The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1915-03-23
THE LAST NIGHTS RIOT

On the last night of a legislative
session in Vermont things often get
boisterous and noisy in frolicksome
and good natured way. Staid people
have the idea that this is a pecuilai
custom that prevails only in Vermont
and that there is something wrong or
evil in il. Just to show that Vermont
isn't anv worse than the rest The
Banner prints the following account
Of the last night of the legislative SEES
sion in South Dakota as taken from
the Aberdeen American
True to tradition it was long past
midnight when the legislature finished
its duties before the deadlock between
the senate and the house over an APP
preparation item, passed the general
appropriation bill as the last official
act and then adjourned to so home
after the agreement there was
short work of closing the session. The
report was adopted and the bill pas
sed and then adjournment had sine
die. the official clock showing that all
of this happened at 1880.
THE early hours made up a night
of hilarity and horseplay. There
were marching files of members OF
both houses continually parading the
corridors and invading the precincts
of each other.
In the house what business went
ahead was carried on under shower
of huttering house journals and print
ed bills, which members tossed into
the air or SHE'D at each others heads.
Circular rubber floor mats made ideal
aeroplanes and they were shot hither
and thither above the heads of the
members, often invading the precincts
of the crowded galleries. After an
hour or so of this the house looked
like a cyclone had struck it and Il
never improved its condition.
over in the senate they were less
boistcrous but they certainly started
things when they appointed com
mittee on "spsnlSs and spanking and
despatched three members to spank
the speaker OF the house. They did
the Job in a worlOnanlilIe manner bT;
brought down raid from a similar
committee of the three biggest men
in the house to capture the presiden.
OF the senate.
when they with proper reinforce
ments, reached the rostrum in the
senate they found it barricaded with
chairs and some husky senators bid
ding them defiance. The mixup thai
ensued was mighty clash, but the
OF numbers of the rep
resentatives finally bore the president
from his station onto the floor, where |
the struggling pushing mob overtrh
ed desks and chairs and piled in Il
mass like football scrimmage, Aud
they didn't take Norbeck out. either, |
for he proved too husky for them and
so the house went back to its tame,
delights of throwing things.
Early in the evening Senator Wat
ers got up yell which became pop
ular on both sides and reverberatad |
the halls most of the night. |
II was after this wise:
Hes haws,
Bum, bum. baws,
We are the boys
Who make the laws,
Bill for an act
Entitled an act,
Raw, raw, raw.
"As the spirit of horseplay wore
nut, the members took to singing and
he house rang with songs for an
lour or two. There were several ex-
,eptionally good singers and they
ormed the NUCLEUS OF group which
themselves and the crowd |
With program that included every
hing from Tippersry to Nearer My
iod to Thee, Finally the galleries
,ot into the spirit of the thing and
everal men and women there helped
nut in the program.