The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1891-03-11
dolattbmam 4 Journal.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH IL, 1891.

THE move toward biennial elections
in Massachusetts, was defeated last
week in the lower house. One power
full influence which is against the
change is the labor element. Aside
from this, however, the sentiment in
the state is apparently strong for bien-
NAL elections.
THE Australian ballot law was tried
in all the cities and towns of the state
of 1000 or more inhabitants at the
town meetings on last week Tuesday.
The reports are, without exception,
that it worked satisfactorily. Many
mistakes of one kind or another, by
officers and voters, were made, but that
was to be expected. The law will
probably appear to better advantage in
state elections, and it is in them that it
will be most serviceable in checking
any attempts at bribery or intimida-
ton.
THE superintendent of the bureau of
statistics and labor of Massachusetts,
reports that there are 344 abandoned
farms in twelve counties of that state,
with total area of 1876 500 acres. The
facts seem to be substantially the same
in that state as in Vermont: the farm
ing sections have lost in popuatan,
while the manufacturing towns have
made large gains. But hereafter it will
be Just as we'll for the New York and
Boston papers, when speaking of aban-
doned farms, to mention Massachu-
sets with New Hampshire and Ver-
mont, if it is intended to deal out COM
miseration with an even hand.
SUPERINTENDENT PALMER has issued
circular relating to the duties of dis
trict clerks in the matter of the school
census. He quotes from section 16S of
the school law of 1888, section IS, law
of 1890, and again from sections 236,
1888 and 1913 of law of 1888, to show
that the law requires that the census
must be taken this year during the last
two weeks of March, instead of the
last two weeks of June. He also calls
attention to the necessity for answering
all the questions in the back part of the
registers relating to the census, in order
to entitle the schools to the public
money. For the purpose of this census,
the children of school age are those
who are over five and under nineteen
years of age.
THE recent visit of the Empress
Frederick, mother of the German en-
peror, to Paris, has set all Europe in a
flutter. The Parisians had great diff
Guilty in restraining themselves from
actually insulting the empress, and the
feeling against her-or rather Ger
many-was plainly shown. The en-
press went in as quiet way as possible,
and spent most of her time in the stu
dos. Her tact in the matter seems to
have been perfect, yet the populace was
wrought up to the highest pitch of ex-
element. The visit was understood to
be feeler as to the present attitude of
France toward Germany, and the en-
peror himself had entertained the pur-
pose, it is said, of visiting Paris, if the
reception to his mother was in any de-
gree cordial. Now the chasm between |
the two nations widens, and it is greatly
to be feared that war may be precipi-
tated at almost any minute. Already
the emperor has made the rules regard
ing passports along the frontier more
strict, and French artists who had
promised to exhibit their pictures in
Germany have announced their inten-
ton of not doing so.
A CONVENTION of delegates from
the Australian colonies is now in ses-
sion at Sydney for the purpose of franz
ing constitution for federation of
these colonies. The United States will
probably be taken as a model, but very {
important notifications of our system I
will doubtless be made. 1t will be adj {
mltted by nearly every one that our {
own system is far from being perfect.
and changes will necessarily be made l