Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1857-11-13
The Ran Road Commissioner.
From the Sentinel Of oct. 23i

Road commissioner. Inc real ODlecb OF
this hill is to get rid of the incumbent OF
the Office, he being Democrat. Bill Or
dcred to a third reading.
Afternoon. Pierpoint's bill read the
third time it's passage urged by Chitten-
den of this County, on the ground that the
Office of Il. X. Commissioner was merely
sinecure, useless and unnecessary. The
bill was ordered to lie [Some three years
ago, the act appointing u Rail Road Com
missioner was passed, as was supposed, for
the purpose of creating an Office for our
neighbor of the Free Press but somehow,
he failed in obtaining it, Notwithstanding
his claims were hard pressed. Since that
time, our noighbor, through himself and
others, has been at work, first to get the
law altered so as to take the appointing
power away from the Judges of the Court;
and now to abolish the Office entirely, hay
ing made the discovery, after some years
trial and entire failure to reach either its
emoluments or its honors, that tits " use
less and unnecessary.
In the proverbs of Solomon we find two
directions, side by side, one that We" answer
fool according TO lis folly, lest he be wise
in his own conceit, tho other that we
80 answ er not a fool according to his folly,
lest we be like unto him.
We understand the two directions to
make one precept for action, to this effect.
If a fool puts forth against you absurd,
false and ridiculous statements, it is well to
expose them, lest the fool shall think HIM
self wondrous wise, and your silence lead
others who know no better to believe him
unanswerable but in answering him take
care not TO follow his manner, nor to make
against him statements equally false and
ridiculous as his are, for then the world
will have two fools. in it instead of one
We will try to keep Sclomon's advice in
mind.
Whether the writer of the above quota
ton from the Sentinel is to be
considered ms a fool in Scrip
ture sense, or in a common sense, we do not
pretend to say, but there are some things in
his statement that look very much like
both For instance, when he says " the
real object Of the bill is to get rid of the in
cumbcut of the Office, he being demo-
crat, - considering that all that was neces-
sary to get rid of the incumbent was for
the Joint Assembly to elect another man,
according to the law of last year, he
certainly talks like fool in the
sense use of the term. The remainder of lis
statement is so ill-lntentioned as well as falls
and absurd that it betokens cross of the
Scripture fool and the common sense fool
say three fourths Of the former to one
fourth of the latter. We are aware how
ever that the Senhnei has the credit Of be-
ing favored with several writer's Of late, not
all standing in as low Il relation to the l.
nited States Government as deputy post
master; and to avoid any charge IF harsh
personal reference we will allow the writer
to consider himself fool in a Pickwickian
Renee. short of that cannot let him
of by any means.
Two or three weeks ago we had occasion
10 refer to the origin and progress Of the
bill for the Act providing for the appoint
ment OF a Railroad Commissioner, and need
not repeat what we then said The act
was introduced into tho Legislature by
Senator Benedict after consultation with
several men whose legal attachments and
integrity Of character had always stood ut
the highest mark in this State and in the
nation,-on Of whom but a few month";
since was removed from life by the hPnI Of
Divine Providence, to the sorrow and re
greet Of all who were worthy to know him
and the seat which he had - long honorcd
il now occupied by another, The consulta-
ton had regard to the need Of such public
officer, to the duties and powers which
should deyolye On him, and to :hc scope
and terms Of the bill which was introduced:
and in all those particulars it had his un-
qualified approval
The violent opposition to tic bill By
those who were or who had been engaged in
the management of railroad affairs, or in
the employ Of railroad managers as counsel
or lobby agents is matter of history. There
are always.in every community OF consider
able size come men of small minds and sell
fish dispositions who cannot believe it pos
eble for any one to labor earnestly for any
measure unless he has selfish purpose at
are wanting around a Legislature those
who are ready by lnsinuation to excite tho
jealousics and suspicious OF such minds in
order to weaken the influence of those
whom they oppose.
Mr.. Benedict was not unaware OF its be
ing said that the bill was doubtless got up
to give him an Office, but conscious that he
had at heart no other object but that of the
public good that he had neither intention
nor expectati of Office by means of that act
or any other-the knowledge of such insin-
uations neither disturbed him, nor affected
his action. 1t was said to him moreover, by
come who favored the bill, that there would
be great difficulty in getting any one into the
Office who would fulfil its duties fearlessly,
fairly, ably,and lndustriously and that on
that account it was doubtful whether much a.,
would come of the law, It enacted To all
that he replied that it was the business Of
legislators to enact good and nsedful laws,
and to presume that to reasonable extent
they would be efficiently carried out.
After the law was passed Mr. Benedict
was urged by those friendly to the law to
seek in proper way the appointment Of
commissioner, provided by it, For some
time he steadily refused, saying truly that
the law required great and exhaustive labor
from the offlcer-that 1t was doubtful
whether his health and strength would suf-
fee for it--that he had never contemplated
the fulfment Of Its duties by himself, and
was altogether ayerso from any thought of
the sort neither had he any reason to
suppose that his name had been seriously
spoken Of in connection with it, to any great
extent.
EiAter repeated urgings he decided to ad,