St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-10-22

DEARLY BELOVED:
Before submerging myself in an epist
from Rome to the brethren in foreig
parts wish to rise 10 a question OF til
highest personal privilege and stat
5 that the circumspect details of my deceas
which have appeared in the papers dur
ing the past two days were largely exag
gerated. have been and am yet wea
and shaking victim of the industriou
and tenacious microbe OF malaria whicl
fits from statesman to statesman OF
joyous wing, and he has recently put OF
a night gang in the form of the bacteria
Of bronchitis, but l yet exist. cam
sing any more, though. My head sounds
like shingle mill, and my throat like the
beautiful evensong of the cricket, but long
before the Rubens nest again all this
will have changed. But, however,.
Once more, l told you so. Legisla-
lively, last week was very much OF what
| Ketcham would call wrecked sustitu-
ton" Considerable business, such as it
was, was done at odd times, but the
two days election OF senator and the
election of the MINOR state officers largely
busted up the regular routine. The sena
torial election resulted in no surprises,
and all factions of republicans united in
giving Senator Dillingham; 203 majority
on joint ballot.
The election of state officers was a
monotonous and dreary performance,
the only break being in the election of
Hon. Alfred A. Hall OF St. Adams to the
most responsible and imposing office of
Judge Advocate General of the common
wealth, Vice General Hamilton Side
whiskers Peck of Burlington. Why this
change was made can only be explained
on the hypothesis that the Peck family
OF Burlington has lost it's grip. Foryears
past Burlington has had a General Peck
of some kind on the staff, but the last
leaf has fallen. Possibly there wasn't
room enough in the Queen City for both
Peck and Burgess as men OF war, and of
course the latter couldn't be spared.
Sic transit Gen. Hall has since refused
the job, and new election must be held.
The discussion of the bill abolshing
the death penalty in murder will apparent
ly bring on long and acrimonious dis.
cussion. The bill has been supplemented
by another committing the death
sentence of Doherty, the Bolton Falls
which same failed in the at.
tempt of its parents to force it down the
threats OF the legislature two years ago.
Then every legal technically was taken
OF to save the scoundrels life
by appeal and other chicanery, and up
to date his friends have succeeded in
cheating justice. Doherty was and is
a cold-blooded. brutal murderer whose
case presents not one rtdeeming feature
and by every law OF God and man should
have suffered the penalty of his crime on
The day appointed. Instead of death he
has been made to occupy the time of
courts and legislatures and now poses as
a martyr to just law.
Why should the state of Vermont
abolish the death penalty and coddle
and provide for brutal murderers during
a long life OF comfort or until their friends
secure their pardon? Is there any excuse
under heaven for this Glamour except
nausous sentimentality? The best service
a first degree murderer can do the world
is to leave it. By their continual wailinp
and legal trickery these intolerant
murderers have practically abolished the
death penalty in Vermont for years past,
and made mockery Of Gods and m ans
law providing penalty for brutal MUIR
der, Write your representative to vote
against both these bills, and let justice
and honor and decency be vindicattd!
BY the way, | note that a very large
majority OF the state press are in favor
OF retaining and unfolding the present
law. This indicates great set-sacrl6ce,
considering what may eventually happen
and also shows the Spartan spirit OF the
conntry's good first
A bill occasionally creeps in to Apron
rate certain sum to asst town in re.
building its highways washed and carried
away by Ireshets, and although the
usual legislature is little charv about
donating town such sum of MOI ey
yet these are prec, dents for it. Some
years ago the town of Woo ilord entire
ly lost what few highways it h ad by
c'oudburst and the legislature came to
its relief A cross country stage line
ran through the town, and it was a case
OF must" BY the way, Woodtord is
one ct TWO Vermont towns which haven't
a coal stove inside their corpo ated limits.
| believe San1gate is the other No
worry about coal famine there. One OF
the towns applying for state aid TO re.
build its highways is Walden, which was
left in bad shape by certain tidal wave
last July.
Two mole license bills have arrived