Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1898-10-12


mother-of-pearl paper cutter she receive d
N. L. HowEs
IN RUNNING ORDER AT LAST.
New State Officers All in Possession
and Committees Appointed and
Ready for Business.
Montpelier, Tuesday Morning
Editor TIMES and Fellow Citizens:
At last the General Assembly is sup.
posed to be ready to transact business, but
it is not like ly that anything very startling
will be flashed on the general public this
week.
Thursday afternoon the members CT boil
houses, state officers and attaches, will re
spond to an invitation to visit Burlington
and take part in the reception rendered by
the people of the Queen City to the Thirc
Regiment of Cavalry at Fort Ethan Allan
A special train will leave here after the
regular morning session and an early din
ner, and will return sometime in the nigh
after the exercises.
This will break up the week consider
ably, but if the iunket did not intervene
something else would, SO the result woulc
be the same. 1t is all we'll and proper te
advise, argue with and entreat the mem
bers as to the necessity Of diligence, and
the dtuiful transaction OF business, but II
will be equally effective with whistline
against the wind. The members are deaf
though very far from being dumb, more
frequently the pity-and protest is wasted
on It. As ususl it will dawdle along until
the last ten days of the session, and then
labor furiouely night and day and have the
most important matters half done and IN
complete at the last. This method of pro-
ceedure seems to be an unwritten law, and
there is no help for it. You can cuss the
whole outfit with WI atever degree of vio-
lence is necessary to relieve your outrage
feelings, but that is all the good it will do
Gov. Smiths startling suggestions in his
message are yet the subject CT vociferous
comment in the state papers, and among
politicians. His ideas on the subject Of
good roads and recommendations as to
what ought to be done in the way OF new
legislation on the subject, met with gener-
al approval, and very likely bill embody-
ing his idea-possibly somewhat modified
will become law. That the time is
ripe for sharp advance in roadmakinp
methods is generally admitted by legisla-
tors. His radical suggestions regarding a
scheme for the raising of state revenue,
find, however, comparatively few followers
His plan alighted on the unprotected and
defenceless heads of the members of the
Joint assembly like the proverbial thousan
of brick, land they feebly gasped and writhed
in horror and dismay. The governors
proposition, however, is somewhat growing
in favor as it is given more consideration,
and it is possible, not probable, that some
legislation of the kind may be attempted.
At the beginning Of the session and up
to the time of his Inauguration Gov. Smith
was personally unknown to eight out Of ten
of the members Of the general assembly.
They hardly knew what sort of an ogre OF
angel they expectt to see, but the asser-
ton certainly cannot be questioned that he
has made decidedly favorable impression
and suspicious beginning. The first and
lasting impression of him is that he is a
typical and most practical business man,
with head as level as die. He says
eyes" and mo" without particle of hest
tation or attempt at diplomacy, looks you
squarely in the eye, says what he thinks
and that settles it. No use OF attempting
to argue the question.
Gov. CIRCUITS retiring message met with
the heartiest concurrence and very gen.
eral approval. His recommendations were
thorough and dealt with everything relat-
ing to the public welfare which has come
within range of him during his two years OF
careful aud laborious execution; he had
gained much valuable knowledge of the
public necessities and the result was given
to the general assembly, carefully and in
diligently. In nearly every case the ex-
cellence of his opinion and force of his re-
marks were cheerlully admitted and I'M
questionably many of his ideas will come
into the legislature in the form of bills.
will make no attempt to follow the ex-
ample of certain illustrious and very prev-
Gus correspondents, who are attempting to
give a synopsis OF all the important meas
ures which will come before the two houses
at the session. Anything OF the kind
would of course necessarily be incomplete,
if not actually misleading. Sufficient unto
the day is the evil thereof, and l will con-
tent myself and try to inform you of these
matters as they arise. The Lord knows it
will be bad enough when it comes, without
attempting to borrow trouble in advance or
forestall the inevitable misery.
1t is most interesting study to look
over the house while in session. Very few
very aged or youthful members are seen
and the average appear to be not over so.
They are q sensible and solid looking lot
of men, too. They impress the observer
as business men, first, last and all the time,
well qualified for capable and intelligent
work.
The town of Athens has established a
precedent which, if followed, would most
certainly have tremendous effect for good
on future legislation. Athens member is
as dumb IS Norfolk oyster, by reason of
q throat disease, which does not need to
distract IN the least from his value and USE