The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-02-08
Fundamentals.
(Rutland Herald.l

Speaking at the reunion of the legisla-
ture of 1915 at Montpelier last week.
Judge Warner Graham OF Bellows Falls
uttered some sterling Truths in relation TO
the public tendencies OF the age.
lie said substantially:
The bill of rights of this state pre-
VIdes that ii Is necessary for the haDDI-
ness of free people TO make frequent re-
currence to fundamentals
There Is a tendency IN both state and
federal government TO establish a ruling
class by the rapid multiplication Of of
tIclals and commissions and such rapid adj
vancement along these lines has been made
in our own state that already they have
appropriated the room required Tor. the
ordinary and necessary constitutional
functions of our government; that these
officials are constantly asking for and re-
Ceivng more power and authority over
the individual and that you cannot in
crease the powers OF officials without cor
respondingly diminishing the rights and
freedom of action OF the individual, all OF
which imposes upon the state the per
Torrance OF duties for the individual
which the individual ought TO do Tor HIM
self.
1T Is easily possible for free ncople
to lose their liberties by the adoption Cf
governmental notions made attractive AMI
plausible under the guise Of new freedom
and new Liberties.
I'VE can lose our liberties by a volun-
, tary surrender of individual rights to. Of
ticIals as effectively we lost theIn
through the medium of the general strike
or revolution.
''The time has come for us not only to
stand like adamant against any further es-
Establishment of the government upon the
rights of the individual. but to turn abou,
and demand a return of rights which have
already been surrendered and to return
to the fundamentals as established by the
, constitution"
I'm the face Of a tendency toward pater-
nal government SO serious that it Is Civ
ing the friends Of free government consid-
cradle concern, it Is truly refreshing To
hear a young man like Judge Graham so
clearly and resolutely taking a public 20
sition that is not only IN direct oppositiOnI
to the present trend of public policy but
is certain to get him nothing but depre
citation from the great mass of the un
thinking
The state of Vermont is doing more
for agriculture than any other state of its
limited means. 1t has spent millions %
dollars toward eradicating bovine tGbcrcu-
lOsis, and it is now proposed that she
shall spend a million dollars more every
two years.
We have established board Of charities
and probation. the needs of which have
grown from $4,000 to $4,000 with a much
laroer sum asked for.
We have established home for the
feeble minded at Brandon. which Is not
only over-crOwded but which has a wait
ing list so large that a doubling of the
present plant is clearly indicated.
Over 100 separate items, mounting intOl
the stupendous sum of S6.2lS,000. consti-
tute the proposed budget for the next!
hiennium. with scores of "helpful' pro-,
jects already incubating in the legislative
hopper. Clearly the time has come, as
Governor Hartness pointed out In his rel
markable impromptu address last week.
for some one to call halt, and no one
can do it but the government of the state
OF Vermont in the persons Of the general
assembly and the governor himself !
We are trying to do too much for orr
people. We are Sloughing off on the state
what we ought to do as individuals, and
the townss are unloading on the state and
the county lot of duties they should at
tend to themselves.
\ people that gets into tins condition
is headed for chaos and dissolution. and
the sooner we recur to the fundamentals
Of free, Republican government, the better,
for ourselves.
The legislature of 1921 is likely to go
down in state history as one that had the
courage to do things Now let its best
minds and brains give attention to the
things that ii ought not to do, thinIs
that ii ought to undo, in fact, and progress
of anoher kind viii be reverently noted. /
Let us study our constitution, now hap
nily preserved for another ten ~nars from
further idle and Needless invasion. and let
us get back to the essentials which the
fathers held were necessary to a strong
and self preserving government