MASSACHUSETTS. 



479 



act was passed providing for the simplifying of 

 criminal proceedings. 

 Other acts were : 



Providing that one who obtains by false pre- 

 tense or converts or secretes with the intention 

 of converting the personal property of another, 

 whether in possession or not, is guilty of lar- 

 ceny; but this does not apply to false pretense 

 of ability to pay, when the payment is due after 

 delivery, unless in signed writing. 



Establishing the boundary between Massachu- 

 setts and New Hampshire and between Massa- 

 chusetts and Rhode Island. 



To prevent counterfeiting of trade-marks. 



Making it a misdemeanor for a debt collector 

 to wear an unusual or striking costume. 



Appropriating $50,000 additional for exhibit at 

 the Paris Exposition. 



Creating a commission for the Pan-American 

 Exposition. 



Establishing a new board of cattle commis- 

 sioners, and enacting a general law for prevent- 

 ing spread of disease among domestic animals. 



Directing that renovated butter be plainly 

 stamped on the top, side, and bottom of origi- 

 nal packages and on the outside of every retail 

 package. 



Requiring cities and towns to establish seals. 



Providing for allowances to families of per- 

 sons killed while on duty at fires, whether they 

 are firemen, or members of a protective depart- 

 ment, or others on duty at the request of au- 

 thorities in places having no fire department. 



Prescribing a fine of $5 to $100 against any 

 one allowing an animal to injure a shade tree 

 on a highway half to go to the complainant and 

 half to the State. 



Requiring charitable corporations exempt from 

 taxation to make annual reports to the State 

 Board of Charities. 



Requiring that illegitimate children under three 

 years of age instead of under one year, as here- 

 tofore when received for board be reported to 

 the State Board of Charities. 



Making the city building-inspection law appli- 

 cable to towns. 



Providing that a guardian may be licensed to 

 sell his ward's realty to pay existing mortgages. 



Providing that the State Highway Commission 

 may spend $500,000, of which $12,000 is to be 

 used for machinery and $100,000 to be reserved 

 for use after Jan. 1, 1900; authorizing a thirty 

 years' loan; only citizens may be employed. 



Allowing commissioned militia officers in serv- 

 ice July 1, 1897, who served in the civil war to 

 retire with the next higher rank. 



Making it unlawful to deface the United States 

 flag or the State flag, or to use them for adver- 

 tising purposes. 



Making it a misdemeanor to deface a monu- 

 ment or tablet commemorating an historic event. 



Creating a commission to publish records of 

 soldiers and sailors in the civil war. 



For purchasing for the State 500 copies of any 

 history of State organizations in the Spanish 

 war. 



Establishing a standard for milk analysis. 



Allowing the informant in cases of infraction 

 of the fish and game laws, unless he is a paid 

 deputy, to receive half the fines, the other half 

 going "to the State. 



Providing that every Sunday shall be a close 

 season for birds and game. 



Providing for continuance of the publication 

 of province laws. 



Appropriating $12,000 for buying portraits of 

 State governors. 



A bill requiring railroads to carry bicycles as 

 baggage was defeated, and one requiring them to 

 carry racing rowing shells free was reported 

 against by the Committee on Railroads. 



The Committee on Constitutional Amendments 

 reported adversely on the resolution for woman 

 suffrage by amendment to the Constitution, and 

 the House rejected a bill giving to women the 

 right to vote on the subject of liquor licenses by a 

 vote of 94 to 51. 



The following petition and resolution was in- 

 troduced : 



" Whereas, The General Court of Massachu- 

 setts Bay, at their session in Cambridge (New- 

 town), passed a sentence of banishment against 

 Roger Williams, Oct. 19, 1035; 



" Whereas, Hon. John Winthrop, Governor of 

 Massachusetts Bay, requested that Roger Wil- 

 liams be recalled, his sentence revoked, and be 

 duly honored, which was refused; 



" Whereas, Roger Williams's doctrine of re- 

 ligious liberty, for advocating which he was ban- 

 ished, has become the fundamental sentiment of 

 Christendom; be it 



"Resolved. We, the citizens of Cambridge, 

 Mass., petition the honorable Legislature at your 

 earliest convenience to pass an act revoking said 

 sentence of banishment, and your petitioners will 

 ever pray God save the Commonwealth of Massa- 

 chusetts." 



Political. The first party to hold a State con- 

 vention this year was the Socialist-Democrat. 

 The 56 delegates, representing 25 branches, met 

 in Boston, May 28. The ticket named follows: 

 For Governor, Winfield P. Porter; Lieutenant 

 Governor, Isaac W. Skinner; Secretary of State, 

 Charles H. Bradley ; Treasurer, C. White : Auditor, 

 A. McDonald. The principal demands in the 

 platform were: 



" Revision of our antiquated Federal Constitu- 

 tion in order to move the obstacles to full and 

 complete control of the Government by all the 

 people, irrespective of sex; public ownership of 

 all industries controlled by monopolies, trusts, 

 and combines; reduction of the hours of labor 

 to eight hours per day, and further in proportion 

 to the increasing facilities of production; labor 

 legislation to be made national as well as local 

 and international where possible; equal civil and 

 political rights for women and the abolition of 

 all laws discriminating against women; abolition 

 of war as far as the United States are concerned, 

 and the introduction of international arbitration 

 instead; the right of trial by jury in case of con- 

 tempt of court; a more efficient employers' liabil- 

 ity law; self-government for cities and towns in 

 all local affairs; the State to assume life and fire 

 insurance." 



The convention of the Prohibition party was 

 held at Worcester, Sept. 13. The ticket was: For 

 Governor, John W. Baer; Lieutenant Governor, 

 James H. Roberts; Secretary of State, John B. 

 Lewis; Treasurer, Herbert B. Griffin; Auditor, 

 Franklin A. Palmer; Attorney-General, Sidney 

 Perley. 



The essential points of the platform were the 

 declaration in favor of the abolition of the liquor 

 traffic and against the saloon as the deadliest 

 enemy of the laborer. On the issues of commerce, 

 currency, and territorial expansion no stand was 

 taken, the platform considering them " too im- 

 portant to be dealt with merely as party foot- 

 balls, and kicked by scheming politicians backed 

 by saloon interests." The platform favors wom- 

 an's suffrage and denounces the army canteen, 

 which, it asserts, is retained by the Government 

 against the judgment of the superior army and 



