The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1920-08-18

| One thing is wrong in our scheme OF
politics, declared Mr.. Hartness. Politics
| has come to be a game, in which the
/ offices are passed around. 1t is built
APP on good fellowship, yet the things
we want 20 look after are forgotten.
! We must get down to fundamental
principles The state is not the rivers,
| the hills and the scenery; Vermonters
are what constitute Vermont, and if
they cannot get the right opportuni-
| ties here they win go elsewhere. They
want opportunities to progress; they
want more congenial work; the farm
| ers need better roads. How can these
/ things be brought about. Viewed from
every angle, there is one answer-the
! people must have more income.
The income of Springfield is $l0,-
| 100000 a year more than it was 80
years ago. The population of Wind
! sor has increased about 80 per cent and
| of Springfield about 81 per cent in the
! past 10 years This is due in large
/ measure to their industries. The speak
! or then outlined his plan of taking of
/ cutting from successful plants and es-
| tablishing new plants, and said it was
one of the most practical things that
ever happened
| ducements to secure industries, but it
is rarely that an established industry
| is moved. 1t can be done, he same
as a large tree can be moved, but it
| is not advisable 1t is better 20 adopt
the Springfield plan, which is like nur-
turing seedlings or nursing cuttings
| from plants.
In politics we should consider the
destiny of the state. There is now a
unique opportunity for developing in
dustries of n desirable kind. All through
| the state the homes contain Llncolns
and Coolidges who never will know
| their capabilities until given the oppor-
tunity. We must boost the scheme that
gives a man a chance. Vermont has
| been sold into bondage to the indus
| trial states,' Mr.. Hardness declared in
closing, "because we do not consider
the things that give our boys a
chance. -
In rebuttal Mr. Rabbit said he did not
need to say anything in reply to Mr..
Hardness. He agreed with Mr.. Hartness
as to the value of industrial develop
ment, but said it did not come through
legislation. Eve have been friends ever
since Mr. Hardness came to Vermont"
said Mr.. Babbitt, and if we can't play
the game fairly we won't play it at all. =
He quoted Governor Clement as telling
him that the 40-cent tax voted by the
legislature in its last session was more
than was necessary.
Mr. Hardness took no time in rebuttal,
merely stating without rising that he
had nothing further to say.
The chairman then gave the audience
a chance to ask questions. and one man
wanted to know how the candidates
stood on the prohibition amendment and
the Volstead enforcement act.
Mr.. Babbitt said he was in favor of the
amendment, but thought the enforcement
act was too radical and was not enforce
able. THE question doesn't come
within the province of the governor of
Vermont, however" he added.
At this point Mr. Hartness made the
first expression of his views on the sub
ject. II am a tee-totaler running against
three men who have been admitted to
the bar in various ways" said he. The
amendment has come to stay he de-
clared, and he asserted that he would
not favor modifying the enforcement act
in a way that would permit any larger
alcoholic content in liquors that may be
sold or that would tend in any way to
so many people want to tamper with the
enforcement act" the speaker said.
Mr.. Hardness then agreed with Mr.
Rabbit that the question was wholly
outside the province of the governor and
added that discussion of it in connection
with the gubernatorial campaign was a
waste of time. For that reason he had
not previously expressed his views. he
~ !.
Vermont, the home," he continued. and
appealed to fathers and mothers not to
support any movement to modify the
Volstead act so that more alcohol could
be sold. as he believed that would be a
stumbling block in the way of the oppor-
tunitics which he would put before the
young people
1t happened that on the platform were
three of the six candidates for county
senator, George L. Durham of Brattle-
boro, Willis c. Belknap of Bellows Falls
and Edward W. Aiken of Putney. and
without having given them any notice
the chairman called on them for re-
marks.
Mr.. Durham referred to the fact that
in the last two terms in the house of
representatives he had not missed a roll
call except one when he was excused on
account of an important committee
meeting. He also was on duty every
hour not for the sake of making a rec
ord but because he felt that it was
every man IS business to devote his
whole time to his task
Mr.. Belknap said he had some pro-
nounced ideas, and the subject which
he selected to express himself about was
the NOlStpad act He was dramatically
opposed to any modification of the act.
Mr.. Aiken, the last speaker, said he
had been too busy with his work to
make any canvass of voters, but as