The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1890-10-15

never quite apparent, The wrong Is in the
act and not in the agent that perpetrates it,
THE Argus and Patriot takes considerable
space to speculate as to what Mr.. Russell
of Wilmington and Mr.. Boynton of Wood
stock think. Such harmless diversions NAV
furnish amusement for the public, but no
one should so insult the intelligence of
those gentlemen as to believe that they
really do think as our contemporary nsin-
yates.
Mr.. START has welded the speakers
gavel a sufficient length of time to establish
the TACT that he will prove valuable pre-
siding officer. This was expected He is
OF a Judicial temperament, of active mental
quallties, and gentleman OF eminent fair
ness No rash or prejudiced rulings will mar
the proceedings of the house while he oc-
cupies the chair
In appearing before the educational COM
mittee, members should not express their
| opinions of the school law with such en-
| phasis as to preclude candid considera-
ton OF the workings of the law as pre-
| sented by others. There is a great deal to
be heard on this question, and it will be
wise to withhold judgment until all sides
! are represented.
| The democrats are in the ascendencv.
Governor Page and Mr.. Houghton of STAN
| ford lately INDUCED in game of check
| ers in which the latter came off victori-
GUS Senator Morrill, judged on balls and
strikes and Major Valentine watched bases,
|
Democrats will make political stock of the
event, undoubtedly.
THE telling debater of the house is ex-
| pected to be Mr.. Thompson of Irasburgh.
He is not only keen lawyer, but has
ready facility of expression and the ora
| torlcal temperament. He may not be able
to state solid facts so forcbly as did Mr.
Prouty of Newport, in the session of 1885,
| but his eloquence will doubtless draw more
attention from the galleries
THE smallest vote cast in the recent state
election was thrown in Somerset, and the
scattering vote in that place is reported
as larger than the total vote for the two
leading gubernatoral candidates. Three
freemen gave their suffrages to Governor
Page, two to Mr.. Brigham, and seven went
| as they pleased. Somerset is not so large
that it can afford to scatter fire in this way.
Two years ago Secretary Proctor occupied
seat in the Vermont house of represent
atives AS this thought flashed through
the brains of two hundred representatives
when the commanding form of the Secretary
of War appeared on the floor of the house
yesterday morning, that number of shirt
fronts could be seen to swell perceptibly
and the same number of heads to be slightly
elevated toward the capitol dome.
THE joint committee to canvass votes for
representatives to congress met in the room
of the committee on agriculture last week
Thursday. Senator Allen presided over the
members from the First district, and Sem
ator Abbott acted as secretary. Senators
Lincoln and CIRCUIT performed the same Of
fees respectively for the Second district
The official result in the First district is
Powers 1916, Moloney S,605, scattering
II; in the Second district Grout 1902,
Shurtleff $780, scattering 80.
MIR. PRoUTY of Franklin evidently has
the confidence of his constituents. Before
a meeting of the committee on education
last night he announced himself to be an
| in1 ant az oil Tod utrO
republican town. He is a Woodworking
farmer, and though much interested in his
legislative work, finds it difficult to while
away at the capital the number of hours he
is accustomed to give to his work at Frank
lin. At home he rises at three or four in
the morning for six days in the week, and
on Sunday breaches rousing sermon to
his neighbors. AS the session progresses
Mr. Prouty may be expected to have his
say.
THERE was one member of the house who
did not adjourn with the rest of the body
Wednesday afternoon. AS faithful public
} servant, his conscience did not permit him
to leave the hall after an hours session,
and he fingered to project a bill which he
; was preparing. Becoming wrapt in legis-
lative thought, he did not notice the lock-
ing of the doors by the janitor, and on at
tempting to leave the hall, found himself a
prisoner. What frantic attempts he made
to escape by the windows or by clambering
as the supper hour approached the pangs of
hunger so goaded him to desperation that
his blows on the house doors were heard
by chance visitor and the janitor was
called to the rescue.
THE commissioner of agricultural and
manufacturing interests stated, Wednesday,
to the special committee on the governors
messages, that his statement in his report
was correct, that the whole cost of the bu-
reau will not exceed $4,000. The mistake
made in some papers relating to the subject
comes, first, from the fact that the commits
sOner reCkOnS in the probable cost of the
last quarter, and of printing by the Tuttles,
. the first of which does not, of course, appear
in the auditors account at all, and the sec
ond appears as charged to the printing ac-
count The probable total cost, including
| everything possible to charge to the ex-
pense of the bureau, will be about $500.
OF this sum, 81 ,775 can properly be charged
: to the experimental work" He had a
right to use $4,000 for that purpose
DIR. JAMES bill to create the office of
: road engineer will be a new departure.
= The chief engineer may have deputies to
assist him, not to exceed one for each
+ county, nominated by himself and appointed
g by the governor at his discretion. The bill
does not fix the salary of the engineer or that
n of his deputies. When a petition for new
= road, signed by the selecmen or freehold
| ers who pay certain part of the taxes in
i the town or towns concerned is presented
# to the governor, he shall direct the engineer
to investigate, make a proper survey of the
best route, and give a report TO the select
4 men of the estimated cost, with maps, pro-
u files and other data Towns may then, at a
= regular or special meeting, vote upon the
~ construction of the proposed road. The
u engineer is to prepare manual containing
>, general information regarding road-build-
" ing The secretary of state shall see to the
s printing of this manual and supply copies
d Of the same to towns. The engineer shall
II make report to the legislature and recon-
II mend the building by the state of roads
n which are of general convenience.
THE following is the speech of Mr.. Oar
e ling of Chelsea in nominating Mr.. Morrill,
II to his fifth term in the United States sen
|, ate:-" rise to put in nomination for this
5 high office a man known, loved, honored
,, and revered not only by the people of his
N own state not only by the rich and poor
the high and low, the farmer and the me
, chanic, but by the people of our whole
5. land and man whose remarkable life and
It eminent services for more than thirty five
Il in ba If ha Init aI