St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-09-25
WANT VOTES COUNTED
Democrats Will Ask Legislature To
Follow Constitution In EIecting
State Officers.

The democrats of Vermont are
planning to insist upon a strict OBJ
servance of the constitution when
the legislature meets and proceeds
to the election of a governor and
other state officers. 1t has been the
custom in years past to take the GER
tificates returned to the secretary OF
state and tabulate. them and report
the officers elected by such vote The
state constitution says in Article 8
of the amendments to the. constitu-
tion:-''The votes for Governor,
Lieut.. Governor, and Treasurer, of
the State shall be sorted and count
ed, and the result declared, by a
committee appointed by the Senate
and House of Representatives If at
any time there shall be no election,
by the freemen, of Governor, Lieut.
Governor, and Treasurer, of the
State, the Senate and House of Rep
resentatives shall, by joint ballot,
elect to fill the Office, not filled by the
freemen as aforesaid, one of the
three candidates for such Office, (if
there be so many) for whom the
greatest number of votes shall have
been returned"
The democrats insist that the con-
Istitution is explicit in requiring the
legislative committee to sort and
count the votes, not scan the GER
Itifcates, and they propose to have it
followed this year. They feel that
an actual count of the votes will
show some errors in counting and
will show some ballots that appar-
emily were marked for the purpose
of Identification. To have all the
ballot boxes shipped to Montpelier
and the votes counted will be no
small task There will be some diff
ficulty in finding a place to safely
store the boxes inside of the State
house
This promises to be the first fight
to follow the convening of the legis-
lature.
Preparation at State House
The interior of the State house is
assuming the form it will take dur
ing the approaching session of the
General Assembly which meets on
Wednesday, October 2. All rooms
have been thoroughly renovated.
Representatives hall, senate cham
Der, executive chamber and other
rooms occupied by the state officers
have been gone over by the house
cleaners or decorators. For two
months Contractor w. H. Pickard
has had a force of painters employed
in the building.
When old members come back
they will be surprised at the change
made in the coat room. Instead of
a large room devoted to this pur-
pose, they will find that a compact
apartment has been built where hats,
coats, umbrellas, etc., will be check
ed by attendants. Accommodations
will be furnished for IS more per-
sons than members of the House
and Senate.
Under the old arrangement, al
placed his hat and coat on
a hook that had a number which
corresponded with his seat number.
Under such conditions the room was
unguarded Anyone disposed could
enter the coat room and take his
choice of garments or headgear and |
depart and no one would be the
wiser until the member missed his
That a large amount |
Of clothing was not lost is a wonder. !
members would unwit- |
tingly take the wrong overcoat. Such |
mistakes have happened. Under the
new arrangement these mlXups Will
be impossible.
A room for newspaper men has
been set aside in the dome by Mr.. |
Parsons. This room was formerly |
for storage. The room will |
also be equipped with a telephone.
Some new fixtures has been pur-
chased for the executive chamber, in
eluding seven mahogany chairs and
table. The old furniture
will be stored or sold.
The question of committee rooms |
s early receiving the attention of
Mr.. Parsons, and he is striving to
provide as many as possible with the
space that is available. Every bit of
spare room that can be located will |
be put to use. In fact clerks and
must work in the |
vaults in the offices of the State Off
GERS. The State house is too small .
Tor the work Twice as many COM
mittees rooms are needed as are now
provided.