Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-03
HARD TO GET LINE
ON LEGISLATURE
Knowing Ones View the House
with Less Satisfaction Than
the Senate.
MANY OF NEW men YOUNG
Political Wiseacres Add That
This Is a Strange Year and
That Terrifying Things
Are in the Air.

Montpelier. oct. 1.-The knowing ones
say they are at a loss when it comes to
predicting about the career of the pres
ont Legislature. What puzzles them Is
not so much the size of the opposition
but it's diversified character and the pres
ence of an almost religiousy regarded
body of theories and notions. To-day's
voting seems to indicate a good working
republican majority, that platform
pledges can be carried out and party
measures put through. But everyone is
wondering how the two houses will be-
have when it comes to the consideration
of so-called radical measures good and
bad, and how they will tackle the actual
hard work which makes up SO large a
part Of legislation
There is little doubt about the ability
of the Senate to more than hold its own
with records of previous bodies. 1t is
composed largely of men young but not
too young to he well known. 1t contains
score Of men OF calibre to be leaders
end on the face of it seems to be a prac-
teal working body of exceptional ability
and progres sive tone 1t promises to be
| the most unusual upper house within the
memory of man. 1t would be inadvisable
to begin calling the names of particularly
notable members because the result
would be practically ~ repetition of the
roll call. There is no danger that it will
| he u burying ground for bills, least not
of good bills.
Some of the older of the knowing
ones, and most of them are oil, pro-
TESS to see some portents and umena
/ in the House of Representatives. The
House is compose almost entirely OF
! ihrst-termers, they say. and no one
can gansay them. Some OF ties
| tfirst-termers have radical /, AS, even
fanaticisms they assert aLd here
again it is impossible for any one 20
have positive knowledge to tne con-
trary unless he be "a mind reader,
They go on to say that great part
Of these new men are young men, and
pause Just long enough for the listener
to image to himself what awful cal
amitics this state of things must pres
age Tney add that this is "A strange
year when new AMI terrifying thing
are in the air, and imply that nevel
was there such n time since "Sheetc,
gnosts dill squeak ana gibber in II,
streets of Rome" They even thini
the ncar-future is likely to he wors'
than that memorable occasion, fo'
when it comes to squeaking and glib
hering they nad "A hundred times rath
or have it in the streets of Rome thai
in the state House of Vermont.
The younger of the knowing once
take quite a different view. They al
t nit that the House is full of men scrr
ing their first time at that institution
l They are willing to conccLe that thi
} plent!tude of lneXpcricncc may mai''
business go little slower, an tina
the ditiidcnce of new men may p ssi
hlv result in Il reversal of the usu1
order of things so great tnat the mi
tiativc of new legislation may "
found in senate from whence bills ma.
proceel to be fought over and passe'
upon IN the House.
They may even go so far as to admi
that il may prove to be what is know
, as a talking House" and they almos
! rle.fully allow that new air is stirrn
this wear. and that new blood is ben
felt But they profess to see in thl
uou-. - good deal of the timber G
Vermonts future politics. They we
come the new blood and the new idea:
: They regard tnlS House HS House ,
. promise. And they rely upon the rec
. oenizcd ability of many of the me-
, members and the breadth and disintel
9 estedness of number of experience
90 members to make the promise OF tn
j House IA promise Of good
, AS vet no particularly strong spirit
r partisanship has been shown ON an
Il side. And II is likely that when it com,
r to the making of laws, party lines wi
/, be pretty generally forgotten. The r.
q publcans and democrats have had
good many years in which to come It
gether and understand each other We
- enough so that the able men OF bot
' parties work together without any ev
deaf distinction Whether any progre
> sive members will attempt the indiv
- dual star role. remains to be seen.
90 Most observers agree that the Legi
lature as at present constituted Is u
!, usual. All agree that its career will
A. interesting