Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-10-13

highways. Inc unjust demands OF sOlnc
persons claiming to have been injured by de-
fects in highways, and their success In re-
covering heavy damages had prejudiced the
whole people against law very Just and
equitable 10 principle. Towns should be re-
quired to keep their highways in safe con-
dtion. From my own observation and from
the information that has come to me, am Of
the opinion that the roads through the State
have not been as well cared for as they were
before towns were relieved of their liability
In this respect. The county road commits
sioners have seldom, if at all, been called
out. The system is too unwieldy for prac l.
cal use. Evidently the Legislature ought TO
do something to give us better roads ANA TO
protect honest travellers.
Par,oms and Conditional Discharges.
One of the unpleasant duties of the cXccu-
tive arises in connection with applications Tor
pardon. The moment man has committed
a crime his friends are more afflicted than he
is. II he is convicted and imprisoned, his
family and those dependent upon him ere
deprived Of their protector and means of
support his parents and other friends are
overwhelmed with grief. and to them his
case seems so exceptional and peculiar, and
with so many eytcnuatlng circumstances
that they think he ought TO be pardoncd, and
at once make application TO that end. And
were such case the sole one to be acted
upon, and sympathy alone to be the govern
ing motive, there would seem to be good
reason for granting n pardon. But almost
every case carries lis afiliction to friends
with it. PaIdons, that were originally sun
posed To be granted as matter of special
favor on the part of the executive, and by
appeal TO his sympathies, have come to he or
at least ought to be governed by some settled
rules and principles. Our courts are so just
and humane that the Governor would seem
presumptive who should arrogate to himself
the duty of correcting their action. | have
granted but few absolute rardous from the
State Prison aud House of Correction, and
none from the Reform School.
The last Legislature provided for condi-
tional discharges and made 1t incumbent
upon the executive to prepare form OF such
"A conditional discharge, which should also
set out at length the II ittimus on which 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, aud
should be rccommitted 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
Wet "shall pres rye this conditional discharge
until the expiration Ut the term for which he
was sentenced, and produce it when called
upon to do so within that time by any mag
istratc or police officer Of the State he shall
abstain from any violation Of the law and
from the use of intoxicating drinks as II bcv-
erage; he shall not habitualy associate with
VIGOROUSLY bad characters such as rcputed
thieves and prostitutes he shall not lead an
idle ami dlssOlulc life without visible means
OF obtaining a livelihood, aud shall keep the
Governor Informed Of his place Of residence
until the expiration Of the term for which he
was sentenced
In granting conditional discharges. acted
upon the assumption that the Legislature i'll
tended to have the Governor Use the condi.
tional discharge AS means Of reformation,
and thus to some extent make the State Pris-
on and House of Correction rciormatory as
well as penal institutions. In some instances
! have added II further condition that the dis
charged man should be under the special
charge and surveillance of some officer in the
nciIhhlrhOOd OF his residence. Thus far but
one man has been reported Us having broken
the conditions of his discharge He has
been rcNrIestcd, and Is now serving out his
time.
TIE proposed constitutional amendment in
re9aid TO rcpiicvcs, communications and par
dons, seems 10 me To be desirable. At pres
cnt AS the constitution is construed, there Is
no power TO pardon in case Of murder,
Executions.
During the past two years there have been
two executions with the usual distressing ac-
COMPARTMENTS but with a great deal less of
ba!barity than frequently attends them in
boar" ~ Agriculture.
This board was established two wears ago
in place Of n Superintendent of Agriculture
Ii has done Il good work through the State
for the past two years. Its members have
been practical farmers of advanced views
upon the subjects they discussed. and the
Inquiries they have prOyOkcd and the ry
pcIimcnts that have been Instituted at their
suggestion, have had a mos, beneficial iptlu.
euce In The .localitles where they have held
meetings. They have worked in harmony
with The authorities of the State Agricultural
College and had much valuable aid from lie
president and professors. | think That the
State mus, be satisfied that board of com.
pe,cnt men is of much more efficiency than
The most able man working alone
For several wears past the educational af-
fairs of the State have been looked after by
the Superintendent Of Education alone.
Much good work has been done, vet our
schools have no, advanced 10 the position
they ought to hold. One man can not nc.
complish everything, and the State has no,
done what it ought To do for our schools.
There can be but little doub, that very much
more might be accomplished by a Board of
Education. composed of the leading educ,.
tors of the State and those who are interest.
ed in the subject, with AN able secretary. tbnn
can be done by the best eXcr,iops of one
man, be he ever so gifted and cNperienccd
But all the educators in Vernon, can do but
little without aid from the State Two wears
ago thirty-scyen thousand dollars were nm.
propriu,cd for thetwo prisons and thc reform
school in addition TO their annual eypensr'
Nhirh 10 ,hi,,, thousand ,,,l,n,, l.. -,