The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1855-11-14
Legislation in the Dark.

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direct process, the minds of the people
are interested in them. their results are
looked for their benefits approved their
defects seen There arises an interest
that they should be carried out.that those
who propose them should be- honpred |
and sustained, that only such men should |
be trusted as will advance tho interest
and honor of the State. and no course of
policy be substituted rccklcssly for one
already appreciated. whose fruits of
prosperity are beginning to be known.
Tho administration of tho government
is already distributed according to the
necessary functions it is called to fulfil
These should be strictly systcmatized.
aud made u constitute together its
known administration The reports of
each department should be made season.
ably through its own organ, and all BE-
brought, together with the rccommeuda.
tious Of the Governor. before tho repre-
scutativos Of the people II would then
be patent to all the people. what these
bodies have to do The ground they
were to act upon would be fixed and as
cer,aincd, fixed in the public estimation
and they, with authority too brief to be
responsible to their succcssors-for they
die insolvcnt from year 20 year,an3 their
accounts are never opened-would be
responsible to public option. to the state
and to history, and refuse TO act wisely
at the peril of infamy
During the present session we have
been met with an illustration Of the
evils OF the present system, from the pc
cullar character of which the Importance
ct the change we suggest may be more
distinctly presented In 1913, law
was passed for the encouragement Of
Agriculture. and the Mechanical Arts
by means Of associations of those utter.
cstcd. auc the aun of two thousand dol
lars was directed to be apportioned an
uuaiiy tO the counties of the State. to
promote associations in such behalf. Tn
der this bencfcent policy, the Agricul
tural Societies, Of late existing. were
constituted, aud in connection with their
efforts, the public mind of the State has
been awakened to the progress of agri
cultural aud mechanical improvement
and numbers stimulated to all in their
! further advancement. The FANS Of thr
various counties were becoming lclt as
the centres Of influence in this direction
the Attendance upon them was iucrcas
ing, aud the couuties. which did not en-
| JOY their benefits, were becoming less and
! less conspicuous in their comparative
| success in these interests The policy
OF the government was producing its
! legitimate fruits 1t was equal towards
all. and those, who would respond to it,
were realizing its benefits From the
! beginning there were minds Indifferent
to the object aud individuals hostile to
any action intended for the common ben
eft. Persons o: this cast exist every
where. competent as they think to their
own benefit and inaccessible to the gen.
erous impulses of those who feel with
the community of which they are a
part. In the midst of this uuques.
tiouable progress. when much had been
accomplished. and more, and greater i'm
proycmcnt, through the Fairs, is CON
stan.ly coming into slght,--which
without these institutions, by the
masses which attend them. would never
b. drcameduf-t hostilc'or iud iffrrent
sentiment of those. who have never con
tcmplatcd their benefits. or have seen
them with jealousy has delegated an in
iucucc to the governing body, and in
repeated instances eXerted itself to hin
der system, conceived above its sym
lnthi,s.
Such attempts lave failed hitherto
and the Agricultural Societies have pros
pored. The present year. measure dis
continuing the patronage Of the State
which had originated them, has been
adopted in the House possibly for con
sidcialious which present it ms n more
available measure, for the interest Of
the essential ljocts to be cherished by
it, than that which is Discontinued. We
huyc no report Of the measure itself
This is our illustration, which we pres
ent, of the disadvantages Of govein
ment in the dark. The provision made
by the State for agriculture, though
small, was beneficenl, 1t was ildicou,
also, and though of little positive concern
in itself, it deserved to be followed by
tho observation Of the government t.
SEQ if the benefits intended were prodlc
ed. and if other and wider benefits were
slringug up as the result. 1t would
hayo found it SO. Tho disposition OF
these funds, reported to the government
with the action of the Societies aud their
success, should have been analysed, elias
SIZED and presented to the Legislature
aud through it to tic pcople,and geuor'
Gus minds throughout the State, a
Weakened to the policy it had adopted, To
scruriuizo aud aid it. that the most
might be done by a measure 50 cheap
yet so equal aud liberal in character
which could be done Would it then
have been in increased danger from year
TO year, as hostility became more embit-
tered aud indifference more mischioyOus
and an accidental influence should be pro-
cured to them by which their malignity
m ght be eXertcd2 Instead Of this the
Progress IF the Arts even by means so
humble as those attempted 10y the Leg
islaturc twelve years ago,--in positive
sense Of the good to be produced, would
have been the single interest of society,
with numbers Of minds, the most essen
tial of all That by which fruitfulnoss
comes to our fields and profit to our
stalls, ard grace and excellence to all
our possessluns-thatb by which skill is