Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1892-12-02
Gssss County Gerald.
ISLAND POND, DECEMBER ?. 1892
THE LEGISLATURE.

pie could not read them, ana then all
who disobeyed them were punished, so
now no means are provided for the peo-
pie to know under what laws they are to
live until the meeting of the next General
Assembly. They are not presumed to
know until Feb. l. 1893. If the system
of paving for the publication OF the laws
was abused such abuses could have been
corrected without depriving the people
Of the privilege OF reading the laws while
the interest in them is greatest Nothing
is 50 interesting in every shop and farm
house as to read the laws in the coming
winter evenings " lille the action of the
legislators is fresh in the minds OF the
people, and the progressive legislation OF
the last session renders study of it more
than usually important and interesting.
This is picayune performance which i'll
COMFORTS with the otherwise generous,
broad, progressive and euterprising acts
of the last assembly. So much for this
too small a thing for such men to do.
The legislature seems to have been gen
orally characterized by energy, enterprise
and progress. No organization was ever
accomplished more promptly or better in
the interests of legislation in the State.
The committees were announced earlier
in the session than usual, and each man
seemed to be put where he could do the
most good. Every man seemed to strike
directly for his work, and with the eXcep-
ton of the loss of nearly week devoted
to the memory of Columbus, no legisla-
turc has done for many year more Wig
orous and determined work than has
this one.
The school laws, the highway laws and
the election laws have had a most thor
ough overhauling. The general and spe-
cial laws relating to corporations have
received no secondary work. Chairman
Barber moved his committee with skill
and energy which will be manifest when
the results of the work of that committee
are read and approved. He worked while
others worked, and worked while Others
slept He is lawyer by nature, by pro-
fession and in achievements. If the
Speaker knew who was coming from Ar
lington he also knew who came from
Bethel and so Fred Arnold found his
place. His organization and conduct OF
the business of the committee on educa-
ton was consistent, careful and effective,
and it resulted i'll organizing the town
system so that the State school govern
ment is now harmonious whole instead
of different localities being under different
conflicting and inconsistent systems. A
man may not now be compelled to pay
so or 60 cents school tax as against &c
or II paid by his ncighbor who owns an
adjoining farm. With a system which
will do away with petty district quar-
rels, and one which can be worked for
the common good of the whole without
being a mixture of district and towr
governments, with no harmonious rela
tions between them, aud with the schoo
book robbery out, there is no reason why
our educational system should any longe
I've reproach to the State. With a gooC
system, free books for the poor, a deter
mined spirit of progress, and live, edu
Gated superintendent to direct, our schoo
interests were never more promising
The only regret about it all is that tn
man who has done so much and unde
such difficulties should not have been per
mitted to inaugurate system in whicl
he was so much interested The public
however, could have no better assuranc
from any man than the reputation of tn
Superintendent elect gives.
The highway system is put on a SCUM
practical basis. One man in the town
responsible for the care and working c
the roads, state tax is raised and al
portioned to the towns based on til
mileage Of roads in each town. In thi
as well as in the distribution of schoc
funds Ia portion distributed accordin
to population and another portion O
school attendance shows that there ha
been disposition to treat the smallt
towns fairly.
The bill to expedite legal proceeding
seems to be the most perlous experimer
tried By the legislature. Three terms
Supreme Court in each year may do fc
the central and more populous portion
of the state, but it is thought by SON
that it will work a hardship on Il
poorer and more remote litigants in ii
state.
Ofcourse every member went to Mon
pelier with his own ideas of what ii
provisions of a ballot law ought to
and the result is that the law will co
time to be an experiment, and it will
a long time before any system will
fairly tested but it seems now thu
many of the uncertainties and ambigt
ties of the original act are replaced |
more simple, direct and certain prov
ions and the law will work more satisfa
torily. But no law based on the prese
system will ever give universal satisfa
ton, In the first place the law reach
to the utmost verge of constitution
limitations; and when any legislati,
reaches these limits, and especially if
gets into the regions Of doubtful cons
tutional provisions, it loses much offor
and effectiveness. Besides the system
quires that the CONDITIONS in which it