Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1905-09-07
THE WINDSOR AFFAIR.
(Trom the Randolph ilerald)

(From the Randolph ilerald)
Well the scandal is out ut last. The |
secret, well kept by officials and the press
for most of the publishers in the state
have been wise" to il for some time |
came out in due form at the investigation
last week. OF course it cannot fail to
produce anything short OF stupcndous
sensation the country over nor can II
bring anything but Il deep sense of shame |
to every citizen of Vermont that such
things have, through the grossest laxity. |
or, even worse. possibly completely. on the
part of those responsible for the conduct |
of the prison and the discipline OF the |
prisoners been permitted to occur. 1t Is |
a CONFESSION of mcapacty at the best. OF
crimnalitv at the worst which reflects
on our whole people.
II is the state of Vermont that stands |
guard at Windsor. It is Vermont that is |
responsible for tho doingS within tho
NOR md women. held for crime arc Kept |
to fulfill or to await sentence. So it is |
the state Of Vermont that suffers in
reputation the world over by this miser-
able stencil. II disc!oscs that our State. |
whore merit and efficiency arc supposed
to dwell in high places. has no call over
other States that Vermont has been in
tne nanlt or lpbklfE uoWn upon. IL re-
voals a condition Of rottcnncss in our
leading penal institution beyond the dream
of possible existence.
Tho responsibility for this foul affair !
il should not be difficult to place. IF |
there were on guard at the Windsor
prison mon false to their trust and
so moan Of thought as to conspire with
lustfu convict to save Mrs. Rogers
from the gallows by such a piece Of
nastincss tho gallows has not We fear. |
ujtc outlivcd its usefulness. n the
faul was rather in carelcssncss IL is |
scarcely less reprchensiblc.
The plea that Mrs. Rogers is lacking |
in mental acumen must now he aban- |
doncd. If tho scaffold is ever again to
he used in Vermont. it cannot find |
moro deserving subject that Mary Rog-
ers. murdcress--and worse.
AT WHOSE EXPENSE?
(From the Woodstock Standard)
iris said the special investigating COM
mttec has gone to Boston to inquire
into freight rates. Perchance to take
testimony. Finding itself in Boston. will
tho committee take in the junket pertain
ing to the launching of the battleshp |
Vermont? IF so, at whose expense will
IL he done? Verify. stop the leak at the
spiggot by all means; but let her go at |
the hungholc!
DANGEROUS WORDS.
(From tho Brattleboro Reformer.)
No evidence has been offered why Mary
Rogers should not be hanged. since hang
ing is the legal penalty in Vermont for
murder in the first degree. Degenerate
and morally Irresponsible are dangerous
words which are being used in danger
Gus way to condonc pure cussedness'
nowadays. Mrs. Rogers is bad wom-
an, without honor or self-respect or
enough Of womanly feeling to shuddcr
at the death struggles Of a human he
ing. She loves the wrong better than
the right way. but she knows them
apart perfectly we'll and also which path
she ought to take. She admits that. |
Whom. under the law. should we hang
then, If not Mary Rogers?
THE DISPENsARY SYSTEM.
(From the Brattlcboro PhoenixD
The dispensary system, which was adj
vocatcd and supported as a desirable |
law in controlling the liquor traffic when |
Vermont changed to local option and
high license, is under fire in South Caro- |
lima, where it has been in operation |
several years. Senator McLaurn is the |
leader in the movement which is likely
to result in the overthrow of the law in |
the coming campaign. Under the system
there has been widespread charges of
corruption and graft. 1t has been a
money-making scheme for the State. but
the office holders are alleged to have |
also profited by 1t. The temperance SEN
timent of the State is arrayed against |
the dispensary under the slogan "Take
South Carolina out of the liquor bust |
moss" Apparently the State-store plan |
Of dealing with the liquor problem is |
not complete success in the only State
in the Union which has tried it. 1t may
he just as we'll in tho end that Vermont |
did go to South Carolina for her law.
UP TO BOARD OF TRADE.
(From the Waterbury Rccord)
Waterbury has another chance to Sc |
cure a prominent granite firm-one that |
has sufficient capital to handle its own
business. All the firm asks is a little as |
slstance in building the granite she'd |
1t Is up to the board OF trade Tho Or |
ganizaton ought to be equal to the occa-
sion.
A HINT FOR VERMONT TAXPAYERS.
(Fron the st. Adams Messenger)
II the Vermont taxpayer will take the |
trouble to stand on the steps OF the
capitol at the final adjournment Of a |
legislative session and see the thrifty
statesmen carrying home the bundle of |
stationery and desk furniture that has |
been issued to them during the session. |
he will get better idea of the needless |
ness of some legislative petty expenses
sanctioned by the very men that talk
the most about economy, and also of |
the peculiar small indedness OF some |
OF the lawmakers that do that talking. |
Practically every scrap OF this official |
stationery has been carefully husbanded |
all through the long session only to be |
carried home to furnish the household |
for months and months with imposing |
letter paper with the State coat Of arms
upon 1t. never falling source of proud |
reminder to correspondents that father |
WAS In tho Legislature once.
Not a very serious matter truly. per-
haps not out and out graft or meant to
he. Eut 1t suggests the query whether
50 many ultra frugal minds are COM
petent to make laws for great COM
monwealth. whether their view of Me
and the world is broad enough to I'll
trusted In such grave affairA