The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-10-30
AN subscriptions payable q advance
fRANE 3. HONE, Editor and PnbIlsher
The Legislator and His Pay.

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The Legislator and His Pay.
In the midst of this din and dust
this yapping at the heels of the legis
lature which would almost lead an
outsider to imagine that the represen.
tatives at Montpelier were lot of plu-
tocrats up to their elbows in the state
treasury, little sensible argument in
the other direction is refreshing.
1t is generally conceded that Luther
b. Johnson, editor of the Randolph
Herald and News, is unusually close
in touch with the interests Of the state
and with the temperament of its peo-
pie. His actual experience in the leg
islature probably exceeds that of any
newspaper publisher and editor in the
state. Here is what he has to say
about the Sunday recess and some
other things;
"The newspapers are doing the usu-
al bear dance because the legislature
adjouns from Friday till Monday and
wastes the time and money of the
state. Some of the officials and a few
Of the members have responded to
the prodding and have lectured on the
abuse.
That's right 1t will do no harm.
Also very little good 1t is also so !;
never otherwise All sorts Of remedies
and proposed corrective measures are
futile, necessarily. It's so because
Because nineteen out of every
twenty members are absolutely green
at the business. They know nothing
of the routine. Half OF them have
never even visited the legislature. The
greener they are, the more timid and
bashful. They have simply got to
wait and watch the wheel go around
while before they venture in.
Not one in a dozen knows how to
frame a bill, even if he has an idea
of what he wants. He must cautious
ly take counsel of someone wiser
Who? He must wait and find that
out
And first of all he must make some
acquaintance He Is among total
strangers or nearly so. There must be
time for breaking the ice, for an all
round hand shake, for a game Of pitch
perhaps; all this before legislation
fairly starts. Measures are promoted
largely by the personalities behind
them. Even the most meritorious
acts require careful attention and
close following TO get them through.
After the members have become
acquainted and used to each other and
their surroundings, there is a general
| thawing out Business comes on then
all right. The Legislators have found
out how to get their bills whipped In
to shape, know how to guide them and
how to avoid the mistakes and blum
ders that are so humiliating. 1t takes
| three or four weeks to accomplish this
and is a necessary part OF the session
though tangible results are few.
During this time but few bills stray
| in. These are OF two sorts-eithei
those framed by old hands long in ad
vance of the freak bills hustled IN
by anxious members, which raise q
| laugh and are seldom heard OF again
The body Of legislation Is still incu
batting. Short daily sessions are the
rule, for there is as yet little TO do
The time spent outside is time better
spent anyway. at this stage.
by and by MIR Jones Of DippyvillC
will be overheard saying to Mr.. Smith
of Toppytown, I'm going to introduce
a bill providing so and so. What dc
you think Of It." Then follows an ex
change OF ideas profitable to both. Gen
orally the bill never appears-which
is eminently proper But practically
all measures reach the light In this
way. after a careful feeling out pro
cess. The state pays for the time SC
| employed-it ought TO and can atord
TO-
Bye and bye viii come the busy
time, and longer sessions. committee
meetings lasting we'll into the night
late hours spent In study OF measures
and plans for putting them through
No overpay for overtime then. II Is
part OF the job,
1T is just as impossible for a Yer
mont legislature to start OF at higl
speed as It is for locomotive to juml
from standing stock still TO a Wild rush
OF a mile a minute.
Then these oyer-Sunday adjourn
ments are not an unmixed evil. Few
members can arrange to leave theil
| affairs at home unattended to fol
weeks. A day week during the mrs
part OF the session when, for reasons
set forth, there Is nothing to keep one
at the capital. can be taken at home
without real loss TO the state, result
ing. as IL does usually. In setting III,
members mind, relieving him OF wor
ny. or, II you please, banishing thal
homesick feeling that makes him al
together useless.
/ 'But they shouldn't draw pay whor
they are not at work. shrieks some
one. Pay them a lump sum for tn,
whole session. says someone else anI
see EN- hustle. The present plan IL
much better Few members hold on
TO the job or string Il out because 1t II
so easy and so profitable. II is Meth
or, especially toward the end. A 10
of Legislators bidding farewell to th'
capitol are as gleeful as boys let on
for vacation The charge for boar'
In Montpelier goes right on over Sat
urday and Sunday and Monday JUS
the same whether the member Is Their
or not, and his three dollars per vii
be needed to meet Il, too. II he goe
home and lives far away, OF cours
he Is loser every week, besides OF
account OF car fare. The averag
member is a loser, anyway, hnanciall
and oaght not TO be figured with over
fine. II he gives good, faithful though
md labor 10 hla duty. nVon m he ID nl