capably achieved.
The State Lives Upon its Taxes
The existence of the state rests up
on its power to tax and TO collect the
tax. That fact involves the power
also TO destroy or to retard the
growth OF property and the power to
discriminate unjustly between differ
ent classes of property and groups
of men and between individuals and
corporations. When such unfair
discrimination exists and when laws
are not made to compel men and
property, according to opportunity
and kind and in just proportion, 20
contribute 10 the maintenance OF gov
eminent and its legitimate public
works, there may be said TO be a
condition which tends to the non
conservative and abnormal acquisit
ion and use Of property and to a con
cealment OF the states cources OF In.
come, which in the case OF many a
town has led TO its slow decay. While
the state taxes and the town taxes
both property and men and the in
come and property of corporations, II
has done but little by an adequate
change in the tax laws to increase
foster and improve the subjects OF
taxation or to create legitimate and
wholly proper additional subjects OF
taxation. IL assumes that these
matters will take care of themselves
when in fact its true function is &c
improve its own power and strength
by enlarging and increasing the
wealth. the opportunity, the produc
ton and the thrift Of It's people since
that course conserves and builds nj
its ways and means, while the re-
verse of that course leads to loss anl
, even in some sections to death anC
decay
Taxation Problems
Tax problems In Vermont, upol
whose solution depend the conserva
ton of its natural resources, thei
proper development and their applied
use for the benefit OF the people o
this state. involve among other thing,
the following factors:
On The current use Of many mil
lions Of dollars Of false Offsets fo
debts owing, which do not conserv,
the income OF the state equality o
contribution to state support as be
tween individual citizens or genera
honesty and truthfulness.
(2l The repetition Of recurrini
perjury on the part OF those who con
ceal personality or intanglbles. so
called. upon the argument. self.ad
dressed, that others do so too an,