Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-12-18
The Legislatures,


final adjournment Saturday morning after
one of the most eventful and noteworthy
sessions Of recent years Tho conditions
under which the members of the General
Assembly were elected were well cal
cuated to impart an unusual degree of
interest to their deliberations; and import
ant duties seemed to crowd upon them
apace. For the first time in half a CEN
fury our lawmakers found themselves face
to face with the necessity of making a
choice of governor, and this event with
its exciting contest and unusual scenes
was closely followed by the election of
United States senator.
These elective matters disposed of the
paramount topic Of interest became the
carrying out of the pledge to prepare n
local option and high license law for refer
ence to the people in order to enable
them to choose between the two systems
Of dealing with the traffic In intoxicating
liquor. This was confessedly the most
important legislative duty confronting the
lawmakers, and while opinions will differ
in relation to the intrinsic merits Of the
law itself SO far as various features OF
the measure are concerned 1t must be
admitted that the referendum provided is
about as fair as could be expected under
all the circumstances We believe the high
license advocates are satisfied with the
measure so far as the provisions for the
regula ton of the liquor traffic is con-
cerned; and the various changes made in
the dates and other features of the refer
endum as a first proposed will make little
difference provided majority of the pco-
pie vote in favor OF the substitution Of
local option for State prohibition. There
are various details which some individuals
on one side or the other might desire TO
modify, but the Legislature did as well
with the referendum as could amy body
made up OF 50 many schools of belief on
the liquor question.
it is remarkable fact that our law
makers in some instances seemed to for
get that they were not legislating on the
comparative merits OF license and prohibi-
ton, but were simply providing a means
for the people to choose between these
two methods. Accordingly We saw some
| prohibitionsts working for features OF
the referendum bill making it more like
| ~ that license would prevail, while IL
| cense advocates in some instances insist
cd on features that would tend to weaken
| the chances of the substitution of license
for prohibition. If the advocates OF H.
cense had been able to agree upon the
suggestions of some of their number tc
| devise a system that would not include
the legalized saloon, the people of Yer
mont would have been much more likely
| In our estimation, to vote for a change
than they are with the referendum bill
| as it stands. However the Legislature
has done its part, and it now remains fol
the people to choose between prohibition
and the local option license system as il
is framed.
| Most lovers of clean politics will regrc
the condition Of affairs during the nigh
session of the Legislature on the eve o
final adjournment which resulted in til,
Strengthening in the House of the confer
ence report in favor of the caucus bill
The two crying evils of our political pri
maries for a number Of years have beer
the voting Of members Of one party in tn
lcaucuses of the opposite party ana th
purchase OF votes in favor of the nomina
ton of this man or that against whlci
there Is no law.
The Republican party had pledged tsci
to pass caucus law, and inasmuch as
measure of this character was the first T.
be introduced in the Senate there was
bright outlook for the fulhlment of thl
promise. AS the session dragged itsel
along more interesting topics monopo
lized the attention of the legislators. an
as is not infrequcntly the case with meas
ures whose consideration is left to tn
closing hours a feeling of hostility be
tween the two branches of the Genera
Assembly made ii an easy matter to tax
advantage of various other differences q
opinion to prevent the passage of the bill
One strong factor of the opposition an
ono that will always be strong In thi
State against any caucus reform neasur
was the feeling that registration woul
, impose a burden upon the people in rura
, districts which might result in disfranct
ising not a few voters. Another elemer
} of hostility was the man who wanted t
continue to enjoy liberty to manipulat
caucuses. Another class was probably reI
resented by a democratic legislator VIII
said, in speaking OF the purchasable We
ters. Let the poor fellows get a little on
ira money once year, If they want to,
Still others felt that our people had ne
been educated up to the idea of registrs
, ton so that caucus law could be sue
ccssfuly operated Not a few of the RI
/ publicans members from the small town
) had gone home not taking enough intere'
: in the closing proceedings to remain. Oth'
, considerations probably combined wit
, those named 10 bring about the defeat {
one OF the two most important measure