St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1878-11-22

deserving him. This was the only of
ficer requiring a second ballot to decide
the election and the excitement was
at fever heat during the second count
and when the announcement of the fnaI
result was made, an unusual stiffness
pervaded the Representatives Hall, and
"a manifest surprise in certain quarters
that the majority for Gen. Kingsley was
so small. Under all the circumstances
Col. Fletcher has reason to congratulate
himself upon the number and loyalty OF
his friends, rather than to mourn his
defeat.
For State Superintendent of Educa-
ton, a sharp but, in the opinion OF
many of the best educators in the State
an ill-timed and unjustifable contest
was had between Edward Conant OF
Randolph, the present incumbent of the
Office, and j. S. Cilley of Brandon
which resulted in the reelection of Mr.
Conant by handsome majority on the
first ballot. Mr.. Conant has proved
himself an efficient officer; and since
the interests of education in the State
demand both efficiency and permanency
it was unwise on the part of the friends
of Mr.. Cilley to attempt to supercede
Mr.. Conant,-an attempt which met a
very fitting rebuke.
The election of Railroad Commits
sioner, Commissioner of Insane, three
Directors of the State Prison, three
Trustees of the Reform School, and
three Trustees of the University of Yer
mont and State Agricultural College,
was postponed until Thursday of next
week, to await the result of pending
legislation in regard to some of these
offices. 1t is proposed to abolish the
office of Railroad Commissioner, which
would be no detriment to the interests
of the State, and would at least save
the railroads one free pass to an entire
ly useless and expensive State officer.
The Directors of the States Prison and
the Trustees of the Reform School will
probably hereafter be appointed by the
Governor with the approval of the Sen
ate-a change which will tend to re-
move these important offices from the
arena of political lobbying and trading,
and give us efficient rather than avail
able officers.
MONTPELIER, Nov. Is, 1873.
AFTER THE BATTLE.
Instead of "quietly folding my tent
and stealing away" after the battle of
yesterday among the wOuld-be state
have tarried behind the re-
treating army of interested lobbyists,
and disinterested spectators, to take a
review of the battle field and certain
ly lovelier morning scarce ever dawn
ed alike upon the victOrs and the van
pushed, than this bright November
Morn, with its golden sun and bracing
air. Even the disappointed hopes of
political aspirants are for the time over
Swallowed by the cheerful countenance
of nature itself; and the more cheerful
of the friends of the
victors of yesterday dispel the last ray
of gloom that could possibly cast a
shadow upon the assembled wisdom of
the State. Everybody seems to rejoice
that the official contest is over, and that
nothing now remains but a judiciOus
and speedy completion of the more i'm
portant
WORK OF THE SESSION.
What has thus far been accomplish
ed, you can better learn from the Off
cial reports than from any outsider.
What is yet proposed to be done, may
perhaps be learned by hasty glance
behind the scenes. An attempt is being
made to cut down the pay of State Of
fcials; but after listening to the dis
cussion of yesterday morning on that
subject in the House of Representa-
tives, am satisfied that great deal of
the talk and buster about reform and
reduction of expenses and salaries, is
more for political effect at home, than
from a real desire to save taxation to
the people. The bill reported from the
of salaries and fees fixed the
pay of the members of the Senate and
House at $3.50 per day, and one of the
first motions made was to strike out
that section of the bill, leaving their
pay as now at 50. Right justly did the
of reduced salaries retort up
on members who urged a reduction of
the salary of the Secretary of State and
other officers, when they accused them
of declining to take their own medicine.
But that whole question is still in the
mill, and there is no possible way of
knowing, at this stage of the proceed
ing, what kind of grist will be ground
out. There is, however, a wonderful
zeal on the part of almost anybody
that there shall be a reduction in sala-
ries of all the State officials-ercept their
OlUn.
The Senate have repeated the blum
der of two years ago, and refused to
pass the bill creating the Office of At
tOrney General. And so the State must
continue TO plod along as heretofore,
with Indifferent or inefficient States
Attorneys, requiring assistance in all
the more important cases, which entails
a cost much larger than would be that
of an Attorney General, another in