The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-10-10
Governor Ormsbee's Message.

! valediCtory message. Whatever may be
my personal views as to this being tile best
or wisest course, in view of the constitu-
tional requirement that the incoming gov
ernor shall prepare and lay before the gen
eral assembly such business as may appear
| to him necessary, the practice has been so
uniform for such period Of time and been
| looked upon, believe, with naught but ia
vor and been wisely performed by my
! illustrOus predecessors that, in considering
the subject, it has assumed the form of Off
cial duty. In performing this once ques-
tionable official act, it will be my purpose
to confne myself to rendering an account of
my stewardship as the servant of the state,
rather than TO enter to any considerable ex-
| tent into the field of recommending or advis-
ing as to the work of the session beyond
what may be properly denominated unfn-
| ished business, having reference to the acts
aud resolves Of the last session, and i'm call
ing your attention to some matters of pub
| lie interest or concern that have TRANSFERRED
| during my term of office, ] am pleased TO
say that the prospective business of this
session will demand your most earnest and
serious attention and consideration: ques-
tions of unusual public concern, TO success
! fully solve which will require you to put
behind you all narrow or selfish Considera-
tons, having only in mind the interest of
the entire state and looking well to the fu-
ture as well as to the present.
EDUCATION.
To say that it will be your duty to con-
slider and dispose of matters and questions
Of vital importance to the state in reference
! to this matter would be to repeat what |
may assume TO be known by all: and it
would seem to be but a similar act to assert
! that the common or public schools of the
state, as to which in former times Vermont
erS were Justly proud, are at the present
time as a whole far from satisfactory, if not,
! i'm fact, deplOrable in their lack of efficiency.
| This condition of things was recognized at
the last session of the Legislature; and after
much earnest though fruitless effort to find
a cure for the trouble that might he applied
at once, Act No. III of 1886 was passed with
substantial unanimty. BY this act the gov
ernor was " authorized and directed to APP
point committee of three competent and
practical men whose duty it shall be to re-
| wise, redraft and so far as may by said com
| mittee be deemed necessary, draw up new
bill, rejecting all or as many of the sections
of the school law now in force they may
deem desirable, and substituting therefor
such new sections as will best add to the
efficiency and improve the public schools of
the state, and report bill to the general
assembly at its next biennial session"
appointed as such committee, Hon. James
NJ. Tyler of Brattleboro, Rev. Ezra Brain
ard of Middlebury, and Professor S. W.
| Landon of Burlington, and before but little
action had been taken by the committees
Mr. Tyler resigned on account of his APP
pointment as one of the judges of the SUI
preme court, and ! appointed to fill the va
cancy Hon. Loveland Munson of Manchester.
The committee have completed their work
and it will be before you, The act under
which this committee was appointed only
requires the presentation of new BILL but
at my request, the committee have supple
mented the bill they offer by a report in
support and explanation thereof. Should
the measures presented by the bill offered
seem to you to be radical in the changes
proposed, or extreme in any of its features
or provisions, | beg to remind you that the
trouble sought to be alleviated is also eX-
treme, and that the disease sought to be
| cured involves the good name of the state,
and the happiness and intelligence of the
children Of the commonwealth. | bespeak
for this subject due appreciation of its i'm
portance and candid and earnest thought
and action. The bill submitted has, as a
whole, my approval.
NORMAL SCHOOLS.
The present system of maintaining and
supporting normal school instruction will
expire in August, 1890, if no action is had in
reference thereto at the present session
In anticipation of this fact, the last legsla-
ture directed the governor TO appoint four
| suitable persons, who with the state super
intendent of education should constitute a
| committee " TO inquire into the system of
normal school instruction under the patron
age of the state, and report to the governor
before the meeting of the legislature of
1888, as to the discontinuance of the present
system after August, 1890, the desrability
| OF establishing one state normal school
owned and controlled by the state and in
connection Herewith, the practcablity of
normal school instruction connected with
the graded school, in each county in the
state" | appointed as such committee
Hon. Jonathan Ross of ST. Johnsbury, H.
o. Wheeler, ESQ, of Burlington. Hon. AL
bert n Swain of Rockingham and Professor
Edward III. butcher of Brandon. Before
the committee entered upon the perform
ance of their duty, Mr.. Swain resigned by
reason of serious illness in his family, and
| appointed Professor III. NJ. Willard to fill
the vacancy. The report of this committee
will be before you What l have elsewhere
said on the subject of education has direct
force and application to this matter Should
it be your pleasure to legislate in the direc-
ton of greater efficiency i'll the public
schools, you seemingly cannot omit to make
provision in some form for normal school
instruction, for reasons too evident to de-
| mand illustration or argument. This re-
port presents duty that cannot be post
poned or ignored, and covers field of pub
lie interest that pertains to but few sub
| iects; and it is expected that you will per-
form it upon broad and unseltish grounds
and principles, having in mind the con-
coded retrograde condition of public in
struction, the important and seeming in
separabe connection between the common
high grade of the former is to be sought
after and maintained: and also having in
mind the fact that the responsibility of dis
posing of this matter is with you.
INTEMPERANcE,
In my inaugural message | took occasion
to remark at some length on the subject of
incompetence and to express decided views
and suggest certain legislation. My views
are the same now as then, and, We're it
within my province TO advise as to the legis
lation on the subject, | should now repeat
my former suggestion in that respect with,
if possible, increased emphasis. will only
add that observation and information agree
and establish in me the belief that there is
scarcely sister state where "A better con-
dtion of things exists or where the public
sentiment is more healthy upon this all i'm
portant question of public concern. At the
same time venture to assert without fear
OF denial that the illegal sale of intoxicating
liquors and the use OF such as beverage,
even here in our favored state, is direct
cause of more crime, trouble and sorrow,
the blight of more homes and the eXtin-
guishment of more bright hopes of happi-
ness, than all other causes combined. If
am correct in this you cannot fail to take
! Ia, thA nd Itr