The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-12-12
The Waterman and Legislation.

Circumstances necessarily oblige this
journal, during legislative sessions, to
devote its columns more or less directly
TO the discussion of measures before
the general assembly. The friends or
opponents of proposed enactments seek
this means of gaining the ear of the
legislature, and very often the editorial
endorsement of, or opposition to, vari-
Gus schemes is sought by members and
by other people, disinterested or other
wise. On certain public measures the
WATCHMAN has had strong and indie
pendent convictions, and, while always
ready and willing to publish opposing
views, it has invariably had and main
tanned its own ideas of what is right or
wrong, what is in accordance with
sound public policy. Some of our con-
temporaries who have disagreed with
us in certain things have sometimes re-
sorted to misrepresentation and per-
sonal attacks by way of answer to such
considerations as we had to present. 1t
has been quite the fashion of this class
of opponents to the measures and in
terests the WATCHMAN has been sus-
tanning to turn about after the biennial
contest is over and twit The paper with
"degeneracy," with waning inhu-
ence," with "lack of success" in the
causes which it has espoused or which
it has opposed. Yet it is true that the
circulation of the Daily Journal has
been doubled under its present manage
ment, that the circulation of the
WATCHMAN was never so large or its
advertising patronage so great and re-
munerative. independence and fear
lessness in the discussion of vital pub
lie matters seems to be at premium
with the people who take and pay for
paper. So we bear with patient resig-
nation the whips and stings" of dis
gruntled contemporaries.
The WATCHMAN ".points with
pride " to the success of many impor-
tant public measures it has supported,
even at the late session. 1t claims
some important part in the final enact
ment of decisive measure for reform
ing the public schools. Six years ago,
under its present editorship, it was advo-
eating the supervisory features of the
law Just passed. Yielding to the iudg-
ment of others, it abandoned the idea
of county supervision and did what it
could to procure the adoption of the
town system. Realizing in 1886 that the
legislation of 1884 had buried the town
system beyond hope of resurrection,
the present editor, then conducting
the Daily Vermonter, reviewed the
situation and suggested that all persons
who were more solicitous for the well
fare of the schools than for the adop-
ton or retention of a system should
unite in demand for a commission
to investigate the whole subject of the
schools, their condition, their needs,
the school laws, and report TO the sue
ceeding legislature. Judge Marsh of
Woodstock, stout opponent of the
town system but friend to good
schools, took up this suggestion, en-
bodied it in bill which became law,
the commission was created and the
school law reported by that commission,
for better or for worse, has been
enacted
The creation of commissioner of i'm
migration was proposed and favorably
discussed by the Vermonter year ago.
Its discussions attracted wide attention
and the scheme was generally approved.
This became favorite measure of the
WATCHMAN, and some of the important
provisions of the bill were the sugges-
tons of its editor. The bill providing
for the gathering of statistics of impor-
tant productions of the state was framed
and introduced at the suggestion of the
! WATCHMAN. 1t is true that the WATCH
MAN opposed unsuccessfully the Grand
Isle bridge bill, but as former resident
of Vermont, writing from distant state,
says, sit is not to the WATERMAN IS
discredit that it was beaten by a