Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1921-02-18
HOUSE LOST BREATH
WHEN THOMAS SPOKE
College Head EIectrifieS Legislature
in Public Hearing, Writes Button

in Public Hearing, Writes Button
The greatest oratorical effort of the
present session of the Vermont legisla-
ture has been the speech of President
John NJ Thomas of Middlebury Col
lege, according to Representative
Charles | Button of this town. The
doctor with his Great God" and
"Chaplains Gun" so electrified the au-
dience in the public hearing on the
merits Of the educational legislation
now in committee that for a quarter of
an hour after he had resumed his seat
the House was unable to collect itself
and continue the hearing
Mr. Button has written at the re-
quest Of The Register his impressions
OF life at the capital during the session.
His communication will be found of
great interest generally 1t is as fol-
lows
To the Editor:
Your invitation to write my impress
sions OF life at Montpelier is gratefully
accepted
No state has a more beautiful State
House inside or out than has Vermont
Representatives Hall and the Senate
Chamber are so absolutely perfect in
every way that one never tires of star
gazing at their lofty ceilings.
The 250 desks in Representatives
Han are drawn by the members by lot
at least IN theory As they are so
well arranged in a horseshoe with slop-
ing floors that every seat is a good one,
everyone Is satisfied with his luck.
Stll some seats are extra good. Seven
of the Addison County delegation-the
representatives from Bristol, Vergen-
mes, Salisbury. Orwell, Panton, Corn
wall and Middlebury have solid
block OF these as nearly the center of
the Hall As any OF the desks are placed.
! Slt between the Bristol and Orwell
members with the other four in the
row back OF us
one impression. which one frequent
" hears expressed, is surprise to find
SO many splendid men of apparently
highest purpose rereSenting alike both
large and small towns. One of my
neighhors represents only l45 persons,
vet takes himself as seriously as does
he Mayor Of Burlington who repre-
entS about 10000 The latter is on two
Committees with me. There are only |
y persons in Somerset one of the
owns which has an equal vote with |
Burlington. The House this year seems
% be made up of successful men from
III walks of life Some are from towns
'ack in the hills, but you would never
,ueSS It All are we'll dressed, good
latured, kindly and eager to get ac-
lua'nted One looks in vain for we'll
,nowu types of politicians. The near
81 TO a politician is probably my friend
, Brien, the gentleman from South
whom one cannot help but
Ike This is his seventh successive
crm He introduced the lump sum
'l! which reformers have been irving
o pass without success for many
ears He said to me, "I think we can
'ut It through with the help of your
the Republican platform" He was
orrect The platform proved power
nj lever and did the trick, which re-
moves from the members any incen-
we to prolong the sessions as has
een charged against the small town
lembers III the past But O'Brien has
armed there are other equally effec-
I'VE planks in that platform, which he
not SO well pleased to see invoked.
Only 10 of the 247 members of this
louise were members in 1919, al
1ough there are as many more who
ave sat previously and Some who have
cen in the Senate. Among these are
wo ex-lieutenant governors, Stearns
Johnson and Darling of Chelsea, {
9th Of whom sit near the seven Add
IN County members mentioned, as
oes also my cousin, Mr.. Ballou of
hester, who is serving a second term d
the House after having been in the {
enate two years ago. He is the watch
og OF our treasury and can be depend '
upon to be against all appropriation d
lis.
There is only a handful of lawyers Y
the House and only three in the e
nate. | think physicians outnum-
,r them in both bodies This means /
lot Of work for the House lawyers il
most of the knotty questions are
ferred to the judiciary committee II
hich they compose. They are also p
.rcelled out as far as they will go as b
airmen of other committees There
e thirty standing committees-six or !
ven of them being thus headed by a
embers Of the judiciary committee 9
Dr us the day begins as soon as
eakfast is over and ends at midnight. h
addition to much committee work, o
am now serving on four these l.
me men are depended upon to take ST
active part with the motions and a
the debates on the floor of the II
luse
Mayor Jackson of Burlington is r,
airman Of the Suffrage and Elections p
'mmittee, which is being overwhelm- CO
with all sorts Of schemes for change st
the election machinery He felt Y
at a lawyer should be furnished his OF
mmittee but there were not enough W
assign him one. II
Indeed the outstanding features Of ii
e Vermont General Assembly, which W
it from those of other
ties are the absence of reelected &C
,mbers and the scarcity of lawyers as
H.. 1T