Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-10-13


PARDoNs AND CONDITIONAL DISCHARGES.
One OF the unpleasant duties of the EXecu
tive arises in connection with applications
for pardon. The moment man hns commit
ted crime his friends are more afflicted than
ne IL. If he Is convicted and imprisoned, his
family ana those dependent upon him are de
prived % their protector anu means OF sup
port His parents and other friends are over
whelmed with grief, and to them his case seems
soeXceptiunal and peculiar, and with SO many
eXtcnuatiug circumstances that they think he
ought to be pHrdoned, and at once make APP
plication TO that end. And were such case
the sole one to be- acted upon, and sympathy
alone to be the governing motive, there would
seem 10 be good reason tor granting y pardon.
But almost every case carries its atnictiOn to
friends with II. Pardons, that were original
ly supposed TO be granted as a matter OF
special favor on the part of the Exc cutive,
ana by appeal to his sympathies, have come
to be or at least ought to be governed by some
settled rules and principles. Our courts are
SO just and humane that tue Governor would
seem presumptive who should arrOgate 10
himself the duly OF correcting their action. !
nave granted Dul lew absolute phruOns from
the State Prison and House ofCorrectiou, and
none from the Reform school,
The last Legls iature provided for condition
al discharges, and mace it incumbent upon
the Executive to prepare "a form OF such
conditional discharge, which should also be
set ont at length the mittimus on when the
convict was committed to prison. The act
further provided that on breach OF any of the
conditions of the discharge, the party should
be liable as for an escape from prison, anu
should be recommitted to serve out the full
term for which he was originally committed.
The condition provided IN the form OF dis
charge prepared Is, that the discharged con
VCt "shall preserve tins conditional discharge
until the expiration of The term for which he
was sentenced, and produce II when called
upon TO do so within that time by any mag "
tiate or police officer of the state; he shall
abstain from any violation Of the law ana
from the use of Intoxicating drinks as II beN-
erage; he shall not habtually associate with
VIGOROUSLY bad characters, such us reputed
thieves and prostitutes; he shall not lead an
OF Obtdiuing II livelihood, ana shall keep the
Governor informed OF his place OF residence
until the expiration of the term for which he
In granting conditional DISCHARGES, acted
upon the assumption that the Legislature in
tended to have the Governor use the Condi-
tiouHl discharge as means of reformation,
and thus to some extent make the state PRS
on and House of Correction retOrnatory rs
well as penal institutions. In some instances
| have added further condlliOn mat the uls'
charged man should he under the special
charge and surveillance OF some officer in the
neignuu, mood OF his residence. Thus Tar but
one mHn mas been reported rs having broken
the conditions OF his discharge. lie has been
rearrestCd, and Is now serving out his Time.
The proposed constitutional amendment in
regard to repIicYes, communications and par
dons, seems 10 ne to he desirable. AT pres
enJ us the constitution Is construed, there is
| no power 10 pardon ~ case ni murder
| EXECUTIONS.
During the past two years there have been
| two executions, with the usual distressing &C
| compartments, but with great deal less o
| barDaritv than frequently attends them III
| other States.
BOARD OF AGRICULTURE.
| This Board wa established two years ago
| in place OF Supcrini eudrnt OF Agriculture
| II has done a good wrra thron@h the state tol
| the past two wears. LIS members have beer
| practical farm r. 81 advanced views upon
| the subjects they discussed; and tue inqut
ries they have pr'vokcl' nnd the rNperlmeni'
| that have been instituted AZ their suggestion
| have had most beneficial influence III the
| localities where thy nave held meetings
| They have worked IN harmony with the au
thoriit = OF the state A Irculturll College, ant
| have nud much valuable aid from its Presi
| dent and Professors. think That the state
| must be satisfied that IA board at competent
| men is OF mucn more efiici,n than tue most
| able man working "'"""
EDUCATION.
