The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1906-03-09

the women got disguised because
the board of trade, engineered by
the male citizens of the town,
were unable to accomplish any
thing of value to the commuHitv
and finally disbanded. The ladies
then organized village improve
ment society, managed entirely
by members of their own sex, and
first started to raise money to pur-
chase a piece of swamp land which
disfgured the village and endan-
gered the health of the commun-
ity. They quickly raised the
cash, bought the land, filled up
the swamp, and turned it into a
village park, with shade trees,
shubbery, walks, etc, and since
then have done most of the work
that a board OF trade is expected
to do in small community, in
Guiding raising money for public
enterprises and improvements,
keeping the grass trimmed be-
tween sidewalks and street and
otherwise improving the appear
ance of,the town. The women of
Enosburg Falls allow that men
folks are all right enough in their
way and have their uses, but
firmly declare that the male sex
up in that community at least
lack both tact and backbone.
Randolph Herald & News.
The committee investigating
state institutions has opened an
other chapter, dealing especially
with alleged abuse of prisoners at
the house of correction. Some
very unsavor statements have
been made respecting the treat
ment accorded by keepers and at
tendants TO unruly or unfortunate
inmates, or those that have in
CURED the i'll will of the masters
at this institution. Now Just
word of warning to the public
don't swallow Off-hand all the
stories told. They may be true;
then again they may not, The
verac1ty of many who find their
way to the house of correction is
open to question, and those with
any grievance at all may be ac-
tuated by spirit of revenge in
giving testimony. This is not
SAID with any idea of covering uD
the evil doors, or Os whitewash-
ing anybody. but simply that con-
illusions may be reached to cores
pond with the actual truth. Our
own opinion has long been that
the house of correction bellies its
name. AS conceived and con-
Quoted, It is nothing short of an
absolute prison, and without even
some of the corrective qualities of
a regular penitentiary. The sys-
tenn itself IS wrong and bound to
produce poor results. 1t is beyond
the power of the superintendent
and his assistants, however eff
cient, to keep things neat and
orderly and to lead hayward men
and women to right paths with
the homogeneous material that is
dumped upon them, with the in
adequate accommodations and
facilities at their command, and
with the necessity of making the
institution pay" as much as pos
sible ever staring them IN the
face. 1t may be that even allow
ing for this there IS shortening
on their part. If so, put the re,
form broom in quick. But IN the
end it will ne found necessary to
take up the whole system of penal
correction and strengthen It out
ny legislation better adapted to
the needs in view. The more
light that can be had by means
of critical investigation the bet
ter for the task ahead.
(St. Albans Messenger
The Vermont Union Signal of
Rutland closes an explanation to
The Messenger of its reasons for
urging the participation of labor
union men in politics as such by
saying: There are many things
to be done in the near future in
order to check the onward march
of INSCRIPTIONS capital, and, find
ing it worse than useless to aD-
peal to the men who are RESPONSE
bic for the existence of these evils,
the wOrkingmen themselves have
undertaken the task. "What about
that great army of citizens IN
between the Capitalst1c class on
the one hand and the labOring
men on the other, that 1nnuner-
able army of COnSumerS-have
they no interest IN this matter,
also? Are they not as anxious as
the labOring men to check the
onward march of unscrupulOus
capital? Are not their cOnsci-
ences as sensitive to the wrongs
that INSCRIPTIONS capital may
commit? Are not their purses
and their rights as much jeOpar-
died by the greed of unScrupu-
lous capital as those of the lab