Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1894-11-02

duCcd from the icginninS'
grows out of the new conditions
men are placed in. 1t breaks up
the free aud easy mannerin winch
men nave been long accustomed
TO exercise their right to vote.
Many feel that it is a restriction
OF the right. They resist the or
der and what seems to them 20
be the harsh discipline to which
they have been unused, and they |
feel that the law imposes unjust |
conditions oil what they claim is |
4 constitutional right, the free
exercise Of which is guaranteed
by thcconstitutiOn. On the other
bandit is insisted that to abolish
the system in the midst of an cX-
pertinent which has secured SO
orderly meetings, where contu-
sion. disorder ana opportunities
oflraud MISREPRESENTATION
be extremely unwiSe They think
that individuals should in the in
terests ofordcr and pure elections
be willing to lay aside old prcju-
diCcS, submit to new conditions,
and study the provisions of the
new law SO as to conform to them
with greater ease. 1t cannot be
shown that any trouble or con
fusion has occurred in elections
that can be chargeablc to the
law, but they have arisen from a
noncompliance with some provi-
sion of the law. Or the whole
the sentiment seems to be III tav-
or of the law, but each mGl has
his own ideal of what the special
provisions should be. The trouble
is each man looks at it from his
own standpoint without think
ing how any provision applies to
any town but his own. Thr the
law can never be made to give
universal satisfaction. If it was
adjusted in the best possible way
for the whole state men could
say that it should be different to
work best in many localities, and
they would be right for that mat
ter; but a law cannot be made
tor special conditions in different
localities. 1t fifty men should
frame Il law that i'll theory would
be Skillful, each when he saw it
operated would be surprised at
the results OF his own law. Some
changes ought to be made to meet
conditions which experience and
experiments suggest, and that
will be so as long as the law shall
. remain.
The Liquor Law.
This law in many respects meets
! with opposite views. Its enemies
of course make all kinds of oppO
: sition to it, while its best friend,
! differ about the justice and pro
pricty of some of its provisions
Many seek to give it force at The
expense of ConsistcnCy,whilc 9th
ers to give it consistency anC
> make it conciliatory in rcspcC
to the prejudices which there ar
! against it, rob it of its force
and efficiency. To illustrate
> There is a bill introduced to max
it discretionary with the Cover
nor to appoint specialprosecu
D tor on the petition of twent.
: persons; while Others say tina
to put the appointment of a
= officer to execute the laws int,
the hands of twenty so that the
can absolutely take a duty fror
u the officer whom the people hav
l designated to do that dut
5 makes the law odious. There i
u also Il bill to make the penalt
u for the first offence punishabl
II with Imprisonment. Now som
u who are friendly to the prohib
l tory law say this is harsh, an
u that an opportunity should b
5 given the offender to discontinu
/ his unlawful business, while oil
II ers say this is not in accord wit
Z the theory of our criminal law
II They ask, when a man has con
le mitted larceny do you say pun
y ish him with a light fine an
le then wait until you see if he COZ
y tinues to steal before you adj
&c quately punish him ?" Docs tt
law say that he may steal an
y for that offence he shall be fine