The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1904-12-01
LEG ISLATTVE NOTES.

reasonable stroke of economy, why
does it not prune down the salaries of
the several State s attorneys enough to
pay the attorney generals salary?
With the latter office in force the
States attorney will be relieved of
oonside rable responsibility and the
office will be kept up to it's present
standard OF incumbents, even after
small reduction of salaries. North
| field News.
AS WAS to be expected the House of
Representatives refused to abolish
capital punishment. Ii is rather dis
couraging to those who are opposed to
capital punishment. after they have
been laboring SO hard to have the
House deal them such a severe blow
and render verdict of 1853 in favor.
and only 83 opposed to capital punish
ment Never before has such a strong
endeavor been made to have this law
repealed, but Judging from the vote
that was cast their efforts were useless
and the people of Vermont still believe
that capital punishment is necessary
for the protection of society. Enter
prise and Vermonter.
| That newspaper bill, which passed
the House with rush, in spite of the
msnful protest of Representative Dsr-
ling of Chelsea, has been killed in the
Senate This is right If there ever
was any "class legislation" it was
plainly set forth in this bill. Morris
vile News and Clifton.
1t is hideous and unthankful task
to stand up and say in one word that
Mary Rogers must Rang, but that's
what the Legislature has to do next
week. despise the notion of capital
punishment, but Vermont has said
it's right. Therefore murderers must
hang. The sckening part of the
whole CHASTITY comedy is thu retro.
spect that swings before your eye,
Frank Shaw, Deliberate slayer of
Sheriff Hoffman, Mildred Brewster,
who killed her rival in a common in
trigue. Mrs Buell. who poisoned
her husband for love of another, and
others. They are alive and being
moderately punished They are doing
a certain appointed work. Some day
they may even be saved. And yet
this Rogers woman must be hanged
by the neck and finally damned as far
as this world goes. Doesn't seem
right, some way. -Hindley in Re-
former.
The st. Adams Messenger, under
the able direction of Frank L.
Greene, is a fearless champion of the
Inmates that the old, misused but ia
miliar political leader club 10 be-
ing shaken at the investigating COM
mittee for fear that some one will get
hurt in the resulting publicity Why
will men who have been honored of
Vermont SO stultify themselves and
the State that gave them political ex'
istence? It's the old, primeval in
-stinct of self-defence, | suppose.
Hammer every one else: but spare me
and mine The astonishing thing Is
that such men should be permitted to
suppose that such a committee could
be persuaded or bull-dozed into white.
washing official filth of any kind.
And yet Vermont history gives abund-
ant warrant Tor just that belief.
Remember the wondrous Grout inves.
tigation. where the imperial Theo-
dore S. Peck, who signs business let
tiers, Yours in the Lord" was
shown tn have charged up maple sug-
ar and theatre boxes TO the State of
Vermont? What happened? Were
the men who exposed that little scan
dial lauded or awarded? ! should say
not. The old-timers stood back, da-
precating. Pity man should stir
up filth. No accounting for some
mems craze tor sensation. Always
been done so. That settles him in
Vermont, etc And they straight
way wound new hand-grip ON their
political sandbag and waited time
to knock those men into oblivion. 1t
takes good man and a brave man to
dare the disapproval of Vermont s po-
litical leaders + ndley in Reform
err
Vermont, which until recent years
was supposed to be little different
from the other States of the country,
has of late shown in number of in
stances that its people are of similar
makeup. with the same faults and
f aliie', as those in other localities,
but we had hardly expected to see the
old State rival the corruptness of Mis-
souri,, New York and others by hav-
ing a scandal in the management of
its public Institutions However, if
there is rottenness in these institu-
tions by all means uncover it.-Rnt
land News.