St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-10-29
OUR MONTPELIER LETTER.

} Man is made to mourn-and grumble
Like pepper, this promotes digestion anC
imparts vitality The Legislature il
made to grumble at. 1t is paid three
dollars day and mileage. and can afford
to be cussed. 1t is there for that purpose
and expects it. 1t don't care a rap, either
1t is good form to cuss the Legislature
for what it don't and does seem to be
doing. 1t don't hurt anybody and is the
inalienable and venerated privilege OF
every citizen. Everybody abuses the
General Assembly until they get elected
to it, and then they smile and say moth
ing. Men-on the outside-vlli(y it, and
women try to think of something to
petition it for. These are inherited traits.
The General Assembly has now been in
session nearly half its allotted time, and
has done much. You may not realize it,
but it is true. Certainly it has accom-.
plished great deal For instance, it has
elected Governor, and he has appointed
a staff. The Governor don't amount to
much, of course, only as a matter of
principle, but the staff means much. The
staff is sacred institution like the state
seal and the statue of Ethan Allen with
his wooden sword. Then the judges of
the supreme court have been elected
Also a secretary of state and state treas
urer and a state auditor and lieutenant
governor and some clerks, reporters,
doorkeepers, pages and chaplains. Also
a bill has been introduced to encourage
murder and regulate hedgehogs. And
the Danes and Daughters and ladies
and a few common, ordinary women
have been entertained for a whole week.
And the Governors official reception and
ball has been held. And the bills to print
justices ballots on red paper and repair
the closets i'll the St. Adams Jail have
been passed. And in the face of all this,
do you yet dare to say that nothing
much has been done?
Regardless ofthe typhoid conditions, the
past week will live long in the legislative
annals OF the state with a seal on which
is tree and a cow on both sides of it.
The week was surely big with fate and
tetes Everybody who believed that
legislative session was made to have fun
with was there, swarms Of Danes and
other ladies, a few scattering women,
the chivalry of the state from Hancock,
Burlington, Sandgate, Essex Junction,
Brattleboro, Baltimore, Bennington
Qargely), Bloomfield, Rutland, North
Ferrisburg, st. Johnsbury, South Rye
gate, Post Mills, St. Adams, Berkshire
Center and Tyson Furnace. Other re-
sorts of the higher thought were more or
less represented, and the few who STAYED
at home cannot ask for further recogni-
ton.
And the grand ball after the reception
What pen can do justice to it what pen.
Gil could portray it! 1t was an elegant
mob, beautiful crush of the elite.
radiant and scintillating Kaleidoscope of
beauty and chivalry of the decollete and
the spiketalled variety gracefully floating
to the strains of She was more to be
pitied than censured, and Wilder's latest
opus, Meet me on the Rialto." And vet
you envlous stay-at-homes sneer at lepis-
lation as She is legisated and alIude to
the gay life at the hamlet as "all blamed
tommyrot," or words to that efe,t.
Among other momentous legislative
acts OF the past week was the official
reception OF a fine painting of the late
Gen. Lscum, a former Vermont bow. who
tell at the head of his command in China.
1t was received by Ex-Governor Sticknev
you may remember the name-who
gave an excellent address and made of
tn. occasion notwithstanding one. This
occupied most of Thursday. Friday a
large bunch OF senator's excursioned to
Barre to visit and inspect the quarries.
When they returned they allowed that
there was some granite lying around I'D
there, but have reason to believe that
they saw something besides stone.
Also during the week the insane COM
mlttee-or the committee on the insane
visited BrattIeboro. They went ostensi
bly, to see II the retreat there was in good
working order, but said when they came
back that their time there was too
limited y to make the examination ex.
pected OF them. Other committees on
various state institutions will "yisit.
inspect and report" right along now.
with the usual results. They give due
notice when they are coming, everything
is at once placed in the best oforder, thev
are met at the station with carriages. the
unfortunate inmates are formallyparaded
tor their inspection, then they are RECALLED
with "a light lunch and escorted to the
depot They have inspected" and will
report that everything is serene.
Petitions for the retention of the pro-
hhtory law continue to rain down
upon the outfit, and these documents
nave become a standing Joke, wearying
TO the flesh and a modification to the
unfortunate who is comDelled to ar;se