Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1896-10-23

"to 60 alone into the coinage of 50-cent dol
lars-an enterprise where counterfeiters
only could enter without loss of money or
reputation" In alluding to the tariff
| question the Senator said: "The theory of
a proper tariff was never more tersely illus
| trated than by Abraham Lincoln when he
said: IF we buy ton of steel from Eng
land she has the money and we have the
steel; but, If we buy ton of steel in this
country we have both the money and the
steel.'" In conclusion he said that, with
the silver question settled rightly, as it
seems likely soon TO be, tour country can
not fail to enter upon season of prosper
| ity likely to extend far into the next cent
ury."
Mr.. Morrill, spoke with some difficulty as
he was suffering from a severe cold con-
tracted while on his way to the capital
yesterday. At the conclusion of his speech
the Senator repaired to the executive cham
Der where the 300 members and attaches
of the legislature, and state officers, were
introduced and shook hands with him as
they passed by in procession. His greet
| ing to Senator Foster of Windham was to
the effect that he had the appearance of
enjoying tolerably good health.
BIIIs by Col. Haskins.
Mr.. Haskins of Brattleboro has intro
duced bill providing that ,rand jurors
shall in all matters be subject to the order
and direction of the judges holding courts,
and may be discharged from further serv.
ices and attendance at the pleasure of the
| judges. This bill is intended TO effect
quite saving in the matter Of court eX-
penses. 1t is said that under existing law
grand juries can sit as long as they wish
and the presiding judge has no power to
order otherwise. This privilege has ap-
| parenLly been abused in some of the coun-
| ties, and the result is that grand jury de-
bentures form considerable item in the
state expense account, having been $4846.-
"a for the last year. OF this amount only
| $168.48 was charged up to Windham
county. This matter is the more promi-
Dently brought to public attention by the
fact that the Washington county grand
| jury has just been discharged after con-
tinuous session of 43 days, at cost to the
state for debentures of about S1700 and
further cost for witness fees of about
| $1,000. 1t should be said that about two
weeks of this time has been taken in a
thorough investigation of the charges
against the superintendent of the state in
sane asylum at Waterbury, against whom
an Indictment was returned today for an
assault upon female patients. 1t is stated
that the average length of session in this
county for several years has been about 25
days as against less than four days in
Windham county.
Col. Haskins's bill authorizing the town
of Brattleboro to issue bonds to pay its in
debtedness reads as follows:
| Sec. /. The town of Brattleboro is hereby au-
thorzed to issue bonds to pay its Indebtedness in
| Cured in repairs additions and improvements
| a a
the sun OF S35 coo. ------
| ; Sec. .. Said town of Brattleboro is also hereby
authorized and empowered to issue bonds for all
its other outstanding obligations, whether notes.
bonds, orders or otherwise, to an amount not eX-
| ceeding the sum of $4,000.
| Sec. 3. Provides that the matter shall be sub
iect to the provisions Of Sections 3l2 to BIS Of
| Vermont Statutes.
The normal school question Is assuming
less prominence. The report of the COM
missioners appointed by Gov. Woodbury.
to investigate the subject has served a
good purpose in bringing the public atten-
tion better knowledge of the schools and
their relations to the state. While the
general judgment is not in accord with the
recommendation of the commissioners that
the system should be abolished, it is ap-
parent to all that certain changes should
be made. The board of examiners and
supervisors, consisting of Superintendent
Stone, Henry Boynton of Woodstock and
Professor Walter E. Howard of Middle
bury college, recommend that the state
should have the right to decide the courses
of study and that a training school should
be established in connection with each
normal school so that the teachers in pros
pect can obtain knowledge from actual
practice. Superintendent Stone advises,
in short, that the state, by virtue of the
large appropriations, should insist on alb
solute control of the institutions. Legis-
lation, to accomplish these results will
doubtless be attempted, but this is proba-
bly, as far as the matter will be carried.
The Normal Schools.
Some of the members believe that
movement should be started this year for
the establishment of one state normal
school which shall be an up-to-date insti-
tuition in every respect. They would have
commission appointed by the present
governor to advertise for and receive bids
from towns desirous of obtaining the To-
cation, and have this commission report
to the next legislature, which could take
such action as thought best. 1t is claimed
that the present appropriation would be
sufficient to run such an institution and
make it a valuable aid to our present edu-
cational system. Others advocate divid-
ing the present appropriation among the
counties, thus giving one institution in each
a sufficient amount, it is claimed, to sup
port local training school for teachers
which will be much more valuable to the
whole state than the present system. An
interesting feature of the opening of the
question is the numerous protests which
havecome from former residents of Yer
mont against taking any step to the rear in
educational matters.
The normal schools the past year took
from the treasury $12, $40; $500 of this
was in the nature of direct appropriation
and the balance came from state scholar
shirs. Each town in the state is entitled
to scholarship of $24 to be filled on
recommendation of town superintendent.
Many towns remote from the schools are
not represented and the result is that the
vacancies are filled from nearby towns
thus making the schools, it is claimed,
local in character.
Several bills have been introduced af
fecting the railroad commission, more par.
ticularly in the matter of reduction of sal
aries and limitation in amount which the
commissioners are authorized to expend
The present pay of the commissioners IL
eight dollars per day for time actually en-
ployed. 1t Is claimed that this rate is moi
unreasonable, considering the fact that
these officers are usually professional and
business men and that their services fol
the state are practically on call at shorI
notice, regardless of private demands. II
is proposed to cut down the pay to So pei