Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1884-12-19

The humane lawyers Of the State expires"
deep regret that the last legislature ShOuld
have taken step backwards by passing
an act which permits laboring man 5
wages above five dollars to be trustecd for
debt The Old law permitted Il mans wa
yes above ten dollars to be attached, and
was narrow enough limit in all conscience
when we consider that when Il person
holding real estate and personal property
is proceeded against for debt the total eX-
emption from attachment is about a thous-
and dollars. There is the homestead cX-
emption Il span of horses IA certain mum
D,r of cattle and shesp,&s. a., the total
value of which cannot fall short of the
amount named Bat when the law
touches the labDrlnT man, VINO IS sailing
close To the wind always in the best times,
it deals with him in Il spirit of justice that
Is as savage as ShNlOCk, and rs sharp as
the knife he Whetted to take his pound of
flesh. lieut-tiOVcrnOr OrmSbec informs
Us that ali the lawyers in the State unit
Ell in opposing this harsh cuuctm mt, say
ing that IT was lnhuman and against the
best sentiment of uur State IA step 10 the
rear ; II narrOW-minded, oppressive mca-
sure. SMr Idle of st. .JOhuSburY, vigorous
Iy protested against its passage, saying
that the leading merchant, of his acquan-
of this sur, believed it would be altogether
better If there was no law for trustecing
wages in existence. They then would
firmly refuse to give credit to the petty
dead beat class, to reach whom ii WAS
urged this new trustee act was pressed To
Its passage. Mr.. Idle said the great mass
Of wOrkingmcn ought not to he treated
with undue severity under the law, be-
cause of the bad behavior OF the "blacll
sheep among them. Under this new law
Il man Will be Obligcd to get his pay every
day or every three days to avoid the per
emptOry action of this law. When we
remember how snort term of sickness it
takes. how few weeks enforced idlcncsS
To throw an honest workman behind, il
Is outrageous not To give him breathing
spell for recovery The law now gives
the largest measure of merCful exemption
To the debtor least entitled to conSidera-
ton, while the day-laborer that needs
and deserves the most generous treat
ment is tortured with the thumb screw
until he drops his last shilling. 1t is an
internal shame : Il disgrace to the narrow
mind that devised il and pushed ii through
the legislature. The next thing we shall
have will be an act passed for the relief of
usurers and Unsuitable note shayers, who
SIT, Ike cormOrantS on the skirts of bus
mess, watching for fish to fill their stum-
achs. We are sorry to say that Vermont
IS not any too progressive in the spirit of
her legislation, rs compared with the rest
OF New England, but the act we refer To
was born of ignorance, inhumanity and av-
arlce. 1t whips the great mass of honest
Wage-earners, because of sporadic cases of
bad faith it is progress backwards, and
we firmly believe the next legislature will
repeal il ii is Il disgrace to the statute
Book, both in letter and spirit We are
glad to know that the lawyers in both
house ana senate almost unanimously OBJ
posed 1t as harsh, unjust, and unworthy
of our intelligent humanity.