The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-11-30

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when he realized that, as Mary Queen Of
| Scots once remarked, the jig was up. Other
| good fighting democrats were " Uncle Joe"
Bliss of Bradford, Miller of Newport, Hodge
| of Corinth aud Hammond of Troy
The delegation from Washington county
did more voting than talking, but there
were several in it who were heard on about
| every important measure Montpelier
ought to be, and doubtless is, satisfied with
| the manner in which MIR. BOynton repre-
sented the town. The same abilities as q
strategist which won the Craftsmanship fight
| for the late Hiram Atkins were used to
good advantage outside as well as within
The doors of representatives. hall. In fact
the willy JEFF " is credited with the larger
part of the work " that won for M. S.
Stone the Office of state superintendent of
| education. Mr.. Boynton was not only able,
but witty in his debate, and always en-
listed the undistracted attention of the
| house. Mr.. Rowland of Barre proved
good clean legislator and was popular per-
sonally He fit" nobly for Barre, but
much of his work was kicked over by the
senate. Mr.. Booth of Mortified "never
opened his mouth but he said something"
and when he opened it the words poured
out in veritable Phillips Brooks torrent.
His long experience in school matters emf
nently fitted him for his position on the
committee on education. Mr.. Elliot of
Waterbury was an efficient member and
| good speaker Every worthy and progress
sive measure found in him a strong cham
| pion and every unwise measure encountered
| his opposition by voice and vote. Berlin
| has reason to be entirely satisfied with Mr..
Hewitt's labors. Judge Hastings of Waits
field is no tyro in Legislative work, but, like
the remainder of the delegation, he con-
tented himself with thinking and voting.
Mr.. Ward of Moretown, man of right
ideas and sound Judgment, was also among
the silent, voting majority of the county's
| delegation.
The reporters were az communicable a
set as ever dipped muciage brush into an
ink bottle. John H. Mimms of st. Albans
and Frank ID. White of Rutland were the
official reporters of house proceedings.
| Their duties were extremely onerOus. Inc
cares of the previous session had worn away
| part of the hair on Franks well-hlled caput,
and another session will finish the job. L
often noted an anxious expression on Mrs.
| Mimms' pretty face, as she watched Cap
| tain Jack " slowly killing himself with
work. Nevertheless he always found time
TO assist fellow-scribe and the larger part
of the argus legislative notes were his
work. Carl c. Fletcher, the senate re-
porter, hustled in every once in while, to
collect notes for the st. Johnsbury Repub-
licdn, and to see if there were any fresh
grinds on his particular friend Ranslow.
| And ever and anon !. the venerable Walter
b. Gates of the Free Press would leave
the executive Office and take lazy inter-
| est in the proceedings of the house. Wal
quarters for the gang" after adjourn
ment. Colonelissimo Forbes of St. Adams
was alleged to have half the room, but he
rarely got it. A large proportion of humor
of the session smanated from the press Ia
BILE, notably the bill for the protection of
elephants. If they did nothing else, they
are entitled to lasting gratitude for one
thing, to wit: they undeniably brought into
public notice, aided and abetted Mr.. Fish
of Ira, humorist-laureate of the house.
~. ~
corporation bills, ramble into the senate,
to see with what that august body il daily
ing. Dapper, debonair Senator Hall is
talking as l enter. He did lot of it, and it
must have been a joker who started the
yarn that he ran away from the Bar Associ-
alton supper to avoid responding to toast.
The high backed presidents chair has
rarely, If ever held a better official than Lieu
nant-Governor Stranahan. He was digni-
fled, quick of thought, impartial and indus
triOus.
The clerk of the senate is George McClel-
Ian Powers, more popularity known through
out Lamoille county as " Pod " Powers.
He has a sort of cinch on the office, and will
doubtless continue in it for many sessions
to come. Few men around the capitol en-
j0yed larger popularity than he. When
ever the senate adjourned Pod " heaved a
sigh of relief, lighted a cigarette, and gazed
YEARLY at the stack of bills before him,
A president of the senate has rarely pre-
sided over a body that so fully performed
its constitutional function of regulator.
1t regulated the good-natured disregard of
their oathS by many representatives in the
matter of woman suffrage, and again it
stayed the house in a backward step when
the latter undertook to abolish the Office of
county examiner of school teachers and re-
turn to the town plan of examining, wherein
favoritism and neighborhood influence
rather than merit are likely to prevail, and
incompetency in the examiner is the rule.
The senate contained some good takers,
but more who would weigh talk, think a
proposition over in all its bearings, and
finally fish up the truth even though it lay
at the bottom of a well. Sanford of Ben
nington and Vail of Windsor counties were
the Damon and Pythias of the august body
They have been, and will continue to be,
co-workers on the Board of Agriculture,
Sanford is rugged character, clear of head
firm of purpose and sound in Judgment,
with the power to express himself in good
plain United States. He is good man TO
/ tie to. Senator Vail is famed as a dairy
man, sunny in temperament, given to 1ok.
ing and enjoying a joke on himself as well
/ as on the other fellow William Chaplin
, used to rise in the public meetings of the
agricultural board and gravely introduce
Mr.. Vail as the handsomest man on the
board but there are other members who
, know more" Lincoln of Caledonia up
bore on his stalwart shoulders the entire
burden of representing his county in the
senate as his colleague, Senator Nichols, was
kept away by ill-health. Lincoln has all
the horse sense and rugged honesty one in
evitably associates with the name Gale
donia's standard was in firm hands. No
nonsense got into the senate through Mr.
Lincoln's votes. Dubois splendid bust
t ness ability developed by long experience
in practical affairs, and his familiarity with
state matters acquired during his long tenure
of the Office of treasurer, stood him in good
= stead and insured the state service of great
value. Proctor, the youngest member OF
the senate, brought TO his duties good abili
ties of his own, a mind trained amid bust
ness affairs of magnitude under precep
| tor without peer. Grout of Orleans-he
= of the silver tongue, and the rising political
| star in the east-and Dawson, his colleague
1 were at the antipodes of the senatorial
, sphere but they made good team. DR.
Q Mead of Rutland led fororn hope in sup
: port of the weekly payment bill, but ht
I iabored under the disadvantage not only o.
= having reason and all the argument agains,
: him, but of having become, after his nomi
. nation to the senate, an eleventh houl
+ convert TO the measure, to remove some
a gathering doubt as TO his election. Sen
| atn tria nf ha Z