The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1921-08-26
FRIDAY, AUGUST &c, 1921.
KICKING AGAINST THE PRlcks

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KICKING AGAINST THE PRlCKS
One Republican voter in Mortified
was heard to remark that he has al
ways voted the straight orthodox
ticket, the same as his ancestors had
as far back as the party was orga.
nized. But, he said, If the Democrats
weren't worse than the Republicans
he would try them just once. He fur.
taer said. Where, oh, where, can
fy?' He further remarked it was
time to make an issue--not on cover.
nors, who had their hands tied, but
to pick one man in each town that
would bang anything in the way of an
appropriation that went above the ac.
tual necessities. His idea was that
no matter how badly things were
needed quit till we got somewhere
normal. This fellow is no pessimist,
but real business man-but he
mad clear through.-Northf6ld Neis.
We don't know who this Mortified
voter may be but we should like to
ask him few questions. In the first
pace, for every fifty cents taken By
the state of Vermont in taxes the
government at Washington collects
sixteen dollars and more. OF the |
great burden Of seventeen million dol !
lars a year in federal taxes assessed |
on the people of Vermont, ffteen.six. |
teenths or somewhere Whereabouts
was added during the eight years Of
the Wilson administration. Half OF
| 1t, or perhaps a little more, may be
charged to the war. The other half
can be charged directly to the build
| ing up of bureaucratic government
during eight years of Democratic adj
ministration. Some Of these bureaus
are already so firmly 4ntrencaed that
they cannot possibly be dislodged at
| present.
| If the Mortified neighbor is con
sidering voting the Democratic ticket
for the cause OF economy, he is
wrongly located, and should probably
be transported about twenty miles
down the river whore they have an
institution for such cases. At that the
Democrats didn't iayent tte system.
They borrowed it from the Republic
cans and worked it IN a bigger scale.
= The Mortified citizen is right
though in being worried a trihe at
! the way expenses OF government
] mount up, but before blaming any
( body else he should look himself
over. Has he kept his own personal
expenses down to where they were
ten years ago or nearly there? Is he
one Of those who has demanded that
the state of Vermont put millions in
to road building take care OF the in.
sane and detectives that used to be
done by the towns; pay a good chunk
Of the school expenses in every dis
trict; furnish hearn officers and
sanitary supervision in every town;
build bridges. eliminate grade cross.
ings and do a hundred other things
that TIE state formerly had nothing
to do with? Unless he has stood
rosolutely against these growing bur.
dens he shouldn't grumble too Loudly
but should take hold and work with
his fellow citizens VINO are seeking
not to do less but to do 1t more
efficiently and with minimum of
burden.
Parenthetically we might remark
that the most threatening menace to
the people of the United States just
now is the insidouA demand that the
government do everything. 1t cannot
be. The sooner people learn that
the individual must do most things
for himself and has right only to
demand that the government give
him safety and fa;r chance to work
out the best that Is in him without
interfering with the rights of others,
the moro progress the world will
make in commonsense government
No system OF government will make
a people happy prosperous, healthy
or satisfied No theory of church,
school or society will do It. We have
been fed up by the faddists too long