The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-04-10

BY reducing the direct state TAX
the Legislature took another steD III
effacing the record of Fletcherism. -
Enosburg Standard.
The Banner believes that the legs
lature of 1915 has made the best rec
ord of any Vermont legislature in
many years but this alleged reduc-
ton of the state tax is not one Of its
creditable acts for the simple reason
that the supposed reduction is a num-
bug--a myth. In the absence of the
certified copies of the acts which are
not yet available it is easily possible
to go astray, but as far as informs
ton is available the legislature has
assessed a state tax of nine cents on
a dollar for the next two years in
stead of the ten cent tax of the two
years preceding and has created a
deficit of S15O0O0 for the new state
building and paved the way for an.
other deficit of upwards of hundred
thousand more through not assessing
tax enough to pay its bills Accord
ing to some of the state papers which
are nearer the capital than Il The
Banner the legislature also borrowed
money from the permanent school
fund which is a serious error OF judg-
ment--a temporary makeshift which
will be regretted and paid for lste'.
Aside from being wheedled into civ
ing a little too much to the colleges.
the Legislature OF 1915 has reason TO
be proud rather than ashamed Of It's
appropriations and it should not have
hesitated to have gone bravely to the
people with a state tax TO pa tine
bills instead of timidly ducking the is
sue. If that be F1etcherism then
Fletcherism isn't such an awful crime
as we had been led to suppose
The honors of the war so far go to
France which has stood the brunt OF
the struggle while England with her
customary ponderous conceit has sc
far been mostly getting ready and hss
seemed more than willing to let hci
allies do most OF the fighting Eng
land is true to her history in this re
spect for she has ever sought or
land to get others to do her fighting
though on the sea no other nation las
achieved as much as the English. The
following tribute to France from the
Randolph Herald and News is parti
cularly appropriate at this time
at is a new France. We wore
wont to look upon the French as {
nervous, hairtrigger people. prone tc
act in haste and repent at leisure
quick to accept challenge, if antic
pated in the giving; vicious fight IRIS
for a brief time, but easy cutters
brilliant at the charge, dashing il
manoeuvre, brave when bravery could
be made a spectacle; lacking in sia
nina, weak on the defence, unnervet
by defeat That was the France u
once, but the France of today is an
other France entirely, See how the
French have held by pure grit in spite
of defeat and encouragement. The
did not rush eagerly to war, and ac
copied it solemnly. They met Jhe
first clash almost unaided. Throw
back and their capital nearly takeE
they did not quail but checked tic
invader. Then they sat down 20 the
long, steady grind With one-siXth -oi
their territory held by the Germans
| including its industrial section. tLey
were terribly crippled, but not I'm
| nerved. Often checked, sometimes
beaten badly, they have held the lone
line through the hard winter until tEc
British could build up an army
| There has been nothing picturesque
about it. Thousands have died il
trench or snow without a claim t,
fame. p 1t has been Just u long gru
ling dig and fight, every ounce o
strength required to hold what was
i gained, We do not associate this ten
acity with the French. And in theii
civil life 1t is just the same calm
cool, collected, they go about theil
duty supremely confident that the en(
| will favor them. 1t is a revelation
| quite new to the world--the pure DILL
! loo crit nf tho Eranch az this c;.i &c