Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-06-11

results"
In the same report MIR. Sargent recon-.
mended among other things, that the au.
thorty conferred by the act of 1908 be
enlarged by giving the attorney general
authority to secure evidence in any mat
ter in which the State Is Interested and
authority to employ legal services in any
cause when In his judgment the interests
of the state require It.
| 1t seems apparent that the recommended
| lions of Mr.. Sargent resulted in a Joint
resolution which is No 475 of the acts
Of 1910. which is still in force and reads
as follows
Resolved by the Senate and House Of
| Representatives
| I'm the investigation of and prepare ton
| for presentation to or trial before
| any court or tribunal of any cause or mat
ter in which the State is a party, or is
Interested, the encouragement may en-
ploy such persons as In his Judgment the
public good requires to search out, pro-
cure and prepare evidence and the audit
or Of accounts shall draw orders in pay
| ment therefor"
| This joint resolution was approved and
took effect January %, 1911.
In spite of this record someone who I'D
TO this time has not seen fl to disclose
MS identity, has appealed to the record
In the office of the auditor of accounts
and published the amount of exoer6i-
lures for detective service" for each yea
Following the net of 1908 and the resolu-
ton of 1910, in comparison with the ex-
penditures for like services in the year
u hat
authority in this matter but was deplor-
Ing the want of such authority.
In no one OF the various stat,smonts
published headed Special from Montpe-
her' mas there been a suggestion O. the
purpose for which these expenditure
were made, or CT the result obtained. o,
of whether such result has proven a p,.b-
lie benefit
Publications o; this character, calculated
TO arouse suspicion. dlstrust and unrest
In the public mind. may be characteristic
OF one interested solely in the public well
rare and In the interest Of the good peo-
pie OF our Green Mountain State" On
the other hand, they may be characteris-
tic OF the muck raker" or political
oush-whacker' who is Interested solely
IN mis- own political aspirations. This IL
question the people must settle-think
it over
Following the lead Of the first "Snec,al
from Montpelier" published in the Bur-
lington Free Press, May a, many news
papers of the State have taken IN the
cry and apparently without pausing to
inquire into the merits OF the case have
published and repubished these so-called
Specials from Montpelier" with various
comments thereon, based upon nothing
save the bare statement that a certain
amount of money has been expended.
a few of the newspapers of the State
have been thoughtful, frank and fair In
this matter and have said that both sides
of the case ought to be heard before
passing judgment. One distinguished
journal, published almost in the shadow
of the State House in which is located
the office of the auditor of accounts. in
Its apparent eagerness to prejudice the
public mind regarding this matter has
gone so far as to say editorialy that
the statements, which have been copied
repeatedly in It's own columns, were un-
satisfactory and ought to be explained
by the attorney general In this connec-
this publication az 1t has one) II he in
tended to be fair and serve the public
welfare in this matter, did not go, or
send representative. to the office of
the auditor Of accounts to obtain the 9TH
er side Of the story, at least so far as
Washington county is concerned? Was
1t because such investigation would have
disclosed that during the same period in
which the extremely extravagant and In
competent legal department of the State
had approved bills for detective service"
In that county amounting to approx
mately 5000 expended in an attempt to
bring a murderer to Justice, that same
legal department, which. so far as Wash
ington county is concerned, means the
states attorney and the attorney-ge general,
had caused, through criminal prosecu-
lions, to be turned into the State treas
ury in fines and costs approximately
$4,000.
It is not the purpose of the attorney
general to enter into a newspaper con- |
regarding this subject, his only !
desire being to call the attention of the |
public to the manifest unfairness Of many |
of the articles that have appeared in the |
public print and to the spirit which has !
inspired many of them
Immediately following this preliminary |
statement, a full statement of expendi- |
lures for detective service" In each |
county showing the amount expended |
the purpose for which it was expended !
and the result, will be furnished TO the !
newspaper OF the State
The counties will be taken In alphabe |
cal order and the entire ground covered. |
Owing to the necessary length of these |
statements in some of the counties, prob
ably not more than two or three coun-
Ties will be given out at one time The
others will be furnished in their order
As fast as proper attention TO the duties
If my office will permit
Respectfully,
ATTORNEY GENERAL
BRILLIANTS.