Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1888-10-12
THE GovERNoRs' MESSAGES.


and Governor Dillingham;, ON the retire
ment of the former from office and the
taking of office by the latter, are excel
lent documents; but, like many state
papers, are somewhat unwieldy. The
best we can do is to briefly refer to the
important points of each.
Gov. Ormsbee-who, by the way, has
been a most excellent eXecutiye-calls
attention to the aid provided by the State
for the deaf, dumb and blind; the eX-
pense TO the State on account of these
beneficiaries for the last two years has
been S13, 1854. He thinks more care
should be exercised in the investment of
the funds of savings banks. Treating of
education, he states the needs of the
schools, and tells what he has done to
carry out the legislation of two years
ago looking to a revision of the school
system and to the betterment of normal
school instruction. He says the railroad
commission has done we'll and suggests
the amendment of the law so as to render
it more in accord with the national law.
Other subjects touched upon are: The
national guard, the Gettysburgh monu-
ments, the soldiers home, the criminal
and convict insane-some further provis-
ion for whom is imperatively demanded; !;
penal and reformatOry institutions-upon
the wise management and generally safe
and satisfactory condition of which, he
thinks, the State should be congratulate
ed legislation by joint resolution-which
he deprecates, As to the claim of the
general government upon the State,
about which a good deal was said two
years ago, he believes the action Of Con-
gress should be awaited. The board of
agriculture in his opinion does good work
and the experiment station, "under the
management of its present excellent and
especially well adapted director, is meet
ing long-existing want" He gives a
history of the cattle commission and says
that "events transpiring subsequent to
the appointment of the commission dem
onstrated that there was great need of its
existence" In conclusion Gov. Ormsbee
suggests to the legislature that quality
rather than quantity is desirable in legis-
lation.
Gov. Dillinghams message is clear,
concise and able document. He goes ov-
er pretty much the same ground as his
predecessor. AS to the prohibitory law
he well says:
| AS the law now stands it is an exceed
ingly strong one. Its weakness lies, to
considerable extent, in the difficulty at
tending its enforcement. The person in
jured does not, as in other cases, enter
complaint, look up evidence and by his
suggestions aid the prosecutor in his
work, but by all means In his power, not
infrequently committing the crime of
perjury so to do, shields the man who has
ministered to his ruin. Its ineffectiveness
has also been increased by want of sup
port on the part of the public at large.
There have been too many who, though
at heart friendly to the law, lacked the
moral courage to publicly support those
who have had to do with its enforcement.
This class has added weakness TO weak
ness in its unjust criticism of those who,
deserted by friends and surrounded by
foes, have in most cases performed their
duty as wella the existing circumstances
permitted. Gradually, however, a better
public sentiment has been developed
prosecuting officers feel the moral sup