Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1892-10-13


that OF Insurance against fire. The policy of
some OF our sister substantially Massachu- |
sets, New York and Pennsylv anm--now Is |
To require all insurance companies to write a
uniform policy prescribed by law.
There is no contract ut once so common
and so important Ms the contract of insur-
ance. 1t is held by nil e-tenths of our people
and in the contingency of II fire has value
measured oftentmes only by the face of the
policy. Its universally and great impor-
lance make 1t Of the first moment that the
terms en- loyed he as simple and the condi-
tons Incorporated therein he AS few as
possible consistent with the scope of the con-
tract. The ordinary policy with its manifold
coalitions Is quite too complex for the com
p,cheusion of the average policy holder. This
compleXity l. somewhat enhanced by the fact
that hardly any two of the 81 companies do
ingbuSiness IN Vermont use the same form of
policy. Were uniform policy prescribed by
law, the policy holder, though ignorant of
the legal Effect of his contract, could rest in
the full assurance that he held policy de-
void of technicalities and fair in its condi-
tons.
therefore reccomend that statute he en-
acted requiring the insurance commissioners,
acting with committee to be appointed 10y
you, to prepare II uniform or standard form
of policy to be used by all companies writing
stock Insurance in Vermont.
PrOhibi,ory Law.
At each succeeding session Of our legisla-
ture the charge is made that the prohibitory
law is a failure and that its repeal should be
the first labor of The session. That this scs-
sion will prove an exception in this regard is
hardly to be expected The Shibboleth of
these woull-he reformers is "Prohibition
does not prohibit" During the past month
| have devoted considerable time to an i'll
vestigation as to the truth or talsity Of this
claim. My information has been gathered
from the prosecuting attorneys of the differ
ent counties, from the superintendent of the
house of correction, and from other official
sources, and the facts ascertained go to show
conclusively that the law is tO-;lay being more
faithfully enforced than ever before The
number of commitments to the house of
correction for the past two years has been
$50. as compared with 27l for the biennial
term preceding; while the fines and costs
collected were $4T03.10 as compared with
$2474.37 for the same period.
The manner in which the prohibtory law
is being enforced in Vermont is fast making
the liquor traffic unprotitable,f and when the
element of profit is eliminated from the BUSH
ness the prohibition problem is practically
solved. | believe that with five years more
of as honest enforcement us the law has had
for the past two the illegal traffic in intoXi-
eating liquors will be practically stopped in
our smaller towns and greatly diminished in
the larger. IuDuc sentiment is InONlHS III
the right direction and | am confident that
you viii take no backward step in whatever
you may do with reference to the prohbitory
law.
The Australian Ballot aw.
Our first trial of the Australian ballot law has
resu ted in some differences of opinion as to its
adiptability to Vermont. The claim is made
very likely you will be called to pass upon prop
ositions for Its ameL dment, and perhaps for its
repeal.
menis to the law, bur the general principles
thereof should not, in my Judgment, be dis
country best, and the broad minded citizen, even
though he be never so strong partisan, will
welc m any system that compes political
parties to bring forward their best, knowing that
If they do otherwise a discriminating voter will
place his seal of condemnation upon Its unpatri,
otto action.
which Will enable the elt ctors to cast their vote
without as much assistance as was necessary at
our recent election. without any change
second trial would ubtedly show very
marked improvement over the first, not only be-
cause of the Confidence which the elector will
feel In himself after having passed through the
first experience, but because of the extensive
discussions in the columns of every newspaper
In the state and everywhere among the masses
concerning this radical departure from the old
method. These discuss Ons Will tend to educate
the peopl SO well during he next two years that
scarcely any citizen of fair Intelligence who can
read and write will need assistance at the cleo
tlon of 1894. But to make assistance unnecessary,
even for the uneducated, believe we should
adopt the original feature of the Australian .ys-
tenn by placing after each name to be voted for an
emblem which shall signify the party to which
the nominee belongs. For instance, after each
Republican nominee could be placed the national
flag next to the square where the voter makes
the cross. The intelligent Republican would un-
derstand before entering the booth that by voting
for the flag he voted for the nominee Of his
rfu I'M ln an oil m Dh &C ipn
the nominees of the Democratic party and
fountain those of the Prohibition party. With
booths doubled, so that the elector could delib;
eratey and in his eWn tine study the ballet m
Vermont justly boasts of the purity of her bal.
within her borders may without fear or intimida-
ton cast one vote and have that vote honestly
counted. What shall be said then IL, having put
our hands to the plough we turn back? Should
suffrage Is e chief-the most sa red-safe-
guard or our liberties, willingly submit to any
slight Inconvenience which the law may occa-
sion?
Vermont cannot afford to return to the old
ways. Our state pride forbids, our love of jus
tice forbids, our patriotism forbids, and believe
the law will become more and more popular as
Its ways become better underst cd, with every
lover Of fair play and an authenticated, UNI
bought ballot. May we ever be willing to keep
1t pure, though the sacrifi 1e be hundred times
greater than that demanded by our present law.
snail ever take pllueln the fact That during
my administration Vermont placed herself
squarely abreast with that better element in
American politics, which is to-day everywhere
demanding freer, purer ballot, mort, and
south, and when that Is assured believe, In the
language of the sainted Lincoln, that this nation,
under God, shall have a new birth of freedom
and that government of the people, by the
people, and for the people shall not perish from
e earth.
improvements In Highw W.
There is and should be healthy public senti
ment In opposition to creating new Offices of any
kind to be supported out of the public treasury,
and dislike very much to urge upon you any
course conflicting with this sentiment, but be-
lieve the time has arrived in the history of our
state when the question of improved roads
should receive measure of attention not hither,l
to accorded to it. Some Of our sister states have
deemed the subject of highways of sufficient i'm
portance to warrant the expense of a state engi-
neer, whose duty 1t Ia to counsel with and advise
the road commissioners of the different towns
upon this important topic. think am justified
In saying that the needless waste of the peoples
money In the department of highways Is larger
by ia than in any other branch of public ex-
pense and warrants careful investigation at
your hands. Wheth you will think it Use to
appoint supervising engineer or simply to an