Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1858-07-31
The District Convention.

The Republican Convention to nominate
candidate for Congress, to be supported by the
Freemen of this Congressional District, will be
held at White River Junction on Thursday of
next week. The action of that convention will
be a matter of more than usual importance.
-Four years since Mr.. Morrill,, our present
Representative, was first placed in nomination.
By strenuous cXertions in this county he was
elected at the first trial by about fifty majority
Two years since he was re-nominated and re-
elected with great unanmty. Mr. Morrill, has
served his constituents with fidelity and zeal
during the period in which he has filled the
place of Representative. His constituents, we
believe quite generally, approve of his political
course. In common with the other members
of our delegation he has been punctually in his
seat and responded his vote on nearly all the
important calls of yeas and Mays" In the
several committees of which he has been a COM
ponent part he has, so far as we know, discharg-
ed his duties in an able and acceptable manner.
So much for the past. Mr. Morrill, now comes
before the people for third election. The i'm
portant question is SIS he entitled to such dis
tinction ?' While conceding the full measure
of ability and worth that his most ardent sup
porters may put forth in his behalf we cannot
discover any good ground for such a claim as
is now made by himself and friends. We can
see no reason for this preforment, either in the
past services of Mr. Morrill, or in the ability
which he brings to the place he occupies. On
Al A. =. a. a 4 /
more proper for him to retire gracefully from
the field and leave the succession open for some
new man.
In this State, and more especially during the
last ten or fifteen years, the general rule of two
terms for public officer has obtained. In
State, Congressional, County and Town officers
this doctrine of rotation has been, we do not say
universally, but generally acted upon. In some
instances where the incumbent was conceded to
possess qualifications superior to those of any
other individual in the bailiwick, this rule has
been departed from, but only in comparatively
few cases. We regard this rule, in all offices of
profit as well as honor, as one of Importance
and not to be departed from except in cases of
eminent ability in the incumbent or a conceded
necessity to preserve the integrity of the organ
ization. In states more evenly divided between
the two prominent political parties than this a
departure from this established principle would
work mischief and lead to disorganization.
That there are men in every portion of the
District as abundantly qualified as is Mr. Morrill,
to discharge all the duties and meet all the re-
sponsibilities of Representative in Congress,
the most ardent friends of the present incum-
bent will not deny. They cannot insist neither
that he has not received at the hands of his con-
stituents all that his services, talents or position
entitle him to expect. We go further and de-
clare that there are men in each of the four
counties composing the District who have claims
to the Office far superior to those of Mr. Morrill,
men who, to say the least will, if elected,
serve the District and the country quite as sue
cessfully as the member now representing them.
This feeling is shared with us by men in all por-
tons of the District.
For these and other reasons that might read
lily be suggested, we think new nomination
should be made. The emoluments and honor
associated with the office of Representative in
Congress render it post worthy the honorable
ambition of any man, and when candidates can
be found who can just as ably and satisfactorily
discharge all the duties Herewith connected,
we can see no reason for departure from the
rule of rotation. 1t is true that an incumbent
possesses means in the distribution of favors
and otherwise to bring himself more prominent
ly than new man can do before the people of
District for nomination. But this is an adj
vantage that no man fully alive to honorable
engagements or understanding would seek to
obtain.
For these and other reasons that readily sug
gest themselves we, On common with many 9TH
ers not only in this but in the other counties,
think that new candidate should be brought
out. In this county the feeling is quite strong
and it arises from just such grounds as we have
stated rather than from any personal opposition
to Mr.. Morrill,. Whatever the action of the
convention may be we trust that those enter
tanning desire for a change win be present at