St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-11-25
PRESS COMMENT
The Legislature and Campaign
Pledges.

| We have an Old-faShlOned idea
that campaign pledges TO the peo-
pie should be faithfully obserred by
/ a party put in control OF a govern
ment Certainly our party was not
! pIofiigate in its platform pledges,
and now that the republicans have
solid Senate and an "overwhelm-
ing" majority in the House, it will
bother us as a party if we fail to
redeem the few actual promises we
did make.
We speak of this matter especial
ly at this time in view of the fact
that some of the issues conf onting
/ the Legislature and now being dis
cussed by the Vermont newspapers
were taken into consideration by the
state republican platform.
One of the most essential of these
was that at or prior to the opening
of the next session of the Legislature
a budget be prepared by the fiscal
officers of the state showing the es-
timated income of the state for the
next ensuing biennial period, the
hxed charges upon its revenues for
that pc iod and such other data as
will most effectively aid the legis-
Iature in making it's appropriations
for the support Of the existing insti
tutions and the establishment of
such new governmental agencies as
may be deemed best for the best in
terests of Vermont.
The pIepal auon in advance of the
session of a budget of this character
would do more to help clear the
atmosphere than almost any other
step that could be taken. it would
help to emphasize the necessity of
a short session of the legislature;
it would demonst. ate the necessity
of fulfilling another campaign
pledge that the per diem basis of
compensation of members of the
legislature be abolished and a fiat
salary for the session be substituted
thel efor, and that the legislature
promptly take steps at the very out
set to put the pay of clerks, secre-
taries, reporters, pages and all other
State House officials and employees
on a business basis.
The republican platfo-m pledged
the next administration to a policy
of economy all along the line, and
it is up TO the fiscal officers to afford
the public the infoI nation neces-
sary to enable both members of the
legislature and other public ser
wants as we'll as the people in gen
eral TO consider intelligently the
whole situation conf onling both
taxpayers and lawmakers and fulfill
that pledge. When our lawmakers
have this budget and other informa-
ton, they will be in a better posi-
ton to take advantage of that other
improvement, the provision Of legis-
latIVe reViSOrS who shall be on duty
thirty days i'll advance of the begin
ming of the session to help our law
makers get bills ready for prompt
consideration at the opening of the
legislative session.--Burlingto Free
Press.
A Thanksgiving Thought.
To observe one day year as a
day of thanksgiving" is a fine and
proper procedure. ~
There is every reason why the
American people should do this. 1t
is very much to their discredit that
they neglect the opportunity.
For with a vast majority of the
American people, the day is devoted
to cooking, eating, footballing and
merrymaklng of one sort or an
other.
W hereas it should be a solemn day
"a day wherein we should be
brought to a sense of all the benefits
and Dressings we have been able to
call to our aid in the daily course
of living, and a day of preparation
for the better use of such possibili-
ties du: ing the year to come.
We need to come more solemnly
to our senses once in a while.
We need to think more seriously
about the really vital matters of this
CT
and teeting pleasure of what we call
life.
We are a favored people-fa-
vored by time and nature. We live
in the period of the worlds greatest
progress and we are set down in n
land which, if rightly cOnse: we'd and
cultivated, will furnish food for CEN
turtles to come.
But food is only a means to a
higher end.
To make of our day of Thanks
giving a mere food-feast is to low
er it to the level of the animal that
is in us-the animal that is needed,
but must be controlled else it gain
the mastery.
AS with nearly every other high
day we have allowed this one to de-
generate into a more or less hollow
mockery. 1t is saved only by the
fact that it does b. ing together
loved ones who have long been sepa-
rated, or who have little chance to
get together at other times; because
It does renew and strengthen the |
which are the ties that |
ought to be strengthened, in most |
cases.
But why not lift this day out of |
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