The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-11-12

cies that tend directly to the repression
of crime by destroying the germs of
crime, it has put out its money on the
prison, house of correction and reform
school in practically an unstinted stream
money by the hundreds of thousands
of dollars for destroying serpents after
they have been Matched, money by
stinted and grudging hundreds for
destroying the serpent seed In 1878
80, 800 were asked for additions to the
prison; in 1880, 800, 900; in 1882, some
"very ingenious man found a "place"
in barn and piggery for $4,000. Gov
ernor Barstow places the sum paid for
buildings, repairs and improvements in
the last four years at $40 ,566.SS. In
1884 the cry is still for more, and in
1886 who can believe that the every
ingenious man " will draw the line at
bedbugs and sit down content with the
full discharge of his patriotic duty? In
addition to the original cost of the
iOuSC VI COllCCiiOh3 III 1910 I'LL ,OOO
and in 1880 81 900 were asked and voted
for that institution for additions and
improvements, and in round numbers
about 100000 have been expended
since 1866 on the state reform school.
The last installment of $4,000, with
several thousands of the contractors
private property, was incorporated into
that costly fabric in 1881. Now while
these munificent sums-munificent for
Vermont-have been freely voted the
institutions for housing criminals, for
light, wholesome and comfortable build
ings for rascals and luxurious quarters
for their keepers, money for $4,000
barns and piggeries, money for finer
chapels than the chief executive of the
state worships in, better appointed
schools than are provided for the un-
erring youth, what has this fostering
state done for the farmers and their
children? In 1878 a law was passed
allowing the superintendent of educa-
ton to hold educational meetings not
exceeding five in number annually in
each county and limiting to S12 the
aggregate expense of each meeting.
1t has doled out $500 annually to each
of three normal schools and in 1882 re-
luctantly added another $500. In 1880
it established board of agriculture,
fixing the pay of its members at 81 a
day and tying them down to a maxi
mum expenditure of 81, 800 annually in
the important work of advancing the
interests of the chief industry Of the
state. The spectacle of men like Henry
Lane and DIR. Cutting working in be-
half of the farmers for 81 day, COM
mon laborer's wages, of men like
President Buckham giving their time
at educational meetings to keep the ex-
pense within the stingy limit set by
the lawmakers, while the state is build
$4,000 barns and piggeries at the state
prison and providing at the reform
school well-equipped school rooms for
its budding vagabonds, is exceedingly
suggestive of the cause of the backward
drift of things in Vermont. These Law
ish appropriations for the penal institu-
tons may be right and proper, but if
for every dollar appropriated to take
care of the criminals, young or old,
another dollar were appropriated to ad-
vance the moral and material welfare
of the unsinning, there would be less
ground for criticism and ultimately a
diminishing need for lavish sums to
build up and sustain elaborate penal
and reformatory institutions. The pol
icy of the state in this matter is all
wrong and one-sided, and its one-sided-
ness is an abnormal solicitude for the
comfort and welfare of the vicious. As
stroke of practical craftsmanship it
would be wise for the legislature, in
stead of appropriating money for new
stairs at the prison, to wait till there is
real need for the expenditure, invest a
few dollars in " bedbug pizen " to ex-
terminate the alleged vermin and divide
the $4,000 it is proposed to appropriate
evenly between the board of agricul-
ture and superintendent of education,
to be expended in farmers and educa-
tional meetings, to help out the far
mer's barns and piggeries and keep the
vermin out of the school-house: or,
better still, add the money to the Hunt
ington fund as the nucleus of a perma-
nent school fund, to be increased, dol
lar for dollar, for all subsequent OUTLAWS
on prisons, houses of correction and re-
form schools.
How New York Votes.
In view of CHARGES and counter