The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-11-28

ton shook the state house so that
the windows ratified and the lady on the
dome of the capitol was shaken from her
pedestal. The bills came in thick and fast
and the clerks became so hoarse that they
were forced to resign their offices. Some
body moved that the speaker resign, but the
motion was ruled out of order and the
speaker stuck In his chair. The honorable
senate, consisting of several of the members
extemporized as senators for the occasion,
here made its appearance and the joint
assembly proceeded to elect a board of in
sane supervisors. The joint assembly then
dissolved, but the honorable senate refused
to dispense and it became necessary to " put
'em out"
THERE was an interesting hearing Thurs
day before the general committee on the
bill compelling corporations to pay their
employees fortnightly. M. A. Bingham, Esq,
of Essex appeared in behalf of the support
ers of this bill. He stated that this was not
a case of experimental legislation, and
quoted from the statutes of Connecticut,
New Hampshire and other states, laws
which provide that corporations shall pay
their employees weekly. Letters were also
read showing that the law had worked well
in the majority of cases. The chief ground
of complaint in Winoosk was that the
proprietors of the wooden mills not only
paid their help infrequently, but obliged
them to take orders on the corporation
store, instead of money, in payment of their
wages. The need of placing some legal
restrictions on the corporations of town was
patent for every one. Mr. Bingham sug-
gested an amendment to the BILL providing
that one-half the fines recovered under
prosecutions shall go to the complainant
and the other half to the poor of the town.
Mr.. Platt, a merchant of Winooski was
present and testified of the evil results of the
order system of payment resorted to by the
Burlington Wooden Company. Mr.. Henry
Carpenter of Winooski and Mr.. Wheelock
of Milton were also present in the interest
of the bill.
THE bill compelling railroad companies
to place blocks of wood in frogs on their
tracks, in order to prevent accidents result
ing from employees getting foot caught in
the frogs, was reported unfavorably by the
railroad committee last week and refused
a third reading in the house. On Monday
this vote was reconsidered on motion of Mr..
Glover and the bill passed. Mr.. Prouty
accidents on the railroad tracks, he had
found that large number resulted from
the person catching the foot in an open frog
and being run over before it could be extri-
Gated. The committee reported unfavor-
ably on this bill for the simple reason that
Attorney Writers, who was present at the
committee hearing declared the scheme to
be impracticable, as the switches could not
be operated unless the block was removed
each time. One member thought that the
DOCKS WOulu also interfere WlUn Une trains
and throw them from the track. The rail-
road committee evidently had not the
slightest idea of this arrangement for
guarding frogs which is in vogue in other
states, and allowed themselves to be guided
in their decision by the railroad attorney.
The fact is these blocks do not interfere in
the least with the running of trains or the
arrangements for switching. The only oh
lection to the bill is that it will entail a lit
tie expense on the railroads to put in the
blocks.
In referring to the passage of Mr. Mann's
commission bill, The Springfield Republican
says, in an editorial upon the decline of ag-
riculture in Vermont " 1t may be that in
the last eight years things have been bright
ening up there, but there is nothing to show
it. The evidence is all the other way. The
causes back of this remarkable depreciation
of an industry-the deserted farms, drift to-
ward the cities and apparent increasing
hard lot of agricultural life-might well de-
mand careful study and thorough consider
alton at the hands of such a commission.
mere superficial collection of facts for adj
vertising purposes would be useless in every
way, and fail to promote the end arrived at.
How has agriculture been affected by al
legged railroad determinations and rates?
how by state and federal systems of taxa
alton? how by the development of Western
agriculture and southern market-gardening?
to what extent is the decline due to inabil-
ity to adapt labor-saving machinery to work
on the hill farms? to the failure of farmers
to adapt themselves to y-changing
conditions as to crops that can be most adj
vantageously marketed? to the social dis
content that has drawn away to the cities
so many of the young men and women?
Here is a broad field for investigation. 1t
is to be hoped that the commission will be
appointed, and that the commissioners will
leave nothing undone in the way of present
ing all the facts relating to this question,
which concerns much of agricultural New
England as WE'LL
The Messenger goes into ecstasies and
double leads over the passage of the Grand
Isle bridge appropriation bill by one ma
iority. The extravagant exultation and
pharisaic fluctuations have dusky tinge
of that pious dispatch Bismarck, it is re-
ported, sent back to Fatherand after one
of the great battles Of the Franco-Prussian
war:
Ten thousand Frenchmen more laid low.
Praise God from whom all blessings flow.
Some of the Messengers hosannas are of
so extraordinary a character, we reproduce
one or two as curiosities of statement and
congratulatory writing: "They inhabt-
ants of Grand Isle county, are thus re-
garded as a portion of the people of the
commonwealth, and with declaration that
their fellows have a keen interest in their
welfare" Literary beauty aside, the facts
seem to indicate that this sentence should
come part of Grand Isle county" "The
act is praiseworthy on the part of the
state" etc. That depends What trades
were made? Was there any log-rolling
with bonded railway towns or any other in
terests? Was the appeal solely to mans
unbiased and innate sense of justice and
fairness? The passage of the bill is a
matter of general rejoicing by all fair
minded people of the state" That is, the
people who are rejoicing are the fair-minded
people and the people who opposed are
" the few " to whom a most emphatic re-
buke is given for ." obstructing the com
monwealth's progress" What a roaring
patriot and moralist this Falstaff of the
Messenger is!
THE committee on elections held hearing
last week Tuesday on the Bennington cleo
ton case. The attorney for the remonstrant
against the seating of Mr.. yelling, Frank
lin Scout of Bennington did not appear in
person but sent up written argument set
ting forth the claims of the clients. Their
claim is that the forty-eight votes which
We're cast for the prohibition candidate
We're, by some mistake in making up the
| tally sheet counted in with the votes of Mr..
| yelling, the republican candidate. If this
bundle of forty-eight votes is counted out,
Mr.. yelling will not then have a majority
| of the VotpS cast and tbara will he no