Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1884-11-21

rom its youth 10 its manhood prime
md many trust, and, | presume,
pray, that It's decline TO a timely
md may be no slower in its prog
ress. Iprcsume, Mr.. Editor, that
your correspondent from Cranky I
voices the sentiment of many OF our
constituency when he kindly, and al
most pityingly, shows his solicita-
ton for our well being. Many peo-
pie think, and / admit there is some
reason for it, that our prosperity
would be as great, that we should
enjoy as good health, and our gen.
eral progress be as marked under
the laws which have been our guide
for the past years, as under new ones
to be enacted; therefore they say,
ooh, what a waste Of money F" We
live and learn, or, at least, ought to
learn if we continue to live, and this
is the key to the wise necessity for
the enactment of new laws.
Undoubtedly some bills are pass
ed which cost more than they are
worth, and some which would prove
valuable in their practical operation
are born to gasp once only, to be
heard of no more till the next ses-
sion. | have heard it remarked by
those who in years past have done
valiant service in the legislative halls
las they think) that there was but
little to be done this year at the
most, that it was all done that other
time.
But, Mr.. Editor, any one who has
watched the reported doings of
those at Montpelier will find some
kernels of wheat mixed with the
chaff. Out of the six or seven hun
bred bills which will be introduced
many will meet an easy and unpub-
lishcd death in the committee room,
others are subjected to such ex-
tremes of mutilation and disfigura,
ton as to appear in an entirely new
guise, others flourish for time, are
carefully tended by some kind hand,
pity stays the hand of death for a
season, and the committee reports
favorably, and just as it sees with
the eye of hope a long future OF
usefulness, it hears the oninous
words, 'Let it be ordered to lie,'
perhaps to rise at some future time
only to meet the dreaded guillotine
dismissed. 1t is necessary, it is ex
pectcd that this death rate will be
large, but sir, there are those which
are meritorious, and to the words Of
these legislators give willing ear
Many meet with opposition, are as
sailed by cries of impracticability
unconstitutional, and the like, bu
! like the diamonds in the hands O
the cutter, come out of the fray, il
the strong light Of right and justic,
a blessing to the people.
What has been done, you ma,
say ? Much has been done, Mr.. Ed
itor, and much more will be done il
the remaining days of the session
Some of the most important meas
ures have not yet been reported b,
t the committees having them il
charge, particularly those relatin!
= to the town system of schools anC
free textbooks. Over these Their
2 will be spirited contest, but tn
friends of the bills are hopeful.
| believe these two ideas go hand il
hand, and herein lies the salvation
} Of our common schools. | canno
: think that antagonism to these prln
ciples can be the outcome of firm
desire for the best interests of edu
: cation. l am firmly convinced tina
! such feelings are rather the offspring
2 of seltishneSs, penuriousness, anC
l jealousy. There are too many peo
pie in this great free land who meas
S ure the value of life in dollars anC
cents. Give us these two system
: and for a less sum of money OH
; boys and girls will receive q bette
education, and the children of tn
poor be on an equal footing will
1 those of the rich in our common
+ schools.
) An appropriation of $4,000
: asked for to construct a State build
! ing for the Supreme Court and tn
Library. This seems to be a neces
t sity if we value as we ought yer,
large collection of books, which ha
: now to be cast into the dark cham
bers of the Capitol like hay into
= deep, broad NOW; the number O
4 these hooks is now about l2. 600.