The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-03-20
hood Learns That Pay Tough
A LABOR TICKET
Proposed by Ernest g. Barber For
Tomorrow.

| vi nC DdauSt - Mibu "
calle attention to the fact that labor
ticket is before the people in the vii
lage election, and some of the reasons
for its being presented.
Without discussing personalities
the opposing ticket, to large degree
Is scarcely more than the pooled in
terests of different politicians. The
Socialists party by its extreme attitude
makes itself an impractical and inef
fective instrument for working class
action.
The Progressive party by its lack OF
cohesive organization, the lack OF ag-
| gressive party action, and partly the
| imperfect working out of some OF its
| proposed remedies is rapidly nearing
| the end of it's usefulness for the bet.
| terment of working class conditions.
And this situation is bringing the old
| parties into much the positions they
were in years ago. And while there
! are a few, both Democratic and Re.
publican leaders, who sincerely work
/ and plan for working class betterment,
! the number of such leaders are very
| limited So there seems to be no op
| tion but to try new channel, if work
| ing class betterment is to be secured
The only question is whether the
working class want such an advance.
II they do not and are content with
present conditions as the standard foi
long time to come, then any attempt
OF In, rIo NIT ha fat
The one trouble with accepting the
present standard as a permanent one
is that after working class advance has
ceased the great capitalists are apt tt
make advances in their own interests
which will then lower even present
standards of working class living.
There are many things which should
be done, but let us look at one that
presents itself now. There is cur
few law proposed which will mostl
affect the children of the working
class. Without discussing it's meritl
or demerits, supposing it is passed
Undoubtedly it will give more or les:
discretionary power to the board o.
trustees. In exercising those powers
should there not he upon the board
one or more members who will present
the strictly working class viewpoint?
In fact is it not the great difficulty
of today that the strictly working class
viewpoint is seldom heard and almos,
never noticed.
Some great capitalists are sometimes
presenting their views of what they
think the working class should have
and what they are willing to give
them. And the middle class often prt
sent their views Of what the working
class should have. but. the views of tho
working class itself seldom receive at
tention. And where their views have
received attention 1t has mostly beer
after strikes, violence and political up
heavals. And after all the useless
struggle was over, their views wer(
found not to be so bad. a
1t seems to me that the working
class should make an, opening fol
themselves and SHOULD have channe
and permanent means for the express
ion Of their views and that now is 6
good time to begin.
There stands in the near future the
possibility, though | will not say Ger
tainty OF the formation of nationa
labor party Different groups an6
bodies of workmen and working clas
organizations around the country have
already indicated their intentions
making a beginning in that direction
during present year. And one or NOR
prominent working class leaders il
other states are or have been castinl
off the shackles of other parties ant
are seriously looking toward a new
move even in this coming campaign.
The labor unions of Massachusetts
and Boston have already voted to pu
up state ticket this fall and to make
some contests in the Boston Cit,
election.
Bennington has always taken |
prominent part in every move to ad
vance human liberty whether that
move was political, military or educa
tional in its nature We were some
years independent before joining tn, |
other states. We fought and deter |
mined the critical battle of the revolu |
tionary war.
And undoubtedly Bennington com
pany at the head of Stannard's Yer |
mont brigade by it's heroic action de |
termined the result of Pickett's charge |
1t Gettysburg and thus saved the da /
for the Union That battle was the |
turning point of the war. 1t is some |
times, stated, though perhaps not yet |
proved that the first newspaper agita |
ton for the abolition of slavery was |
In this town.
Only within a fortnight Vernon, |
has checked the enrolling tide of ma |
tional prohibition, which would create |
unnecessary dictation as to mems |
habits. And at the same time ther, |
was adopted an almost model primary |
law One putting some real power in |
10 the hands of the average voter |
probably giving more real and eXten |
sive power to the common voter than /
any like law yet adopted by any other |
state. And the adoption of, this law |
will put new power into the onrollint
primary move throughout the nation |
And in the adoption of this law Ben.
nington took the initiative. In fact one
to read the history of Bennington
would almost think she had always |
struck the first and the decisive blows |
in every advance for liberty in this
country. And there is no reason
why she should not be in the advance
now.
Yours truly
Ernest ID. Barber