Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-10
PRESIDENT HOLDS
CENTER OF STAGE
Regular Legislative Business
Quite 0vershadowed by Pres
ence of Chief Executive.
TWO BILLS INTRODUCED
Measures for Adjustment of
Hanging in Hands Of Revision
Committee-Would Sub
stitute Electrocution.

Montpelier. Oct. 9.--Regular legisln-
tive business was quite overshadowci
again to-day by the presence of Presl-
dent Taft in the city and everything
else was laid aside this morning to
listen to his address on the Common
SOLDIER from Vermont" and the
speeches accompanying the gift and
unveiling Of the bronze tablet to the
memory of the common soldiers.
The Senate met at nine o'clock and
was called to order by Mr.. Babbitt. the
president pro tenn. II appeared that
Senators Preston Dale and all the
senators from Washington county had
failed to file their credentials with the
secretary and they were requested to
10 so immediately.
one bill was introduced, by Senator
Rabbit. relating to debts exempt from
trustee process. After the Joint as
sembly a second bill was presented hy
senator Chaffee. providing for the in.
stalation Of steam heating plant in
the normal school at Castleton. The
afternoon session of the upper house
was devoid of interest
Governor Fletcher has appointed
Warner A. Graham of Rockingham
secretary of military and civil affairs.
as foreshadowel in the Free Press
last week. He has appointed Col. w.
W. Brown of Springfield to be chief
of STAFF and detailed Capt. Preston II.
Hadley Of Bellows Falls to STAFF duty
W. r. McFeeters of Enosburg Falls is
the Governors executive clerk.
ALDR1CH CASE NOT DECIDED.
The case of DIR. w. j. Aldrich Of ST
Johnsbury. regarding whose election
there H. some doubt was brought up by
Mr. Cook OF Lyndon. who asked that
the committee on elections investigate
and ascertain whether or not Mr.
Aldrch is disqualified a member under
the provisions of the constitution by rea-
son Of his holding an Office of profit under
the authority of Congress. DR.. Aldrich
has not yet taken the oath and while
he has been present has refrained from
taking any part in the proceedings Of the
House, waiting for decision in his ca Sc
The committee to canvass votes for
representatives in Congress will meet
Thursday morning Immediately after ad-
journment. and the result Of the election
will he announce at the afternoon ses-
| sion.
| Thus far the joint committee on revision
of bills has received eleven bills, six
from the House and five from the Senate
| Bills are no longer as formerly introduced
| by member rising In his seat and an
nouncing that he wishes to introduce
such measure, All bills now are
handed to the revision committee, which
sits in room just few feet removed
from the door of the hall of representa-
tives. In this room they are examine d
by members expert in legislative forms.
purged OF any formal defects. and. unless
identical bills have been preyiouslv
handed in, are then introduced from the
revision committee into the body Of which
their author is a member In this way
needless duplication Is avoided and bills
are put in such shape that If they be-
come law their effect will not be
vitiated by any mistake of language or
other merely technical blunder
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT BILLS.
Two bills for the adjustment of
hanging in favor of electrocution have
already been presented to the commit
tee on revision Of bills Both came
from the Senate, one being fathered
By Senator McFeeters of Franklin
county and the other by Senator FL
liott OF Windsor Senator Elliott's
bill, the simpler of the two goes to the
extent of substituting electrocution for
hanging and stops there. The bill pre-
scnted by Senator McFeeters provides
not only for the change in the method
or carrying out the extreme penalty
but also for the erection OF "A separate
building and the purchase of the
necessary apparatus. The gist of it is
that an appropriation of not more than
five thousand dollars be authorized tn
be expended under the direction of the
Governor for the purchase Of the cleo
trocuting apparatus and the erection
of separate building to house It.
Senator McFeeters SAYS it is evident
that the present method of innicting
the death penalty Is not perfect. This
bill will at least do away with such
horrible features as the broken rope in
the Elroy Kent case, which have made
recent executions too terrible to thinl,
OF.
Senator McFeeters in the practice of
law In the northern part Of the State
mas had opportunity to witness some
peculiar effects of the death sentence
and frankly says that he Is opposed
to 1t. However, he believes that oues-
tion has been fought out sufficiently
before recent Legislatures and Is will
Ing to rest with the modification en-
acted by the last Legislature by which
the jury must declare for capital pun
ishment before the convicted man can
hang.
TheIe Is "A kind OF irony in the fact
that while Mr. McFeeters favors mis-
more humane method of carving IL ON
because of his dislike OF the death
pcnalty, certain other Legislators favor
II particularly because they regard the
death penalty as absolutely necessary
for the intimidation of desperate Grim.
inais and believe that a bill which re.
moves unnecessary and hideous eatures
in the carrying out Of the punishment
VIII prevent the punishment itself from
tbeinx swept away BY some wave Of