News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1902-12-17
LETTER FROM MONTPELIER.
Closing Events OF Legislature Of 1902.
MONTPELIER, Dec. 13.

been passed by the Senate; and be-
cause only 81 Republicans Chat
number including also possibly a |
Democrat or two) voted for it, the
Legislature of 1902 went home with
out accomplishing anything in this
desirable direction. What would
have happened if the other ia mem
bers of the House had been on duty
whether the vote would have been
favorable or more unfavorable to
caucus reform-can not be safely
guessed at. The opponents of the
bill objected to compulsory regis
tration of voters several months
ahead of election day, to any inter
ference with the secrecy of the ballot
and the independence of the voter,
and to the bringing in Of so impor-
tant a bill at so late an hour. The
measure as it came from the Senate
was amended by the House so as to
eliminate everything but the provis-
ions against bribery; the Senate re-
fused to concur in this amendment, 4
and sent the bill back for treatment
by committee of conference; but in
spite of this committees conciliatory
recommendations, the House insisted
on its sweeping amendment and
finally killed the whole bill, bribery
feature and allq 1t is probable that
the result would have been more to
the popular taste if the matter had
been taken up earlier when there was
time to consider it carefully. An in
teresting fact in this connection is
that the first measure introduced in
the Senate was caucus bill, whereas
it was the last thing considered in
the hurry Of the last night of the
session. 1t is certainly case where
the first was last" and suffered for
it's lateness.
da,
is NOW BEFORE THE PEOPLE.
There wasn't any hitch in the pas
sage of the license local option bill
as it came from the Senate, except
with regard to, the division of the
revenue. The small towns objected
at the outset to the half-and-half
scheme; but this week when the bill
came in amended as stated in our
last letter, some of the smaller towns
had become reconciled to the equal
| division of revenue from licenses and
| penalties, and that amendment was
agreed to by a vote of 116 to so.
This was the only feature on which
a roll call was demanded. The bill is
now before the people, and we are
not guessing" when we say that
many of the Legislators who voted
for this local option measure because
they thought themselves pledged to
do so have gone back home to work
against it, because their constituents
do not want and will not have the
legalized saloon. Last Wednesday
a very vigorous movement was IN
augurated by the anti-saloonists,
who organized, with Senator Emery
of Orange county at their head, for a
systematic campaign against the Ii
cense bill, in every county of the
State.
HANGING AND COMPUTATION.
The Legislature has refused to
abolish capital punishment, and com
muted the sentences of three convict.
ed murderers. This may seem to
smack of inconsistency but the
ways Of a Legislature are peculiar
The House discussed for two hours
the bill to abolish capital punish
ment, and passed tile to 100
There was much earnestness and not
little eloquence in the debate. Mr.
Peck of Brandon and Mr.. Dixon o
Hardwick spoke forcibly against The
bill and argued for the protection o
society by putting an undesirable
and vicious class beyond the reach o
pardoning power. The abolition o
} hanging was ably supported by
Messrs. Fletcher of Cavendish, FISH
of Royalton, McFeeters Of Enosburg
O'Sullivan of st. Adams, and Others
The St. Adams member moved al
amendment, which was adopted
providing a death sentence for an,
person convicted of murder in connec
ton with indescent assault on ;
| woman or female child. This prac
tically saved the bill in the House
but the Senate killed it Is to 13.
The sentences of Doherty, East
wood and Shaw were committed, tn
only debate occurring in the case o
the latter, whose sister was an inter
ested listener the while. The com
mutations for the first two wer
t based on the fact that a special legis
lative committee had reported then
, both as insane; while Shaw escape
hanging by reason of the Legisla
lures Willingness to give him tn
! benefit of a doubt on the one poin
of generalization in the killing c
= Hoffman. The opponents of CON