The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-19
DID GOOD.
The Presidents Visit
to Legislature.
NE MBERS PLEASED.
Many Changed Their Pre-
conceived Ideas of Him.

Boston, Feb. 1S-The visit of Presi-
dent Mckinley to the legislature fur
nished a diversion from the routine this
week which was fully appreciated by
the members of both Senate and House,
and Friday was practically given up to
the, function, no regular business of any
account being done, and no committee
hearings held.
ii is hardly necessary to saw that the
president had every reason to be graf
flied by the cordiality of his reception
by the members of the general court
and that he was touched by the
warmth of the greeting he received,
was evident in his face as he took his
seat after the noise of the welcoming
applause had somewhat subsidized.
mat the members of the legislature
were pleased with the president. is also
true. FOR the nonce all questions of
paftlsanshlp were put to one side, and
all united in the welcome. 1t is nm
derstood that this was the first time
mat the general court of MASSACHUSETTS
was ever visited by a president of the
united States during its session, and
the honor was fully appreciated.
Inc presidents address made a good
impression, and so did his Thoroughly
unaffected and Ngenial bearing. He
!ooken IKE man who is bearing a bur
oen' put 1t also appeared as if his out
ing TO Boston had done him good. His
nearly laughter at some of the bunor-
Gus things said by Secretary Long at
the expense Of the legislators and by
secretary Gage at the expense of the
secretary of the navy, was evidence
mat, no matter how great the strain
OIL affairs upon him, he was vet ahla
10 ENJOY joke, and his geniaIity dur
lhs the reception which followed the
speeGhes' put him in touch with the
sa,, -, ana some or them had rea-
of the man. W iuedS
ne reception accorded the few words
IN the presidents address on the one
great question of the hour, showed how
nadIy the feeling of the members Of
the legislature on the Philippine mat
ter has been misrepresented by those
~ oppose lhe president. In the
general court, as in the state. The anti
eXpanstonists have made the mnst
noise, but when 1T comes to standing
up and being counted, the case is diff
Ierent II there was ever q plain case
OF the tail wagging, or rather attempt
ing TO Wag the dog, it is found in fhe
ef1ort of the 'antis" TO convey the i'm
preston that the majority of the PEG
pie OF this state We're with them. How
mistaken ,iliS'Ii TINS impression is, becomes
more apparent daily.
some of the forces behind the efforts
TO repeal the street watering act. have
become evident this week and give
all the more reason why the two bills
ior the repeal of the law should be
killed. 1t was brought out at hear
ing before the committee on cities this
week that the House bill originated
with a man from one of the cities IN
the southeastern part of the state, who
peleVes the present law infringes upon
his constitutional rights.
Inc Senate bill for the same purpose
put IN by Senator Lott of Boston has
as reason for being. ac-
cofdlng to its author the fact that the
law does not work we'll in Boston. GER
tam localities being favored above 9th
ers in the distribution of the sprinIxIers
IL TINS is so, there seems to be no spe-
cial reason why the matter cannot be
ADJUSTED as far as that city is con-
cerned without spelling the good effect
OF the present law in the other cities
OF the state. AS it looks now, the
committee on cities will report against
both bills
eiiHh VII VII lllG same SQn1ect is
now before that committee. 1t does
not repeal the law, but amends it so
that the assessments for street water
ing purposes shall be made by dis
trlcts instead of on the whole. as at
present. By so doing, it is claimed
the burden of cost for street watering
Will be imposed more 2luitably than at
present, the business section, for in
stance, Where the sprinklers make four
or I'VE rounds a h1N
heavier than those sections where only
! Two trips are made daily. The com
! mlttee is inclined to view this bill with
more favor than the others
The hearing before the committee
on education on the bill to impose a
penalty for failure to comply with the
law providing for scientific temperance
instruction in the public schools, max
ing arbitrary the grades in which it
snail be taught, and the number of
! hours devoted to it, has resulted in
strong opposition being shown not only
on the part of the educators of the
state and school authorities, but by
we'll known people interested in the
promotion of temperance work. Rack
of it all appears the suspicion that the
bill is simply the cover for job in IA
Vor of certain school text book pub
fishers, and although those who favor
the bill deny this, yet the suspicion
stills hangs around the measure AS
yet the feeling of the members of the
committee is that there has been no
good reason shown for making the law
stronger, and the fact that the state
board of education, the principal of ev-
cry normal school in the state. school
superintendent and educators gener-
ally are opposed to it. will have some
weight with the committee The out
look is that Ought not to pass" will
be the report on the bill