The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-10-21
Attempts at Improvement Each
Year Results in the Discovery
of a Weakness in Some Other
Section of the Law
AN EXAMPLE SHOWN IN
ASUFF0LK DISTRICT
Ballot Law Commission Has Lit
tie Business This Year, Which
Leads TO the Belief There is a
Lack of Interest or Politicians
Are Better Educated
Especial Political Correspondence


Are Better Educated
Especial Political Correspondence
Boston, Oct 2O-Although the state
campaign rather drags in Massachu-
sets, there is plenty of incident in the
local contests, and many occurrences
which are calculated to convince the
political experts that the intricacies of
our marvellous body of election laws
are past finding out. Every year at
tempts are made to improve these
laws, and the patch which is put on
discovers a weakness somewhere else.
The law passed this year to provide
for the direct caucus nomination of
senators in Suffolk County is an ex-
ample. East Cambridge and a part of
Charlestown are in the same senator
ial district The Social Democratic
candidate in this district withdrew.
The withdrawal created a vacancy.
The law of 1901 made no provision for
filling the vacancy, but provided that
the laws already in force should stand.
With direct nominations, however, no
senatorial district committee Is neces-
sary it is presumed, and SO the power
given political committees to fill va
cancies in our election laws reverted
to the city committees. The fact that
Cambridge Is represented in the dis
trict meant of course that the Cam
bridge city committee must join the
Boston committee in filling the va
cancy Had the candidate been Re
publican this would have meant a
meeting Of about 800 men. How many
constitute the city committee of the
social democracy it would be difficult
to find out. But as the new law makes
no provision for notifying anybody OF
the fact that a vacancy exists, the in
cident is only instructive in develop
ing a serious hole in the law.
The ballot law commission Is to meet
tomorrow morning to see when it will
sit to hear the three or four protests
which have been made. Either there
is less interest in politics this year than
before, or the politicians are becoming
better educated in relation to 1t, for
the commission has practically nothing
of importance before it, while in every
other year since it was created 1T has
had a number of knotty problems to
settle. In fact, up to a day or two
since, the indications were that 1t
would not meet at all this year.
There is a merry war on Cape Cod,
where William A. Nye Of Bourne has
taken out independent nomination pa
pers for the Senate. AS no Democrat
has represented the Cape district for
a generation, it Is assumed that either
Nye or Senator Luscombe, the Repub-
lican nominee for a fourth term, will
win out, and of course the prognos-
ticators say it will be Luscombe. But
"Bill" Nye is a good deal of hustler
so that the chances are that he will
gea a good many votes, even If he does
univ ThnGo UUh hdIiaUn thaTa will
be another effort to resuscitate thu
Cape Cod canal charter, which got in
to the doldrums through the decision
of Joint railroad and harbor land com
mittees concerning an issue of secur
tiles few months back think they
see in the whole performance a contest
between the canal people and the New
York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad.
In the Lawrence district also there
is trouble, George G. Frederick hav-
ing filed his independent pjapers to run
against Archie N. Frost Of Lawrence,
the Republican nominee. Representa-
tive Cloutier of Lawrence, the Demo-
cratic nominee, is of course happy, but
the situation is far from hopeless fol-
Frost
The committee on the consolidating
and arranging of the public statutes
held it's last meeting on Wednesday
and now the printers are rushing the
revised laws into type. Notwithstand
/ ing the conscientious efforts of thu
members Of the committee the chances
are that attempts to amend the new
! laws will be many when the Genera
! Court of 1902 comes in. An interesting
illustration of the work of the commit
tee is furnished by the report of Sen
ator Manning of Worcester on Chap
ter AZ, "Of the Public Schools" Only
two years ago there was great agi
tation before the Legislature on thu
question of providing a penalty for a
failure to teach physiology and by
4 giene, particularly in relation to thu
| effects of alcohol and narcotics on TIT
| human system.
Through the efforts of Mrs. Mary H
Hunt and others, a law on this subjec
was passed in 1885. Investigations
I made by Secretary Frank A. Hill, OF
the state board of education two years
ago, showed that every city and towr
in Middlesex and Worcester County
made provisions for this instruction
that this was true of 30S cities and
towns in the state, and that only Il
failed to make provision for such in
struction. The most prominent offend
er in this regard was Westfield. There
fore the petitioners for drastic legisla
ton were permitted to withdraw.
However the commissioners in re-
vising the law got rid of this subject
in two lines, providing for instructio!
in physiology and hygiene Including
special instruction as to the effects o.
alcoholic drinks and Of stimulants
and narcotics on the human system.
Mrs. Hunt and other temperance lead
ers, it is said, were furious. but latel
were gratitied to learn that Senato
Manning by his report had put the Law
back as it stood before the revision
was attempted
In physiology and hygiene, in eacf
division of the subject special instruc.
ton as to the effects Of alcoholic drinks
and of stimulants and narcotics on tht
human system shall be taught to al
pupils in all schools which are support
ed wholly or partly by public money
except schools which are maintained
solely for instruction in particulal
branches"
The governor and his council wer,
travelling in Western Massachusett:
/ and Connecticut last week. Gov
Crane is to enjoy a unique experience
having for the closing year Of his ser
= vice a council composed of the verI
: men who are now serving, with the ex
ception of Councillor HARDWOOD Of Lynn
who will be succeeded by Hon. D.L.Rob
| inson Of Gloucester. This condition
was assured by tAs denomination o.
Councillor Howe. On the other hand
Gov. Bates, in 1903. is likely to have
an entirely new body OF men in the
council, with the single exception Of
Mr.. Robinson. MANN.
DEATHS
| GALLAGHER - In this city Oct. 20th
Ellen (Tobin) Gallagher, widow of thu
! late John J. Gallagher.