Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1894-11-20
OUR MONTPELIER LETTER.

NONs 1OJL3 lCOts
1t has been said that the fair sex are
more tenacious in some respects than
men, but in the case that is before this
Legislature pertaining to the franchise
of women, the sterner sex hold fast like
dog to root, and the woman's suf-
frage bill ordered to third reading last
Thursday, was brought up Frieay morn
ing for passage and made special order
for next Wednesday afternoon. 1t seems
strange that the House of Representa-
tives ordered the third reading of the
bill. If it shall finally become law in
Vermont that women may vote, it will
be imposing a duty upon them that the
majority do not want, and most women
have duties enough to attend to at their
homes.
One of the bills in the House is to pre-
vent pollution of the water in the Mis-
sisquoi river. The committee reported
favorably and recommended the passage
of the bill. At this juncture, Mr.. Soule
of Fairfield, offered an amendment max
ing the proposed law apply to all waters
in the State. The debate centered on
the amendment, and some lively talking
was done by both sides. Finally the
amendment was withdrawn, the third
reading rescnded, and the bill recon-
mitted. If the amendment had prevail
ed and such bill become a law, the
owners of the lumber mills, if they al
lowed the sawdust to go into the brooks,
would be subject to fine of not less
than twenty, or more than one hundred
dollars. That would put the screws
down too tightly, inasmuch as many of
the towns in the State-py own being
one-have several lumber mills where
sawdust is carried away by the streams
and no serious damage, if any, is done.
1t is more and more evident that some
men, although with probably good in
tentions, have not sufficient mental acu-
men to make laws for the State at large.
This is evidenced particularly by the
several school bills before the Educa-
tional Committee asking for, and even
demanding legislation to apply to a par
ticular school in certain towns, and in
special district at that! After due in
vestigation in such cases, the committee
invariably find that the faults with the
school officers themselves, and that the
law as it now is, amply provides for a
way out of the difficulty, if really any
exists. 1t would be poor policy to pass
laws effecting the whole State to crafty
the disgruntled whims of a few persons.
Nearly all of Thursday mornings ses-
sion in the House was taken up with
debate upon the bovine tuberculosis bill,
that came up as a special order. The
debate was in earnest on both sides.
The general trend of the discussion was
In favor of the bill, while there was seri-
Gus objection to allowing the Board of
Agriculture to be the committee of ex-
animation, claiming that they are not
competent to make the test properly.
DIR. Weston of Newfane, opened the de-
bate in this line. he said it should be
done by board able to cope with the
disease by their thorough knowledge of
all the latest developments. Mr.. Smith
of Burlington, did not agree with DR..
Weston, and thought the Board of Agri-
culture able to carry out their duties,
whereupon the Doctor put on another
clincher by saying that he believed the
tubercoline test on healthy cattle would
have the tendency to bring on the dis
ease in more cases than it would thwart.