The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-06-06
BROWN VS.. NEWSPAPERS
,coniinued from nrsi PaseD

suit and search for persons charged
with crime
II seems. that Il may fairly be in
feFred. that AIR. Pitts intended 10
convey the idea that Il Vas neces-
sary 10 use more money for -deiec-
tive service than he had been able
10 use during his term OF Office and
that he meant 20 urge upon the legis-
lature OF 1908 the ACCESSIBILITY OF au-
thorizing the Attorney General TO
use such sum as seemed necessary
10 a proper and efficient enforcement
OF the criminal Law.
Ia compliance with the recommen-
dalton OF Mr.. Fits. the legislature OF
1905 passed No. 10 OF the Acts OF that
session which Was approved January
18th. 1903. and took eject from its
passage. That act provides as fos
lows:
Section /. The Attorney General
may. when in his judgment the public
good requires il. employ such per
sons as he may choose TO search for
and pursue. or secure evidence
against persons supposed to have
committed crime within this state.
Section II. The Auditor OF Ac-
counts shall draw his order in pay
ment for the services and expenses
OF persons employed by the Attorney
General under the preceding section,
which account shall be first APPROX
ed by the Attorney General
Thus il appears that prior TO Janu-
airy 18th, 1909. the Attorney General
had no uthority TO employ what is
now referred TO as detective ser
vice."
December LIST. 1908. practically a
month and half before this act took
effect. Hon. John G. Sargent, sue
ceeded Mr.. Fits as Attorney General
and held the office TO December LIST,
1912. The experience OF the first
year and a half OF his service seems
to have convinced Mr.. Sargent OF the
wisdom OF the act above referred 10,
and further that the authority there
in conferred upon the Attorney Gener
al ought TO be enlarged. According
| Is in his report to the General AS
sembly in 1910. Mr. Sargent referring
to the authority conferred upon the
Attorney General and the duty impos-
ed upon him by the act OF 1905, said:
This provision has made a great
deal OF work and the authority so con
II .snrafuaH fraalN and
with good results"
In the same report Mr.. Sargent re-
commended among other things that
the authority conferred by the Act of
1905 be enlarged by giving the Attor
ney Gen. authority to secure evidence
in any matter in which the State is in
terested and authority To employ le-
gal service in any cause when in his
Judgment the interest of the State re
CURED il.
1t seems apparent that the recon-
mendations of Mr.. Sargent resulted
in joint resolution which is No. AIS
of the Acts of 1910. which is still in
force and reads as follows:
Resolved by the Senate and House
of Representatives.
In the investigation of and prepare
ton for presentation to or trial be-
fore any Court or tribunal of any
cause or matter in which the State is
a party. or is interested. the Attorney
General may employ such persons as in
his Judgment the public good requires
to search out, procure and prepare
evidence and the Auditor OF Accounts
shall draw orders in payment there
for"
This joint resolution was approved
and took effect January 2sth. 1911.
In spite of this record someone. who
up to this time has not seen fit to dis
close his identity. has appealed to the
record in the Office of the Auditor OF
Accounts and published the amount
of expenditures for detective serv-
ice for each year following the Act
of 1908 and the resolution Of 1910, in
comparison with the expenditures for
like service in the year 1906 when
the Attorney General had no author
ity in this matter but was deploring
the want of such authority.
In no one of the various statements
published, headed Special from
Montpelier" has there been a sugges-
ton of the purpose for which these
expenditures were made. or of the re-
suit obtained. or of whether such re-
suit had proven a public benefit.
Publications of this characte., cal
culated to arouse suspicion, distrust
and unrest in the public mind, may
be Characteristic Of one interested sole
ly in the public welfare and in the in
.terest of the good people of Our
Green Mountain State On the 9th.
er hand. they may be Characteristic
of the "muck-raker' or political bush
whacker" who is interested solely in
his own political aspirations. This is
question the people must settle
think it over.
Following the lead of the first
special from Montpelier" published
in the Burlington Free Press, May
4th, many newspapers of the State
have taken up the cry and apparent
ly without pausing to inquire into the