For several years past the educational af
| fairs OF the State have been looked HtteI 10y
the superintendent OF Education alone. Mucl
goOd work has been done, vet our schools
have not advanced 10 the position they Ough
to hold. One man cannot accomplish every
thing, and the State has not done what II
ought to do for our schools. There can he bu
little doubt that very much more might be nc
| cOmplished by IA Board OF Education, com
posed OF the leading educators of the Siati
and those who are interested in the subject
with an able Secretary, than can be done b!
| the best eXeriiOns OF one man, he he ever 81
| gifted and experienced. But all the educator
| in Vermont can dc hut little without aid iron
the State. Two years ago Ihirty-seven thous
|
Prisons and the Reform School, in addition Il
their annual expense, which Is thirty thous
and dollars. As more than hall of our con
victs are native born Nermonters, II woul
seem that we should do more tor education
and thus avoid being compelled TO do 80 muc
| to protect ourselves against crime. 1t Is dlff
| cult TO propose any legislation that viii nc
complish all we desire in this direction, but
stable Board OF Education in whom the stat
has confidence would from time TO tim
make suggestions as 10 the changes necessa
ny ia the law, and gradually raise the charat
ter of our common schools TO higher stanc
ard. The present superintendent OF Educu
| ton was elected by the Joint Assembly OF
| the last day of its session in 1850. He decl'I
ed to accept The position. l looked about 70
| "A suitable person to All the vacancy, but be
| fore had made any other selection the presen
incumbent was persuaded TO accept The az
| pointment. ana entered very soon upon tn
performance of his duties There was som
delay occasioned by the fact that the Legislt
ture of 1880 had. by some inadvertence repea
ed the act fixing the salary OF the Superintei
dent OF Education. The new superintendent
felt unwilling 10 perform the duties of hi
office Tor two years without his salary bein
paid him. In this iuncture several gentle
, men of the state executed TO the State Treas
urer satisfactory security upon which he rail-
eu me neccsSulN uIu9uht, on', nv ~ =, :,
tendent has been paid his salary REGULAR
| through the term. An appropriation should
made AT some early day to relieve those ger
. tlemen who have thus stepped IN TO save til
credit of the state.
, NORMAL SCHOOLS.
II Is unfortunate for the State and for III
cause OF education that we have three kormi
schools. What little the state feels able to d
| ought to he devoted to one school, 50 that
might do more extensive work than is poss
. ! BILE with three schools. But we can hard
. | expect any change now reducing the numbe
, | and we can get some consolation nom the M
! | thar three schools can accommodate more pI
! pills than one central one could. Our commu
. | school teachers are all young people OF smn
: | means, and IT is quite convenience TO the
= | to have IL school in their vicinity where the
/. can get such advantages as a Normal seho
4 | affords. | have visited all of the Norm
| schools during the present year. found thrt
| energetic, conscientious Principals with the
| faithful Hssistantsi dong good Work, m spi
OF many drawbacks. ! only ask the legtslato
I to compare what the state does for the Reior
Q school and the prisons with what i does (
!. the Normal schools, ana say candidly whet
l er II does enough for the latter.
5 TEXT BOOKS.
0 The five years for which text books to
/ used IN our schools were adopted VIII eNpii
}. in 1884 before the next session of the Legi
5 lature. The law still provides that each tow
r may select lie text book committee in a ma
o ner similar to that provided In 1873, so tn
: the several towns may oil have Inherent ttl
:, books, which would lead to great oonfusiC
IA and annoyance. The town committees wi
I selected the text book In 1873 showed mo
Q wisdom than the Legislature that made u
i law, for in a majority OF cases they he
r county conventions OF town committees, al
s | adopted he same text books IN most or u
II towns of the county. This Legislature mas
in its power to do justice to parents, leAohe
and scholars by providing tor uniformity
b. school books throughout the state and
y some way regulating the price of them, Il
> to he hoped that whoever hereafter ueclh
, | upon the reading books 10 be used, VIII sele
=, some that do not almost entirely igno
y | speeches and selections OF a patriotic chArH
a ter. The matter of the reading DOCKS
4, school influences the patriotic ietlhgs al
a. | moral character of most of the scholars mo
D. than their instructions affect their style
e. reading. Many scholars get no other readi