The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1906-06-20
Fair Trial for Local Option
Law In Vermont
BETTER ROADS DESIRED
Amendment Of Caucus Law; Regulation
of Fee System Abuse--Platform
Adopted Today Recounts Pro
gress Of Two Years.

The platform Of the Republican party
Of Vermont as adopted at Montpelier
today is al follows:
The Republicans 81 Vermont, by their
delegates in convention assembled at
Montpelier, June 20, 1906, in open CON
ycntion, do declare.
Praise for President Roosevelt.
First: That we heartily and cordial
w endorse and commend the splendid
administration Of President Theodore
Roosevelt, aud we commend the Presi
dent as fearless champion Of the
welfare Of the people He has. with
ont fear or favor, uncovered and pun
ished those guilty of inalfeasafee IN
public service; he ms zealously assailed
the yiolators of the federal statutes:
be has promoted friendly relations with
other nations I'll the earth and gained
for us front rank In the worlds
he has encouraged wise and
helpful legislation and has shown his
to continue 10 promote
protection Of home industries, CONNER
cial expansion, and other national poll
eies that have helped the American PEG
pie to enjoy prosperity and progress
without parallel in the annals OF ma
tiohal development
a .
Governor and congressmen Endorsed.
Second; We commend the adj
ministration Of Coy. Charles ]. Bell
and renew our expression Of hearty ap-
probation of the highly creditable SER
vices Ia Congress Of United States Sen.
ators Redfeid Proctor and William r..
Dillingham; and Congressman kittredge
Iiaskins and David \. Foster.
Civic Progress Made.
Third; We note with satisfaction
the political, financial and civic pro-
gress made, since the adoption of our
last platform, by the legislature Of
1904. IT provided for thorough and
bipartisan investigation OF all our
public institutions, and adopted efficient
and economical methods Of administra.
tion Of the states affairs. Ii provided
that accounts for public service should
be itemized; authorized the state au-
ditor to prevent unreasonable disburse-
ments; restricted state institutions TO
the use Of one.twelfth of their appro-
priations monthly: directed that pin.
ehases of supplies be made through ad
yertisement for bids; IL provided pen
alties. for the acceptance Of commits
sion ON any purchase of supplies; il re-
quired financial quarterly statements By
the officers Of our public institutions:
ii required county clerks 10 make state
ments Of all fees received; IL regulated
child labor limited municipal indebted
ness. and otherwise legislated wisely
and we'll We pledge ourselves To con
thug our efforts to safeguard the eN-
penditure OF the states funds In every
way that il can be done consistently
with determined effort 20 literally
care for the weak, the oppressed and
A careful protection Of
these people is our first duty.
Higher Educational Standards Needed.
Fourth: We congratulate the state
that the last session OF the Legislature
took a forward step in behalf of the
education of our children by laying the
foundation for permanent common
school fund BY setting apart 100000,
which Il now invested, the income there.
Of forever Dedicated 70 the use OF the
common schools. We recommend still
further advancement I'm simg' education
Of our children. and especially furgest the
coming legislature TO use its best efforts
to adopt some means whereby the per
ccntage of illiteraey shall be materially
reduced. We recommend that the teach.
ers OF the more rural portions OF the
state, at least, be better quail
fed and better paid. Let there he
more rigid enforcement OF existing laws
and general raising Of the standard
Of education. We advise the instrodnc-
ton OF manual labor.
Care Of the Wards Of the State.
Fifth. We endorse the action Of that
legislature in doubling the appropria.
zion for the deaf, blind and feebIcsmind-
cd. We congratulate the investigating
committee for having made its first con
the moral and physical vel
fare Of the inmates OF our state insti
buttons, make that consideration para
While we urge that economy
in expenditure he second only TO the
good OF the wards OF the state, We do
not concur in the political propaganda
which makes dollars and cents its sole
cry, and has, so far, neither offered nor
suggested anything for the welfare of
those who, by the laws of the state
md Of humanity, ore objects Of our
special care.
Reform in Penal Institutions.
Sixth: The searching investigation
10 which our state institutions have
been subjected shows efficient admins
tration Of our state affairs Whatever
there was Of weakness and error in the
of those institutions has
been laid open TO the public and rene
died. and we know that at the present
time there is no hospital for the care
of all classes Of insane where the in
mates are better cared for than at Wa
terburys that in no state prison is the
discipline better than at Windsor: and
that in no secondary penal institution
do better conditions prevail than at
Rutland; while the return received by
the state for its coyict labor is not
class for class, in any other
state.
Evils of the Fee System.
SEVENTH We recognize the evils in
the fee system Of paying public officials,
in the administration Of
the penal laws III The minor courts We
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