Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1843-09-22

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FRIDAY MORNING, SEPT. %, ls43.
OUR COLLEGE AND THE ELECTION.
We find the following remarks in the last
number Of the North Star, a Loco Foco pa
per, printed a, Danville in this state.
Howl is THIS7
In Burlington, n wing was elected representative
"'by only II majority. The Sentinel complains Of this
and attributes the defeat of the democrats to the stu
"dents..of the University, who are allowed to vote for
"townreprescntative without the least shadow Ofrea '
time, is unjust and tyranical-a nuisan ;e-to b,
"abated by whatever means. Men who have no in
"terest in town affairs, and who pay no taxes are
allowed year after year TO decide who shall represent
"us. Words and arguments have beentriel to putdown
this abomlnable practice but in vain. The time is,
mot distant when actions will speak louder than
words, { we are to be longer disfranchised 10y n set
'ofo our rights"
We agree with the Sentinel, that it is high time this
evil was abated. 1t must be done by a special &C, of
the Legislature, ift cannot be effected other wise
First we desire 10 correct one or two err
rors Of fact into which, the writer of the above
has been led. Mr.. Stacy's majority was 25
instead of II, as stated in the Sentinel. This
majority was much greater than tho wholc
number Of students who voted, and several
voted the Loco Foco ticket throughout, 10
our certain knowledge. Nor has there been
an election in this town within our memory,
when the votes Of the students have inAucn-
ced the result. Our majority for represent
tative has always been greater than the
Wing majority among the students who have
voted. Such are the facts, and we defy the
Loco Focos to disprove them.
But the false representations in the above
article are not its worst feature. 1t openly
threatens a resort to violence and mOb.law
if the practice of allowing tho students to
vote is not discontinued. True, the article
was written while its author was smarting
under tho modification of defeat. But this.
thought it may in some measure palliate,
can by no means justify the atrocious spirit
which the writer exhibits. 1t has always
been the fate Of his party 10 be in minority
in this town, and it strikes us as being worse
than childish for him to get into a passion
about il, and threaten to tear down the col.
lege. The editor ofthe sentinel knows very
we'll that the University is not a political In
stitution, and he ought 10 be ashamed land
we presume he is before this time, il not, he
is to be Pitied)to use such language in regard
to it. He knows that he was himself in
debted to that very Institution (that "nui-
~sanee," which he says, sought to be abat-
ed by what.ver means") for the degree of
master of arts at the last commencement
He knows that Mr.. BRowNsoN, one Of the
most prominent members of his party, was
received here by the faculty last August
with every mark of respect, that he was
welcomed as a distinguished Scholar at the
literary festival, and that an honary degree
was rendered to him by the Corporation, at
the close Of the commencement exercises
|, He knows that Mr.. Silas Wright jr., the
Ajax Of Loco Focoism in the United States
Senate. has recently been crowned with the
f highest honor (,he degree Of L. L.D.) which
1 the university could bestow-and that Mr.
U LucIUs B. PECK and Mr.. PAUL DnLINGHAM
= jr. and other prominent Loco Focos in thi
!, state have each in their turn received hon
o orary degrees which have been voluntarily
conferred by the College. And last Of all
d he kmo,os that the Faculty hare done all il
: their power to procure the passage of Tau
+, by our legislature prohibiting the Student
n from voting for tOwn officers in this tow'
whik they are members Of the University
e In this VIC think they erred, but w hav
q not a doubt that they acted with an hone.
q intention 10 promote the best interests Of tn
|" Institution. VIZ have not a doubt but the,
supposed such a law would serve to ALA
j. tho senseless clamor of the Loco Foce
cs abou, the politics of tho college, but w hav
70 very serious doubts about the justice, or eve
the constitutionality OF such an act Of lee
- %islation. But this we will not discuss no,
/, Our only object is to show the folly, Il
at wickedness, the ingratitude Of the Sentinel
re course. And this We think must he su
GcieutIy manifest from the facts we ha,
it already stated. Ifany body is to be censu
ed because the students vote for town repr
iI,s sentative here. i, should DO the ~legislatu
by whom the law was passed or the boa
to Of au,hority by whom it is expounded. Eve
'or body knows that the same practice prevai
"u at every other literary Institution in d
state. The students of Middlebury Colleg
nd and Of Norwich University (and the lati