Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-02-04
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.
Orom the st. Adams Messcnger)

liz Nh'SS'IStT HIS lp uIHp'7ill'h "
underrate the undoubted good intentions
o: the great majority of the members of
the General Assembly and the devotion
to duty that was characteristic of most
OF them through what has been the long
est and in some respects the least in
spring session in the history Of the
State. 1t is easy for men and news
papers to make gencralizlng criticisms OF
Legislatures and II has become quite the
fashion of late to do SO as Il matter OF
course, relying upon the more or less
automatic proposition that no Legisla-
ture is wholly good and above reproach.
But 1t Is a good deal 70 ask of strong
and useful men that they SHAH give three
months out Of a year TO the transaction
c. the public business to the greater or .
less neglect of their own. and vermont's
public life offers no compensation I'm
fame or in money that can approximate
the sacrifice OF private interests that .
good public servants frequently make in |
order to perform this patriotic duty.
When this is all said, however The /
Messenger believes it is only the just /
verdict of intelligent observers all over
the state that the session Of the Lcgis-
lature just adjourned was great dis /
| NFl'Nihbtil'Ill ~ tlt Pb'lIC tNIttltil lpllSf ]
not only because Of some Of the things
TINT it did, and that its record, generally I
speaking. IS the least satisfactory of
that Of any LEGISLATURE in this genera
ton.
it would obviously be unfair to pass
such public judgment as this without
attempting to support it with evidence
and argument and this The Messenger
lttsf1f
/ time in its discussion of the various
phases OF the record of the session as
the clearing up OF the legislative after
math makes It possible TO have a falrer
retrospective opinion. But briefly speak
ing, one has only to study the detailed
record Of the laws passed by the Gen
cral Assembly to be wcl-nish amazed at
the tremendous volume Of comparatively
inconsequential business that consumed
the time of the longest and most expen-
s!vc session of ~" Legislature I'm the
history Of the State. And one has only
to read over the list Of important public
problems Ike tho reformation Of the
tax law, for instance. about which so
much was promised and concerning
which nothing whatever was done. to
realize how hclp,essly inconpctout a
J l''l t'lti dES'nDlA Hl tunes can ne
There were good mon. capable men. in
the LEGISLATURE Some OF them were
among the most conspicuous men in pub
lie life I'm Vermont and among the most
deserving Of popular confidence. But.
making every allowance for healthy, dif
fcrences Of opinion among all Intelligent
men as to the host solution Of some Of
the problems thai confronted the I.eris
lot,
Vermont's larger activities were strange
y unable to accomplish any considerable
direct and Tangible product I'm good law
because Of the remarkable suspicion and
distrust Of all so-caIlcd leadership
that invested tho great BODY Of the law
makers from IT,. start. The average
town REPRESENTATIVE is said IN he mot at
all the most brilliant ana far-eeeing man
H. the commonNr lth. not only in Ver
mont but eycryp ere. but the school,
bovish jealousy and obst,pacv Of tho Ver-
mont House of Representatives in It's
: attitude toward the efforts Of Soma %
the States finest public men to helm
make good VS. Is the most absurd and
the most cvasperatIng phase Of the
whole record of the session.
There are other clements that enter
/
he called sctndnlous No mean sense o.
pinchirg economy. no uarsim0nious
. spirit. rrc0.ot the people Of Vermont
with thus far no discerning voice in tho
= public bearing. 10 condemn as a nacrant
. trench OF rrNst the So-called "salarv
! grab" n tho lawmakers had seen ~ TO
ordain tina; The pay Of legislators here
, after shou'd he raised there might BE
some question raised as to the wisdom
Of such Ia7 hut absolutely none ne to
f., the nroprictv Of H. Put when men into
4 whose hands the key to the public treas
\ ury is given and who accented the sacred
6, trust with tle full and explicit knowl-
q edee Of wh7t their compensation was to
he use tina, key to put extra money
q New England ideals of fdclity,to \ trust
O are rudely snockcd orr law will not
/ ',n' ''" o' - "S''o Oh private
q ment or Mart ,inoto TN onv trors,o,io,,
: tEat will inuro 70 his own nrivoto ,,oror,
through the a1vorto,o gained ~. roos,,,
Of his rd,cfa,,. c,rac,tv Tba ,,,,. &c -,
tremelv tn3l,-s % This and diroc,s ,ho
most searclir.. s,rutirv ~ tbo acts of al
such pors,r- N or5or 20 nrotoct ~,
IS trust. But o.. mon thot mako tho ,avs
d -thov cmulo,..l ,bo c,,,or,uri,y oe,oraa ,
"a t,, tbair ru.i..,, o.. ,,.o .,,,,.,t.,. - -,