The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1876-04-10
THE DIFFERENCE IN EIGHTY-FOUR
YEARS

THE UlFfEhENCE In Eluhl i-rVUR
YEARS.
Nearly eighty-four years ago-November
3, 1792-in two story, framed and "clap-
boarded" building, situated on the east
side of Main street, opposite the common
was the county court house. 1t had just
been erected and was, as yet, unfinished,
being only in that state of completion that
1t could be temporarily occupied, and was
being used for the first time for the sessions
of that august body, known as the legsla-
ture of Vermont. While the house of re-
representatives. was quietly transactipg BUSH
ness, Samuel Hitchcock of Burlington, Lot
Hall of Westminster and Daniel FaIrand of
Newbury-three OF the prominent citizens
of the state, and members of the house
entered, as the record hath it, the "llonor-
" able House in such Situation by reason
:. of Intemperance as rendered them inca
" pable Of transacling The Business OF this
" House with Delberation, and behaved
" themselves in Manner unbecoming
Members of this House.
The house, evidently, did not think that
these honorable gentlemen had committed
any very heinous offense. 1t may be, as
Mr.. Walton suggests-and we published
his account of the affair some two weeks
ago-that the public reading of the accu-
sation was considered sufficient punish
"ment and warning to the offenders !" or,
it may be that the house, with Mr.. Samuel
Clark, of Weybridge, who presented the
accusation, "were Sensible of the imperfec-
"tion of my fellow creatures, and deeply
compressed with Sentiments of Esteem
." for the gentlemen, Il acknowledging
"their Ability & Utility" concluded to
take into consideration "their Reputation
IS past services, and act In this matter
"with Dignity, Candor and Deliberation,
"& that in the midst of Justice they
would reminder Mercy" Or it may
have been, and we are inclined TO think
that such was the case, that the house re-
membered that the building they were occu-
pylng was erected by the free will offerings
of the citizens of Rutland; that it cost
the state and county nothing; that one of
the most liberal contributors to the build
ing they were occupying was Captain
Nathaniel Cove, who owned and kept
public house, or tavern" Immediately
north thereof; and that by special agree
ment between him and the other contri-
butors, he furnished the ground on which
the building was placed rent free, on con-
dition that it should face north, instead of
toward the street, and that from the en-
trance thereof to his bar room door there
should be constructed good plank walk.
Remembering this, as they must have re-
membered it, how could they have con-
sidered the offense of Messrs. Hitchcock,
Hall and Farrand so very heinous, when
they were only making that agreement
bear the fruits that were expected of it
patronizing Goves bar room, and then
using the plank walk to betake themselves
to the new court house, or state house, as
Rutlanders, in their pride, we're wont to
call it.
However this may be-and VIC know
that the sale of liquor was then lawful and
considered respectable, and tradition in
forms US that the drinking of liquor was
not disreputable but was an indispensable
part of feast or funeral, of military
muster or ministerial ordination-,he house
took no other notice of the accusation than
to spread it on the record and proceed to
elect Samuel Hitchcock and Lot Hall-and
with them Lemuel Chapman of Pawlet,
who had patronized Gove's bar room with
them, but who either could stand more,
or had stopped before he had reached the
"Situation" to be "incapable of transact
" ing the Business of the House with De-
/" liberation of president and
vice-president on the part of Vermont, and
these gentlemen with Paul Brigham actual
ly cast our first votes for these oflices-the
votes being given for George Washington
and John Adams.
All this was eighiy-four years ago, and
we now come down to the year of grace
1876, when the sale of liquor is not consid-
cred as the most reputable of callings, and
intemperance is called crime, or INSIDE
meanor, and punishable as such. Some
ninety miles from Rutland in the neighbor-
ing state of New York, legislative body
is in session, and one of its members is
Felix Murphy, representing in part the
great commercial emporium of the coun-
try, man whom the speaker tells us has
the confidence and the respect and the
esteem of the assembly," This Felix,
. some ten days ago, committed drunken,
reckless act He not only became
grossly intoxicated, but went into the as
kembly postoffice and stole books from the
AAes of several of the members, and, also,
mail package from the table, took them
say with him, had them done up and di-
cted to him, for transmission through the
Ails, to his residence in New York city.
OF course this man, who is described as
Ia Representative of the worst type of New
\. York city MEMBERS" and whose only
her brilliant achievement during the
psent session was to vote for Henry