Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1845-08-21

-as--s----a'--'-----'-----.
ceedingly obnoxious-they call their rep
resentaiiyes to account and ask how such
law came TO be passed, and in every
single Instance the representative replies
that no such law ever was passed, and
when shown the law declares that to
be the Fl rst time he ever heard ofit.Do not
these ia lets justify us in the language we
have used! While our friend ofthe Free
Press who was a member Of the Leglsla-
ture in lS43, is as Obvious on the mat
ter as all tho rest of his coadjutors; while
he declares that it must he so,not from his
knowledge, but from the record, and is
able to tell as well as the man in the moon
when how or where that law got itself
through the Legislature, we think he will
not find ground to censurc US very severely
for having assumed that the obnoxious
feature was the offspring Of Juggling, in
some manner.
After saying that one Of the following
assertions must be true-to wit; that when
the Central Railroad bill passed, the mem
bers of the Legislature were all absent
that they were all asleep-that they are
guilty of downright alsehood when they
declare tina, they know nothing Of the read
ing of the clause in qucstion-or that there
was hocus pocus of some sort, about the
passage of the bill, this portion of the
controversy may as well be allowed to rest.
We can never ascertain the facts in the
case. The objectionable clause is a
part of the bll-nobody knows how it
came there and now the matter in hand is
to "redress the grievance.
"But says the Age, call agree that no
such clause could have "openly and fair.
ly passed the Legislature" Quite mis-
take. IAN" do not agree to any such as
sumption. IfMr Eastman will turn TO the
acts of 1885, he will find that a bill will,
"such clause" in it did pass the Legisla-
ture, openly and fairly, and remained on
the statue book till it expired by It's own
limitation, The present Central charter
is essentially transcript of the old one
and the section in question is, we believe
word for word like that of '35. So there
is no improbibilty in the matter.
So says the Free Press. But, every
man in the Stale knows that great revo
luton has taken place since 1885 in the
opinion Of the people upon the powers tina
should be possessed by corporations. II
1889 the wings themselves went further
than the Democrats had ever gone in theil
famous Bank Report. 1t is as fair to as
strt that because in 1900 the "honorablt
Council" were allowed certain sums TO
Rum, wood and Candles" that bill
would pass the Legislature in 1876 grant
ing the Senate the same immunlties, ant
we re.assert, what every man ir the Stat
knows to be true, that no such clause Il
the one attached to the central railroad
charter ,cxemptng the stock from taxation
could have openly and fairly passed tn
Legislature of 1913. Who says nay? vii
the editor of the Free Press' The fact U
every member Of the session of '43 bcin,
SO anxious to avoid the odium of KNOWN,
anything about that clause is sufficient t.
put this point beyond farther controversy
Let us now, for a moment look at TIT
Justification of the clause by the Ere
Press. That paper says
The same policy that was adopted in 3
prevailed in '43-and the legislature in
tended to hold out strong inducements t,
capilalis to embark their means in all Ell
terprise which was then regarded as ve
ry hazardous Investment to stock holders
but of vital importance to the State.
was part of the same policy that led tn
State few years ago to exempt sheel
from taxation, to encourage people to EN-
bark in the wool business, and in accor
dance with which we are now paying mo
neg out Of The treasury to promote the cul
ture Of silk and stimulate agricultural pur
suits generally. Surely, that enlightened
policy which regards productive agricultu
raj industry as the basis Of its wealth
should lead an inland state to lean kindly
toward that enterprise which enable TIL
producer to reach the market. The prin
ciple is idendical IN both cases.
We think this matter of investing mon
ey in Central Railroad stock is going to be
and was calculated to be, from the com
mencemen,, profitable and if we are bount
to believe the advocates of that road ant
can Judge anything of the opinion of CAPT
talists Of the value of the stock by the ca
gerness with which it is taken, it is not 81
"hazardous" business after all! Thi!
talk, however, the leaders know is al
CANNON, off Of the same piece Of the talk {
few years since about the lmpossibiity o
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