Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1881-01-14

The report OF the Prison Commissioners
of Massachusetts, discusses at some length
the law passed by the last Legislature Of that
State, under which the penalty for a.singie
/ case of drunkenness was fixed al one dollar
without costs. The commissioners do net
c'nccde that it has caused an increase Of
drunkenness. They urge that as the law
while it makes the penalty for single case
| OF drunkenness light one imposes a long
time Of Imprisonment for common drum
ards, lis operation is On the whole saiisfao-
| tory. Tic diiiicullics in thc way Of an cquyI
administration of this law are Concedc! bat
it is contended that it las merits un the score
Of economy, and Justice 10 The fImiiics cs
| offenders. In conclusion the comniissionars
say IF a law can lie 81 framed a. 20 So
cure with certainty long sentences iar IT,
formation, for habitual druukar,is, and a
moderate lne or brief imprisonment flr &C.
casonal acts or states Of drunkenness i WIFI
accomplish about all that it is possible a. 10
for the inlemprrate Ly peu'l l.ris'i';a1
against them
GEyFEAL MAno,E, Senator c'e,t r..a.ts-
ginin, and the leader Of the =, E,aljGsteTs put,
of that State. has taken occasi, VI 80 express
himself at length in relation 20 the iiaauca
affairs OF the old domain. lie Ea.u;a,-.
that the intentions of the Beadiistefs l7-
honorable that III common with all thf r.,
Of the citizens of Virginia who are oonsern-i
for the welfare of the state they desire 20 seq
her act justly towards all her creditors thai
hc and his friends cannot justly he called re-
pudiators; that they have simply employed
the honest method OF determining the entire
Legitimate debt uf the State and then hav.
SET about paying The highest rate Of interest
which the resources and revenues oi the
State will permit Starting with the prapr7-
ition that the STATE i bankrupt, Gen Ma
hone ar..iI,.s, in substance, that when d State
canno: do AS well as it wishes by its cred.-
tors it must content itself with doing the
best she can. The Rcadjusters, he contends,
propose 10 have Virginia do the best she can
while the party that is opposed 10 them
would have her do better than she can. The
concluding paragraph of Gen. Mshonss
statement seems to afford some reason 10
hope that there is an intention on his parl 70
break down sectional prejudices and take {
national view Of matters as a whole II l. IS
follJws:
And with the readiustment OF the deb, s5
proposed, the Readjusters come into fu!.
control of the commonwealth, remove the
Bourbon reactionists from place and powe.
and start Virginia en- 4 new career Of PR.
gress, prosperity and greatness. Free sui
frage for all men 4 fair count at the polls
free education for all children, and an i'm
partial administration Of the constitution amt
the laws for all citizens will be the internal
policy of the liberal party which shall have
dethroned the BourbOns And with respect
to the nation and our sister States, the same
liberal party will insist upon and inculcate
honest submission to the results of the war
due observance of the constitutional amend
meIts the reconstruction acts and all the
other and implied conditions that accom-
panied the restoration of Virginia 10 the
Union: the cultivation of fraternal relations
with our fellow citizens of every quarter, ami
the removal of sectional iealousies and race
distinctions in all our politics.