Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1890-10-17
essex County Atmld,
IsIa1i PsiI, w., FridaY, Oct. II, 1890.
The Legislature

ton. In olden times governments
were strong because they we're gov
ernmeEts and because they were
founded principally OIL physical
force. Zach subject would submit
to Inconvenience, and wrong even,
rather than incur the danger of
resistance, and reform or revolution
could never be accomplished until
the balance of the physical force of
the nation or state should he ap.
piled FIR that purpose. In the
same way now the mental powers
of a State work. Sometimes IT.
seems to us that men are as fearful
of running counter to the trend of
public sentiment as they used TO be
of cncountcring an arbitrary power
when it cost them their lives; and
they slavishly follow currents crea-
ted by temporary schemes because
they seem to be "thc 60" for the
time; and because projects are
shaped for them and they can float
along on them until they come in
contact with the people, and then
vitherdestroy them or are themselves
dashed to pieces by their collision
with public sentiment. Experiment
tai philosophy in the hands of men
who are not political economists has
b2ea the curse Of legislation in all
ages. The most radical man deems
himself the best temperance man.
The most prodlgal man, with the
funds of the State, regardless of
the expense, the machinery. the
alaptabilities Of Its parts, or the
burden it casts upon the poor, thinks
Himself the best friend Of education;
and the man who looks solely to the
creation Of the largest list without
looking to see whether his views are
in accord with the fundamental laws
OF the State, or whether the taxes
based upon it will fall douGly heavy
on some, thinks himself the greatest
financicr.
But we digress. We were about
saying that the people have been
carefully watching the workings of
some Of the experiments of the last
two years, and their immediate
rulers have Caught on" and we see
schemes puncturcl by the keen, in
cisive scalpel of the chief magis-
trate, who does not ornament his
message with pictures of grand
struc;ures, knights with long trains
of retainers, viaducts that almost ri
val the grand old Appian Way, and
intricate and experimental schemes
of legislation, making place for {
horde of petty officers who have ne
defined duties except to initiate the
most officious who arc always Incl
dent to q crowd at a fire, bu
states in a plain, concise and prac
teal way the business affairs of thu
State, and in such way, too, thai
the people seem to fall in. The
legislature has caught the spirit an(
sentiment Of the people, and arr
manifestly in accord with the Gov
ernor and the people. Although
not much OF the work of Legislation
has boon formulated or presented
q movement towards simplifying
and making more practical thu
school law has been made in a bill
abolishing the county board of edu
cation and establishing a towr
board, one from each school elocte(
by the district, to have charge o
schools, provde teachers, etc
This board is to appoint tow
supervisor, etc. Under the legisla
ton proposed the district has some
thing TO say about who shall teacI
its own school. If a blackboard
required tho district would not b
obliged to send off to some guardia
of the district whose head is file
with ideas of a fashionable progress
and who might get the article an
pay one dollar for it, and charg
two for getting it; or when wood
needed the district can supply
from its own ample RESOURCES.
these and other like provisions {
law are not economy why not ha,
some one in town to supply eac
mans furniture and fire wood, an
to run his domestic concerns!
district is a family and needs /
outside guardian. 1t is proposed
have town supervisor, SO that
who superintends the work may |
in the midst of it instead of beir
(although every way qualified ar
fitted to look after any education