Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1918-03-28
LISTERS At SCHOOL
OF INSTRUCTION
c Commissioner Plumley Talks to
Tax Men and Takes Occasion
to Give Them an linking of
What It Will Mean to Lose the
War.

What It Will Mean to Lose the
War.
More than $50 tax listers and assessors
of Chittenden and Grand Isle counties
convened in the city hall auditorium yes
terday afternoon and listened to the in
structions in regard to listing of taxable
property as given by State Tax Com
missioner Charles A. Plumley Of North
field.
It was properly styled "a school Of in
struction," and complete and careful
instruction as to the list of property was
given ny Commissioner Plumley. after
ask questions and received authoritative
answers.
Previous to the opening Of the school Of
instruction, an address Of patriotic
nature was given by Commissioner
Plumley, as follows:
WHAT LOSING THE WAR MEANS.
A year ago you as listers were the first
Of the citizens Of the State of Vermont on
whom It devolved to discharge q patriotic
duty looking toward the preparation Of
this country for its entrance into a war
The proclamation Of the Governor and
the duties which you performed pursuant
thereto in taking a military census Of the
able-bodied male citizens Of the State
brought to you a realizing seense of the
responsibility attaching to every citizen
at time when his liberty Is at stake
and his country Is at war. AS you went
about your work a year ago you were con-
hNy eli nd hr, hn
statement: Don't talk war. talk bust
neses," but to-day in order to make the
world safe for business our first business
is to win the war. Whatever we may have
thought or said about the necessity for
our earlier entry into the war. we now
know past all for getting and at the cost
Of the sacrifice Of our own flesh ad blood.
that the burden Of winning the war rests
squarely on the shoulders Of the Amer
lea people.
Kipling says: I'VE are fighting for oui
lives, the lives Of every man. woman and
child here and everywhere else. We are
fighting against Is hours day of forced
labor under the lash or the point Of @
bayonet. with a dogs death, and a dogs
burial at the end Of 1t. We are fighting thai
men, women and children may not be tor
tured, burned nd mutilated in public. ant
We will go on fighting till the race which
has done these things Is in no position t.
continue or repeat its offense." For thu
surrender Of civilization. liberty and re
sponsibility, the abject surrender of self
respect Of justice and the abandonment
Of morality, for a German peace or SO
called peace at any price," we Amer
leans will never stand.
AS Joseph H. Odell has 80 we'll said
1.-THE American people are resolutely de
termined to overthrow the militaristic au
tocracy Of Germany. President Wilson
fixed that determination in the mind AM
soul Of the nation in series Of magnifi
cent addresses and State papers during tn
first nine months Of the war. BY that de
termination the people now stand and the
refuse to abate 1t any degree; for the
know that a peace made on any othe
terms will be a decisive victory. The al
lies are in no position to barter; German
has swept up most Of the stakes and ha
abrogated all the rules Of the game. Bel
gium, northern France. Serbia, most o
Roumania, northern Italy. and all Of east
ern Russia are in Germany's hands. T
Offset all Of these the allies hold only
few remote and potentially valuable colo
Mise which Germany was just beginnin
to develop. II the war should end nov
by negotiations France would not re
ceive ce-Lorraine-German victory
II the war should end now, Italy woul
not recover Trieste and the Austrian out
lying islands inhabited by italian people
German victory. If the war should en-
now, German influence would be para
mount through middle Europe and
least as far as the Taurus mountains
German victory. II the war should en-
now. Serbia. Montenegro. and Roumani
would remain at the mercy OF Austria
Hungary and Turkey-German victor!
II the war should end now. there would
no chance of the southern Slavonia pee
ples coming to any form Of self determir
ing acknowledgements victory. If tn
war should end now, ruthless submarir
warfare against neutrals. aerial bon
bardment Of unfortified places. the misus
of prisoners Of war. and score OF othe
atrocities would be justified as the SUI
cessful means to an end-German VII
, tory.
So we must carry on. We must wi
triumphant victory. There Is r
halfway house between victory an
defeat, and II we fall short OF victor
: every relation. every understandin
: every decency upon which ctvilfzatio
has been SO anxiously built. will g
{ VIII he washed out, because 1t will nav
heen proved unable to endure. In
I whole idea and the ideals Of democrat
: will be dismissed from mems minds o.
. cause they will have been shown II
E capable of maintaining themselves. tn
> Huns ideal, the Huns root notion
, life will take their place througho'
, the world. The Germans went into IN
J war determined 10 impose their Gel
, man kultur upon the world. we ma
/. Ibur choice, to conquer or submit an
e we have made It. r,
Democracy cannot remain domicile
z In the world unless our might make
r ite tenure secure. A negotiated pca'
: OF this time, or in the near futur
1 means that all the heroic and sacrihci'
. endeavors Of our allies will have gor
. Tor naught. No matter how great OF
horror at the thought Of our sons an
brothers falling thick upon the battle
Aald. we are so placed now that "
=, cannot assume the initiative IN nog'
:. tiating peace without meriting u
shame of having deserted Belgium
France. Britain. and Serbia after the
have noured out their life on our b
b haif Four hundred miles OF bloot
: sodden land. from the North sea 10 u
: swiss border, has become the only III
~ honor on which Americans can stan
r The story of Louvain and Liege maxi
o rhsrmopylae seem pale; shall all tn
: 1,-,. criposon splendor 60 II