St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-11-19

claime0 by tue party leaders TO De aDSO-
lutely essential to party salvation, its
defeat would be party suicide. Under
these circumstances and with sober sec
ond thought the result ought not to be
in doubt for moment.
A ombination of gentlemen of large
means are seeking incorporation under
the name of THE Vermont Industrial
Association" with present apitalstock
of $4,000. The object of the company
is "to secure the settlement of people
within the state and thereby advance
the industrial interests of Vermont to
buy, hold, sell and convey real estate, to
manage an industrial farm of farms, to
propagate blooded stock, to import
such stock and deal ia the products
thereof" The company is made up of
men Of large wealth and energy who
believe in Vermont and their project will
have the best wishes of everybody. Ger
tanly it will be watched with much in
terest.
A bill which has passed the house and
which seems to hit the nail squarely on
the head is that which provides that
money loaned at 4 p per cent or less on
real estate shall be exempt from taxa
ton to the amount of the appraised
value Of the real estate. Why not?
The house has also passed the bills allow
ing the governor to name one woman
for membership on each of the boards
governing state institutions, to require
a sworn statement of election expenses
from candidates ater election, to permit
towns to elect two road com missioners,
at their discretion. 1t also passed the
bill raising the state highway tax to ten
cents, after hot opposition from the
cities and larger towns. These char
acterized the measure as simply high
way robbery under the guise of Iegisla
tive sanction. The small towns were in
large numerical majority, however,
and after their big brothers had wearied
themselves with their vehement protests,
winked the other eye and passed the bill.
The house has also passed the bill
abolishing the blank space at the head of
official ballots, regulating the practice OF
embalming, appropiiating $4,000 to be
laid out in permanent road work in the |
town of Woodford, appropriating 81 500 |
OF the state school tax for the relief of |
needy towns, restricting vicious dogs,
requiring street railroad companies to |
erect stations when required to do so BY |
the supreme court. This last seems a
little singular when you come to think |
of it. Why is it necessary to pass law
to enforce an order of the supreme court? |
And why not pass bill commanding the |
street and all other railroad companies
to obey the orders of the commissioners
without chasing each other around the |
supreme court? Doesn't all this railroad |
commission business look like the slli- |
est tommyrot, really?
AS an illustration of the amount of
business that may be done when the |
spirit moves, it may be of interest to note
that the first half hour OF its session
Friday morning the senate disposed of |
20 bills. Among them was that giving
tax paying women the right to vote in |
city, town or municipal elections. This |
was reported adversely and ordered ito |
lie This is very delicate and refined |
way OF killing bills and disposing of the
question. There is no reason under the |
heaven why the bill should not have
been made a law decades ago. 1t is |
right, by every rule, plain matter Of |
honest, simple justice. They have a dis
tinct property interest in good govern
ment, in which nobody can represent
them, and they should not be kept muz
zled and suppressed. The disfranchse-
ment of a tax-payiug adult person is
exactly what our revolutionary fathers
rebelled against, aud the principle is
always and eternally the same Let
the taxed women vote.
Last night the final hearings were held
on the abolition OF capital punishment
and Communication of sentence bills, and
all these bills are expected to be reported
back today or tomorrow. The house
will accept the compromise bovine dis
ease bill which has already passed the
senate, and the long days and nights of
oratory and uproar on the subject are
apparently near an end.
The house has passed to a third read
ing the bill prohibiting the manufacture,
sale or exposure for sale of cigarettes, the
bill exemptng all veterans OF the war of
the rebellion from payment of pol! tax
and the bill to prevent corrupt practice
in elections
The visiting commissioners of the St.
Louis exposition will be given hearing
by the joint assembly this afternoon or
by everybody who cares to attend in the
hall OF the house this evening. 1t now
looks as if way would be provided for
a modest but creditable exhibit there
next year. The idea is to construct
building OF native granite, marble and