The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-10-05
AT the Capitol
And Among the Members-More or Less
Brief Notes Gathered in the Halls of
Legislation and Among the Powers that
be, Legal Social and Personal.

AS the first issue OF the DAILY JOURNAL
for the session Of '98 is being read the war.
riors are practically all on the ground and
lined up for business. Every train since
Monday has brought scattering delegations,
and yesterday and last evening all trains
were packed with incoming legislators,
state officials, past, present and future, and
members of the third house who are always |
present to help push when the wheels of
legislation start for the first time. Nearly |
all knew where they were going when they |
arrived, but occasionally an improvident |
pilgrim carrying shiny carpet sack and |
look OF perplexity was observed as the |
shades fell last evening, trying to settle |
where he was at. But all are now safely |
sheltered and ready for whatever may |
transpire.
After the usual protracted and agonizing
struggle with an avalanche OF petitions, en-
dorsements, memorials, recommendations,
requests and demands from nearly every
school district in the state Sergeant-at-Arms
Phinney made these appointments: House
doorkeeper, g. N. Norton OF Huntington;
assistant, w. W. Sprague Of Brookfeld
Doorkeeper OF Senate, l.. g. Needham Of
Leicester; assistant, 7. A. Trevillian OF
Barnard. Assistant sergeant. arms, L. p.
Adams Of Swanton. Messengers, Daniel #.
Gardner of Pownell, John Reeves of Island
Pond, Arthur Swinington of Rutland, Fred
Chadwick OF Randolph, John A. Miller Of
Newfane, Albert Sault of st. Johnsbury,
A. M. Brown OF Richford. j. j. Colby of
Waterbury and O. B. Fay of Jericho.
Master Sault is q son OF Executor Sault OF
st. Johnsbury, to-be reporter of the Senate.
They are all good boys, and hope they will
mind
The st. Johnsbury Republican says:
"The Republicans will present but one can
didate and that will be Colonel Haskins.
He will make good speaker. His only
disqualification as an ideal presiding Off"
Ger lies in the fact that he is slightly deaf.
This, however, may be an advantage to
him. for he can avoid an endless amount of
needless clatter and "proceed with the
business of the hour" Right, my boy
That presiding officer is slightly deaf is
the most valuable and desirable quality
that can POSSIBILITY be found in such an Off
cial. 1t is worth vast quantities of time
and money to the state for guardian of its
interests to be just deaf enough.
Just now the able and intelligent editors
of the state are printing columns OF more or
less valuable advice to the legislature, what
it mustn't do, what 1t must do and what it
might do. Proposed legislation-which is
not yet proposed-is gravely endorsed or
condemned, sermons are preached on the
absolute and immediate necessity for this,
that or the other, and a serious congestion
of advice is already banked up in and
around the Capital. When the time ar
rives the Daily Journal will have fairly
good advice to offer but sees no present rea-
sons for issuing specific instructions TO the
general assembly.
Lamoille county, good old "Spunky La
noble" on the banks and braes of the
''crick" of that name, will be glorifed to-day
by the elevation Of one of her most deserv-
ing and worthy sons to the clerkship of the
House, the slight bodied, but corpulent
Drained Tom Cheney Of Morrisviile. Not
candidate in his party dared appear
against Tom, and he wins out of sight His
| first assistant will be Fred s. Hamilton of
Salisbury and his second assistant Esquire
e. G. Mower of Burlington, of the law firm
| Of Cushman & Mower. Its star trio, and
they will handle the documents in a way to
elicit the admiration OF every beholder
".
The Pavilion resumed its biennial legisla-
tive aspect last evening and the diamond
| studded floor was packed with the glory
| and chivalry of the State. 1t was the Mecca
of the old stagers and the object Of decided
| interest of the new men. The Pavilion is
always political and-male-social head
| quarters and the scene last evening brought
to many minds remembrances of the glori-
| GUS days OF yore. Here great ideas fragrant
with the ambrosia of craftsmanship are
conceived later to be worked into laws for
the welfare of the people. Jobs large and
small are put up and put down and altogeth-
| er 1t is most serious and impressive resort.
Those who are located at the Pavilion are:
Senators Barnes OF Addison, Mccullough of
Bennington, Hall Of Groton, Smith of Bur-
| lington, Bartlett OF Island Pond, Foss of st.
Albans Soule of Fairfield, Perley Of Enos-
burgh, Fleury of Isle La Motto, Stearns OF
johnson, Pickett OF Bradford, Lynde of
Williamstown, Thomson OF Rutland, Platt
OF Poultney, Partridge Of Proctor, Griffith
of Dandy, CudwoIth of Londonderry, Hill
of Brattleboro and Watson of Hartford.
The representatives are: Cartmell of Mid
ddlebury. Hindes Of yergennes, Gardner Of
| Pownal, Nash Of Colchester, Webb Of Shell
burne, Phelps Of Enosburg, Dodge OF Shell
| don, Richardson OF st. Adams, Dickey of
Bradford Emery Of Chelsea, Wall of RAN
dolph, Tyson OF STAFFORD. Carpenter Of
Washington, Butterdeld Of Derby, Dunton
of Brattleboro, Smith of Londonderry,
johnson OF Vernon, and Downer OF Sharon.
~
II l am to believe all that am solemnly
assured is a fact, then the Senate will have
three secretaries, Messrs. Fletcher of st.
Adams, Powell of Burlington and LaPoint
Of Barre. The two former are practically
80. il anything. The choice apparently is
between the two former, and may the best
man win.
o -.
The number of clergymen who are fairly
aching to pray for the House indicates that
that body Is sadly in need OF ways and
means of grace. Twenty is high tide esti-
mate Of the number Of candidates, and un-
less a compromise Is effected a big scatter
ing vote is certain to begin with. Rev. Mr.
Day of Brattleboro, latechaplain of the State
troops, is being rapidly doomed by large
number Of warm friends. and is liable to
carry off the prize at the eleventh hour.
80
Somebody with great head for figures,
II for nothing else, has issued series of
tables which tend to prove that Montpelier
and Washington county have furnished
more than their share Of House and Senate
chaplains, and that therefore these offices
belong to some other locality. This seems
| to be the object of the mathematical exhibit
in question. Well, in this world we reap
what we SOW, and usually get what we de-
serve. II Washington county has furnish
| ed more than its "share" of chaplains, 1t is
unquestonable proof that we have produc.
| ed the best stock. The little town of Straf-
| ford has kept its citizen in Washington for
| 10, these many years for the same reason,
and no patriot hungering for a bite from
the public funds has got out table OF sta
| tiatiaa IN tho NJ n "a claim