Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1921-02-23
THE LEGISLATURE
Senate Kills Primary Law, House
Kills Several Bills.

A joint session was held Tuesday at
which Senator Bryant of Windsor
county spoke and Representative
Flint of Northfeld, read Washing
toms farewell address.
A majority of the Senate commit
tee on suffrage and elections, reporting
through Senator Kingsley, favored
the rejection Of S. 81, practically re-
pealing the primary law. A minority
report favoring the bill was signed by
Senator'S Russell of Caledonia ana
Osgood of Windham.
During the discussion the woman
vote played large part. 1t was con-
tended, both by Senators Kingsley and
Cady that women have shown that
they will participate in large num-
bers in primary and that there is
every reason to believe that they will
shun caucuses. cit is wrong" de-
clared Senator Kingsley, "to enfran-
chise the women with words and then
to disenfranchise them in fact"
Senator Osgood replied to Senator
Kingsley's statement that under the
old caucus-convention plan the state
was handed over to feudal barons and
to county and town bosses by saying
that under the primary the State was
handed over to the "noodle barons"
and that the men with the longest poe
textbooks were coming to the front
Senator Osgood said that his expert
ence was that people favored the re-
peal of the primary and declared that
the disadvantage of the small town
under the plan was a factor in Their
disapproval. He argued that the
primary-centered power in the large
places. Senator Russell felt that the
primary had not worked out advan-
tageously and that it was very expen-
sive to the State.
Senator Coburn said that inasmuch
as he had been elected under the prim-
ary he did not feel like repudiating the
law under which he had been elected,
which caused Senator Cady to say
that such an argument would have no
effect on him, but he did believe that
the primary put control into the
hands of the people and that the wom-
en- should not be forced into a caucus
arrangement.
Senator Kingsley was firmly of the
opinion that inasmuch as the primary
had been adopted at popular refer
endum the Senate had no moral right
to repeal it without an equivalent
mandate from the people. Senator
Chaffee declared himself in favor of
the primary saying that under the old
arrangements, Franklin county polit-
les were dominated by a machine and
that he never could have gotten NOM
mated except under the primary. Sem
ator Villas spoke against the bill and
called for the yeas and nays, the ques-
tion being shall the bill be rejected?
The result was 16 to IL against re-
lection, victory for those who would
abolish the primary. The senator's
voted as follows:
Senators voting for rejection of the
bill and therefore for the retention of
the primary, were: Andrew Cady,
Carpenter, Chaffee, Coburn, Clark,
Dunham, Este, Kingsley, Slayton,
Taylor and Was. Senators voting
against rejection and therefore for
the repeal of the primary, were:
Blodgett, Bottum, Cobb, Cowles, Dana,
Foston, McKillip, Montgomery, New
ton, Nichols, Osgood, Russell, Sher-
Durne, Whitcomb, White and Will
Jams.
The usual reconsideration act was
staged in the house Thursday and as
result the apple grading bill blouse
No. 1917 which was refused passage
by vote of 1913 to los, was passed
by vote of 1876 to SO after reconsid-
GRAFTON had been decided by a vote of
121 to 80 while on the measure for
bidding rebates on insurance prem
iums blouse No. 1917 which was re-
fused a third reading Wednesday by
vote of SO to 55 reconsideration was
voted on a rising vote of LOT to 72
and the bill was ordered to a third
reading.
The measure providing for appro-
priating 100000 year for the two
years next ensuing (House Nc. 74)
for the eradication of bovine tuber-
culosis was passed without debate b.
the house on a rising vote of 163 t
80.
Senate bill No. Al, providing fo,
giving to the Board of Charities ant
Probation authority to make sue.
changes in the care of the poor Or
condition of a poor house as it deem
best upon failure of selectmen or
rector of poor house association
larry out recommendations Of IT,
BOARD was ordered to lie when it care
up for passage in the house Thursda.
House bill No. 159, making it III
awful to keep any child in a poo
house to exceed ninety days Jared be
er and was passed.
The apple grading bill was recol
,idered on motion of Mr.. Curtis
lowell and was defended by Messr
luce of Pomfret, Dyer of Salisbur.
Bush of Benson, Capron of Leiceste
'Vishart of Barre City and Gardne
f Newport. Opposing the bill we
Gessrs. Kimball of Charlotte, Peet
t. George, Cushman of Rochester az
William of Peru. The bill was passe
~ yea and nay vote of 135 TO 03.
The bill which would have put IT,
movie" films under censorship W.
Tiled without a dissenting vote in Ia
Vermont House of Representative
Friday. The bill, which was nun
2ered III. 145, came into the Hous
under an adverse report from tn
committee. The bill has been tough
hard throughout the greater part
the session by the representatives G
the moving picture houses and b.
others.
Another bill, which was killed t.
day, and almost by a unanimous vot'
was H. $40, providing that schoo
teachers shall not be school directors
NF En nhI InE