Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-01-16
THE CONVICTION OF MR.. WILLIAMS

Many peculiar and unusual features are
legged shortage of Horace F. Graham
while State auditor of accounts and the
failure of State Ban COMMISSIONS Will
lams to discover and report that shortage
to the Legislature. If these cases had
been taken up in chronological and logical
order, 1t seems to us the State would have
first determined the question whether or
not the governor was guilty. If he were
found guilty, then the question would be
whether another State officer supposed to
keep check on his accounts, failed to dis
cover the shortage, or failed to report it
or both.
AS the situation now stands, with Bank
Commissioner Williams convicted of mall
feasance in office, it looks to us as though
the State had either presupposed the guilt
of the governor, who has not yet had
trial, or satisfied the jury of the COVER
nor's wrong-doing in order to pave the
way for the successful prosecution Of an
other State officer. 1t is difficult to pic
ture the State bank commissioner guilty
of falling to detect a crime which was not
not the State in effect convict the COVER
nor Of an offense in the minds of this jury,
and In the minds of the public before it
convicted Williams?
U1. A. .;.,ox.~ - Am o-NxInAr
way, could Williams have been success
fully prosecuted for malfeasance in office
at this time, If there had been no question
regarding any shortage by Horace F. Ora
ham?
We are making these queries, not to
question the administration of justice. but
as a help to our successful solution of the
problem how to deal with State affairs In
the future. Is it conceivable that the
State bank commissioner may not have
made reports in accordance with law, even
though there we're no offense by the AUDI
tor or any other State official? How are
we to know unless we have full and COM
plete publicity? TIL Legislature meets
only once In two years. We should have
something beside reports to the Legisla-
ture to inform us as to the conditions in
our departments and our commonwealth
as q whole.
1t now transpires that not a few men
have known for a long time that there was
something wrong with Graham's ac-
counts. He admits it now. or has ad'
ment. We do not undertake to character
} lie or classify that wrong-doing. Why
should 1t remain for the newspapers tt
dig out a thing like this?
} The lesson of this whole deplorable de
velopnent In our State affairs is that thu
D Legislature above everything else should
provide for full and complete publicity II
= relation to our public business. Our cit
. zens and taxpayers are in reality stock
I holders In the commonwealth. They hav'
a right to know what is going on. 1t l
their duty as well as their privilege t.
t know what is being done by public ser
anti in their name. That is true no
Q only of the State officials but also OF al
public servants from the President OF tn
Q United States down to town constabl
8 and overseer of the poor.
The reports issued by our Vermont dc
partments are in too many cases a scale
e book to the taxpayers. They are nc
readily ineligible financially to the ave-
age citizen. 1t has taken months for e'
Q perts to determine whether there was
shortage In the accounts of the audito