Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-12-07
OUR LEGISLATIVE LETTER
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE
The bill does not abolish capital pun
ishment in words but it will TO large
extent have that effect It places the
question with the jury and their ver-
dict is qualified by the use of the
words with capital punishment if
in the minds of the jurors the respon.
dent ought to be executed. The bill
was supported by Peck of Burlington,
Stone of WalIingford, Howard of Whit
ing and others The principal argu-
ments against the bill were by Hunt
of New Haven and Stafford of Brat
tleboro. The vote was in favor of the
passage of the bill by 113 to 90. The
Senate has taken up the bill and adj
vanced it to third reading and will
probably have passed it before this is
published. Thus does the legislature
of 1910 dare to face the music and thus
does this legislature break away from
lifelong traditions and take steps 20
ward making Vermont rank as one OF
the progressive states. 1t IS not
afraid to meet conditions as they eX-
ist today and that is why the people of
the state may hope that this leglsla-
ture will meet the tax problem face to
face and decide it according to present
commercial conditions rather than
upon the conditions of years ago.
On Tuesday evening the committee
Of temperance gave public hearing
on the question of referendum which
was largely attended and the so-called
referendum bill had many loyal sup
porters, the chief of which was Mr..
Ferguson of the anti-saloon league.
The bill provides for absolute pro-
- L; oil hr lie h1t
creates a system of state dispense
ries in every town of 1000 people and
smaller towns may have dispensary
for the asking. The buying and dis
tribution is done by one man appoint.
ed by the governor. No person can
buy from the town dispensary except
upon ath as to his intention to use the
LIQUOR for mechanical, medical or
chemical purposes. The bill also car
ries the referendum clause permitting
the people to vote upon the measure
| before it becomes a law. The princi-
pal advocates of the bill were Mr.. Bur-
bank of Cabot, Mr.. Ferguson of Bur
! lington, Rev. Mr.. Moody of Island
Pond, Rev. Mr.. Schneider of Danville
! The arguments in favor Of the bill
dealt largely with the evils Of the rum
! traffic and with the evident advantage
of referendum. Mr.. Austin, former
mayor of st, Adams. made the princi-
pal argument against the proposed bill.
He agreed with the preceding speak
ers in everything they said as to the
evils resulting from the rum traffic
and the beauties of a referendum. No
responsible person could we'll argue
that there was any good in intemper-
ance and under our form of govern
ment no man would dare venture that
the people should not rule. The only
difference between the thinking people
of the state today is as to the very
best method of meeting the evils of
intemperance and the best method of
permitting the people to rule. Mr..
austin made his fight, not against the
principles of intemperance or the
principles of referendum, but against
the particular bill before the commit
tee, and as to that bill he made his po-
sition very clear. Ex-senator E. W.
Gibson of BrattlebOrO spoke from his
experience in South Carolina where a
similar law is in operation and he sin
cerely hoped this state would not
adopt any such measure The temper
ance committee have not yet rep rted
on the measure and their action is
changes in the present law have been
attempted and they have been voted
down with such regularity that it is g
good guess that a large majority Of
the members are for leaving the pres
ent law very nearly intact.
ELROY KENT.
A bill to commute the sentence oil
Elroy Kent for murder of Della Cong
don in WalIingford has been reported
adversely by the judiciary committee
and a splendid fight dev eloped in the
house on the question. Mr.. Stone OF
Walling ford is the leading opponent Of
the bill and ne handled the matter witt
exceptional skill Mr.. Stone is gooC
debater and having known the cir
cumstances of the crime and all it:
horrible details it is safe to say tina
his heart is in the cause. In making
the opening speech against the com
mutation of sentence Mr.. Stone recit
ed a few of the facts in the case hu
refrained from giving the CHASTITY de
tails of the crime wherein the murder
err criminally assaulted a defenceles
woman and then to cover his GRIM
added murder to the assault. 1t wa
a crime that in many sections of tn
country would never have received tn
formalities of a trial and the wronl
would have been righted in SO far a
possible by the red blooded citizen
themselves. Mr.. Stone however ha
not made his fight by reason of passion
or prejudice, but upon the constitu
tional ground that the legislator
ought not 20 interfere with the court
unless it is charged that the trial wa
r not fair or that new evidence was dis
covered after the trial. which, had i
, been heard by the jury would hav
changed the verdict. Mr.. Stone is
lawyer familiar with our theory O
government and thus far has place
= his clai upon the section of the con
S stitution which says 1.-The executive
legislative and judiciary department
shall be kept separate and distinct s.
that neither perform the duties prop
erly belonging to the other" He
supported by nearly every lawyer i
= the house However, Mr.. Stone say
q that if necessary he will review tn
+u;oI b,,t for tbo caka Of tbo prLl;o L