Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-10-23
TWO LEADING SUBJECTS.
Liquor Legislation and tuberculosis
Hold the Center of the Stage.

of votes and election OF officers are now
over, and one source of interruption is out
OF the way.
A few unimportant bills have passed
each house, but none have gone under the
governors hand yet.
Liquor legislation holds the lead in at
tention, with tuberculosis a close second.
and these two questions crowd all others
into the background. Up to date, there
have been five distinct liquor bills intro
duced, known as the Clement, Ross, Rus
sell, Fletcher and Democratic bills. Bat
tells dispensary bill is yet to come. Ross
bill is a modification OF the present law;
Clements, Russell's and Fletcher's are
high license-local option-referendum
measures, not essentially differing from
each other. The Democratic bill, intro
duced today by Conland of Brattleboro,
is a stringent license-local option meas
ure, without referendum. All of these
bills will be considered by the joint COM
mittee on temperance, and no man know
eth the fruit thereof. A committee bill,
embodying the ideas of majority OF that
body, eulled from the different plans,
with some original specialties, is limited at.
The election Of judges and other state
officers Thursday by assembly provoked
some interest on account of the raid made
on "Jim" Brock by the Democrats and a
good many Republicans, who preferred
Jack Sibley for sergeant-at-arms. They
came near taking "Jim's" scalp, too, the
vote standing 1875 to 119, lead of only
SEVEN All the judges and other officers
were reelected except that Col. A. A. Hall
OF st. Adams was substituted for II. ).
Peck as judge-advocate general. Hall has
declined to serve, and another choice VIII
be necessary. A little breeze was caused
when Senator Sutton of Burlington, who
has a personal grievance against Judge
Stafford, with one or two OF his conferrees,
voted against Stafford.
Whenever you see an excited crowd OF
men, all talking and all gesticulating, you
may know that tuberculosis is the sub
iect For real sharpness, the contest over
this matter surpasses even the pending
liuuor question. A large number Of
farmer members, led by the Chittenden
County contingent, are doing their best
TO modify the present law so as to leave
the test optional, and so that the owners
will receive full value for animals killed.
A number OF very warm committee hear
ings have already taken place, all largely
attended. The feeling is very strong IN
Williston, especially, where the cattle
commission condemned many animals and
met with much opposition. The leading
argument is that as yet there is no reason
to believe that bovine tuberculosis IS com
municable TO man; that therefore 1t IS
DGHl 10 20 SLOW anu AlOi Saul INV INV AfhAeAN
rashly; that the tuberculin test is not
always reliable; and that the present com
mission has been needlessly severe IN
dealing with farmers.
But the commission and the present
law have many friends, even among cattle
men. who are DESTROYS of stamping out
the disease for the benefit of their herds, II
for nothing more. As one farmer said, II
have had few cows condemned, am sat
isfied they should have been, and am glad
to be rid OF them. There may be doubt
about the disease being communicable to
man, but prefer to give my children the
benefit OF the doubt, rather than my
cows Other interesting hearings will
follow.
At noon Wednesday, the two houses in
Joint assembly completed the election Of
Senator Dillingham;, which is merely a
formal proceeding. Senator Dillingham;
appeared before the assembly and made a
fine acceptance speech. AS the successor
of the late Senator Morrill,, he reviewed
the latter's honorable Congressional record
and paid him a warm tribute. Then he
took up the question OF electing senators
by popular vote, proposition to do which
has already passed the federal House of
Representatives and is before the Senate
committee, of which Mr.. Dillingham; is
member He made a strong argument in
opposition TO the change, on the ground
that ii would be an entering wedge by
which the states would be deprived of
their equal representation in the Senate.
His position was well received, and his
address won applause.
Orange county is interested in the bill
asking that Thetford Academy be made
the recipient of the old Orange County
Grammar school fund, amounting to
about 500 a year. Opinion is that the
plan will not carry.
The Senate laid the representative
plurality bill on the shelf, after once
ordering it to third reading. There will
be a sharp contest over this measure. IL
is conceded that some step should be
taken to put an end to the long-drawn
fights in some towns over choice OF repre-
sentative. but there are many who cling
to the old majority rule idea. The prob
able outcome is an act providing for
plurality election on the second or third
ballot, II majority is not sooner secured.
1t is recognized that Lieut.-Gov. Stan
ton is exerting good deal of influence on
pending legislation. He is strong man,
with clear ideas, and his advice is well
coined by senators and even members of
the lower house. "WhRt Zed says"
counts.
The first debate in the House occurred
today, over the proposition to lengthen
the deer season Is days, so that it will last
from Oct. - TO NOV. 10. ne committee
considered the plan a good one, as deer
are becoming quite plentiful Some mem-
bers thought the extension too long, and
proposed to shorten it five days, but the
committee had its way and the bill went
to third reading. IL takes effect this year,
il it gets through in season.
The legislature has invited Admiral
Clark to be present at the unwilling OF his
portrait as the guest OF the state, and a
letter from him indicates that he will do
so.
A number of towns are seeking special
state aid because OF unusual damages to
their highways through floods; Middlesex
wants 5000, Walden wants $500, Hard
wick wants $1,000 for repairs OF gulf road
and Mendon wants $500 for work on a
mountain stage road.
A joint resolution has been passed for a
recount OF the votes cast in Windham
county al the late election. The Demo-
Gratis asked il, hoping it would show the
election Of Davenport as senator, instead
Of Spencer.
The bill reducing the legal rate OF inter-
est TO Sc was killed in the House.
The trout law is coming in for an over
hauling One bill shortens the open sea
son one month al the beginning, another
cuts of IS DAYS at the close. One bill re-
duces the length OF legal trout to five
inches and another does away with the
six-inch law entirely. One bill provides
80 damages for fishing on lands posted by
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