The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-01-12
EX-GOV. FLETCHER
WANTS REFERENDUM
Advises Town Meeting Mandats Ia
Economy and Draws Picture Of
Ideal Next Governor.


NoI by the re-eiection OF old mem.
bers OF the Legislature bet by a di.
lect mandate from the taxpayer iu
the referendum Of the March meet.
lngs VIII retrenchment be o fectea
IN the administration OF the affair.
OF the state. said ex-governor Alien
VI Fletcher OF PrOctorsyille In a
New Years dag interview given 10
the Tribune for the readers OF the
vermont Newspaper Corporation
papers,
The Sage OF Chuckle Hnl' Is lis.
tened TO today as perhaps no other
man In the state In the matter of
Nermont's administration expendi.
lures. The warning ne has sounded
IN recent speeches and his criticism
OF the apparent exirayagancs OF the
present admtnistration have exc /.
lea the curiosity o. every taxpayer
regarding the methods by which the
former chief executive woald himself
substitute a program of retrench.
ment His Gosition unusually well
hts hiu 10 Judge state afafrs. having
, mad the experience of the leadership
! OF the commonwea IN and being al
present quite at leisure 10 study
men and conditions In reply 10 the
/ Tribpne,s request for his solution of
the economy problem. Mr. Fletcher
thoughtfully dictated the Following
! suggestion OF referendum.
There Is a great deal belng said
by various individuals suspected OF
being candidates for office at the
present time advocating the reelec-
tion OF old members to the legisla.
ture as partial cure at least of some
Of the states financial troubles, aud
the press for the past decade, In
season and out OF season. has advo
Gated that POI cy But the people
: have pad as little attention to that
advice as duck does to the water
running Of its back
But the existing financial cond,.
ti0n is one that appeals directly to
the pochetbook OF every taxpayer OF
the state. lie Is not 40 much inter.
ested In who goes to the leg islature,
which is a question to bo decided ac-
cord!ng to the law, providing he IS
competent and that whosoever he
may be. he will when elected recog-
pizei his election as a mandate direct
from the people to bring the states
expenditures back to normal condi-
tion and to treat the affairs OF state
as he would his own private business.
IN this connection II has been suggest
ed that at the March meeting In
every town OF the state resolutions
should be presented which would in
effect become 3 referendum directly
bearing upon the legislature TO he. |
lido not see better or quicker
method o. referendum than that"
The hospitality OF Chuckle Hill
twas so warming that the reporter
pressed more politics and the request
of pen picture from his host Of the
ideal next governor, The reply was
as thoughtfu'ly given as the referen-
dun statement Here is how the
elates next leader ought to measure
Iup according to this ex'gorernor's
icriterion,
What Is needed In our next gov.
ernor Is a man OF affairs with the
courage of his convictions to the de-
degree of being willing to ace aud
lcllmb over stonewall such as the
last legislature II would be better
that he have some legislative expert
ence and knowledge OF state affairs,
lbut particularly with the courage Ia
deal gent but at the same tune firm
Ily with organized bureaucracy which
has sometimes been described as
Those who have had their feet in thu
trough for all these many years.
ITho ex-governor quickly added after
the careful reconsideration OF this
description: wAnd Vermont Is full
of good material for governors,
Again he amended his measurement
of the ideal gubctnatoral type by a
final character essential; Our next
governor ought to- be one who will
be content to live with himself af
ter his term of office and be satisfied
that he had done his best"
There the Sage" halted his dis
cussion of state affairs To partil
cularize at this time he said, would
draw upon him various charges, poll
ties for example and this he seemed
N wish IN avoid Resides il was