The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-11-02
LEGISLATIVE NOTES,

ness for the woman goes too FAR under the
present one-sided statute, where the wife
can live In luxury or ease while the public
supports her husband as q pauper."
Hartland, the home of the chairman OF
the House committee on temperance, has
liquor agency but no illegal seller. This Is
one OF he twenty-seven towns in this State
in which there are no illegal sales. The
others are Barnard. Belvidere, Bolton ,Chel'
sea, Charleston, Craftsbury. Danny, Fair
lee, Glover, Grafton, Irasburgh. Lincoln,
Marsh6eld, Mt. Holly, Peacham, Peru,
Pomfret Randolph D, Reading, Rochester,
Topsham, Warren, Waterville, Weston,
Wlliamstown, and Wolcott. In the above
towns, including Holland, there are no
United States licenses in force.
The Burlington Daily Netos has charsc-
teristcally original idea as to how things
should be done. Hear It:
"If our present system is o continue we
should adopt different method of proce
dure in the legislative body. Instead OF al
lowing the members to come there with
pocket full Of bills, which they introduce
from time to time and receive other bills to
be introduced by request as they get
ready, an early time limit should be named.
Before these bills cease coming in more than
half Of the session is gone and there Is prec-
ious little time to consider any bills and GER
tainly not enough time to properly consider
all OF them This condition might be remed-
led by limiting the introduction OF bills to
the first week in the session, or better still,
by requiring that all proposed legislative
enactments be filed with the secretary OF
State at least one week before the session
opens all such proposed bills to be opened
to public inspection"
In speaking OF the methods and results of
some legislation Supreme Court judge re.
cites the instance OF the passage of the bill
two years ago giving the judges authority
over grand jurors. This, the judge al
leges, did not change the law Of time imme-
mortal an atom. Another illustration OF
misfit legislation is the law giving the courts
jurisdiction of the divorce cases OF nom
residents. This has opened the way for
people from any and all civilized countries
Of the world to make the State headquarters
for quick divorce, and It is abu ndantly
taken advantage Of. The Judge thinks that
If all the legislation since 1890 could be
wiped out the administration Of pure JUS
tce would be very much simplihed and
vastly improved.
Representative Dckey's bill for the re.
construction of county courts does not
abolish the assistant judges; it only elimi.
mates their sitting as aTart of the court. All
the duties now incumbent on them by statute
would be performed in the same manner as
now, and the State would not have to pay
them for adjoining the bench. In view of
these facts, it is not apparent what reason
able objection there can be to the bill.
The Deerfeld Valley Times of Whining
ton says of the happy result of the recent
skitmish over the State Superintendency of
Education; "Mr. Stone is the right man in
the right place and the Times is gratifed to
know that the attacks Of his enemies we're
not sufficient for his removal"
Edwin Prouty, "the member from Frank
linz in the Legislature Of 1885, is looking
over the scenes of his former labors. Mr.
Prouty was particularly distinguished as q
man Of Independent convictions and with
a conscience that allowed no swerving from
the path of duty. He was, as Notes recalls
the matter, elected as an independent DEM
ocrat without an opposing vote. The quail
ity of Father Prouty's independence is
shown by this incident: AT the last nation
al election, having recorded his vote for
William Mckinley, he endorsed on his bal
lot these words: "An independent Demo-
crat votes for 100 cents on the dollar, and
the honor and the integrity of our coun-
try" No signature was affixed to this pa
triotic declaration, but the town clerk re-
cognized the handwriting and the incident
came out. Governor Smith was a me mber
in 1850. He and Father Prouty became
Arm friends, and the venerable independent,
who recalls the Puritan's characteristics,
voted for his Republican friend in the late
election, circumstance that Governor
Smith must consider in the nature of high
compliment. Mr. Prouty's companion pass
ed away some two years ago, but the old
man, singly and alone, holds the citadel of
his life, surrounded by the things that re-
mind him OF the past, respected by his
townsmen, owing no man anything, money
in the bank against the day when dust
shall return to dust. He continues, as has
been his practice, for many years, the work
of a local preacher, without compensation,
while pursuing his vocation of a tiller of
the soil. Honor to Father Prouty.
If bicycle riders won't consent to a tax on
THAR maans NJ lOcOmOtiOn unlaas the State
uses the funds thus accruing to build a
"cinder path" alongside each highway for
their especial use, then bicycles won't be
taxed-unless the Legislature wants to, re d.
CARELESS.
The expected bill to reorganize the board
OF railroad commissioners came from Col.
Emery of Chelsea on Monday. 1t provides
that one member for six, one for four and
one for two years shall be appointed by the
Governor to take Office December 1st, and
one to be appointed each two years there
after in the even years. The salary of the
chairman is fixed at $1,000 per year, and
the salary Of the other two at $1,000. This bill
is exactly correct in principle, and would
place the commission on common sense
and good practical working basis By this
method two experienced men will be con-
tinually in office, the business we'll in hand
and outside the evil OF clean sweep every
two years. The salaries are brought down
to moderate basis, and the bill appears to
be wholly meritorious.
By the bill introduced by Col. Webb
on Monday, the Vermont National Guard is
to be organized to consist OF sixteen COM
panies of tifty-one officers and men each, to
be formed into two regiments and one brig
ade The reorganization is to be in ac
cordance with the United States laws
which may be enacted on the subject
The committee on town lines, which will
handle the Morristown.H Hyde Park contro-
versy, will visit that sequestered vale some
time about this week Thursday, before any
hearings are given on the matter Each
side has already begun to accuse their OPP
ponents Of various illegitimate practices
and every hour adds fuel to the flames.
Judge Powers says, "my town has appro-
priated a hundred millions to defend its
rights, and it will all be used, If necessary
The substitute Senate bill making a
place for one woman on each OF the Insane
and Industrial school boards was refused a
third reading on Monday afternoon in the
Senate by yea and nay vote OF fourteen to
ten. Those Senators voting for the bill
were; Blodgett, Chaffee, Mccullough
Perley, Putnam, Sayles, Slayton, Soule,
Stearns and Young. Those voting nay