Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1892-10-14

---Asstgnment OF the w tnuhnm tOun-
~ Mcmbers----PrOposed Subjects Of
LegisIation---Thc New Ballot Law,
the school Law, Highway LRw---
Weekly Paymcnts---EiectiOn of the
supreme Court Judges and Military
Officers
MONTPELIER, Oct -, 1892.
1t is common remark among the on
lockers here in these opening days of the
session that the present legislature is
strong one. The same remark has done
good service in former years, more gener-
ally applied perhaps in early October than
at Thanksgiving time, but if the anteced-
ents and personal appearance of the MEM
bers are good points to bank on | think it
may be expected of them to take some ad-
vance steps in matters in which we are
surely tending toward higher ground, and
to let those things alone which cannot be
improved.
The men who hold down the large chairs
in the senate chamber wear somew hat
younger faces than the average of former
occupants. As usual, a large proportion
are men who have attained prominence in
business or in their profession. The farm
ers unadulterated number only five. Twen-
ty-three of the 30 members have had pre-
vious legislative experience. Aside from
her own able senators Windham county
will take especial pride in the fact that she
is represented Indirectly by two of her sons,
Senator Hall of Franklin county, president
pro tempore a native of Athens. and SEN
ator Watson of Orange county, native OF
Jamaica, and some time resident of Wards
boro Both are prominent lawyers and
will be prominent as senators.
\ majority of the members of the house
are farmers. There are a score or more
of professional men. and a liberal sprink-
ling of bankers, merchants and manufact-
urers. Forty-tive Of the members have had
previous legislative experience. OF Wind
ham county's %. ten are old members
about 49, per cent The same ratio ap-
piled to the whole house would give l04 old
members. most desirable composition if it
could be attained.
Ii will be seen that Speaker Stickney, in
making the Windham county assignments
for the committees, was surrounded by a
surplus of good timber. Some of it no
doubt he could not use where he would
have been glad to put it, and at the same
time do Justice to the other counties. No
other county as a whole Jared better, as the
following list will show: Wyman of Athens,
town lines; Martin of Brattleboro, chair
manship of judiciary, ways and means,
rules; Ware of Brookline, land taxes :;
Jones of Dover, general; Bennett of Dunn
merston federal relations; White of Graf
ton, public buildings; Cutting of Guilford,
state and court expenses; Clark of Hall
faX, corporations; Robinson of Jamaica,
banks: Winchester of Londonderry, state
prison; Adams of Marlboro, grand list :;
Weston of Newfane, military affairs: Hew-
EFT of Putney, chairman reform school;
Reed of Rockingham, chairman railroads,
chairman revision of bills, judiciary: Leon
ard of Somerset, mileage and debentures,
and distributing committee; Knight of
Stratton, immigration and industrial in
terests; Ware of Townshend, highways,
bridges and ferries, Reed of Vernon,
claims; Gleason of Wardsboro, agricult-
ure Gage of Westminster, manufactures
Brown of Nottingham, grand list; Porter
of Wilmington, education; Gould of Wind
ham, elections Mr.. Barber of Arlington,
an old Jamaica boy, is chairman of the
important committee on corporations. SEN
ator Haskins is chairman of the senate
judiciary committee, also a member OF
military affairs and the library: Senator
Ball is chairman of the special committee
on temperance, and is also on claims and
printing.
1t is now apparent that there will be nc
dearth of subjects on which legislation will
be attempted. Coming first to the front
probably, because so lately an object les
son to all, is the new ballot law. A hall
| dozen bills affecting it have been already
! introduced. The most important changes
suggested are the grouping of each party''
candidates in separate columns, heading
each by some emblem to denote the party
The voter would then simply make a eros
at the head of the column to vote the Who'll,
ticket. 1t is also proposed to increase tn,
number of booths, allow no one to act a
election officer who is candidate bein!
voted for, and to require one ballot clerl
from each party to accompany into th
booths all voters asking for assistance, il
order to see fair play. 1t is noticeable
that no one here suggests the repeal of tn
law or seeks to make it less effective in tn
principle involyed-the secrecy of the bal
lot. Some of the changes suggested in tn
line of keeping interested parties outsid
the guard rail and increasing the booth
are doubtless needed and will be adopted
1t is difficult to see how the present al
rangement of ballots could be made NOR
simple to those who can read and can see
Voters who do not enjoy these blessing
will require help until ballot shall be in
vented that can 90 into booth and mari
itself. In the two contested election case
that are before the house it is not claime
that the ballot law figures as an issue.
The school question has not come prom
inently to the surface yet, but there is sal
TO be very strong sentiment among tn
members in favor of the town system
According to the report of the state supeI
intendent of schools, the five per cent stat
school tax has drawn so much money frol