Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1866-07-12

the passport To position. Who Is LUKE
p. POLAND, that he should be thus as
sailed 2 OF about the same age as Mr..
MORRILL,, while the latter was a clerk in
a country store, under the pupilage and
favor of wealthy patron, LUKE was
farmers boy, delving in the earth, hold
ing the plow, welding the axe in the
forests, swinging the fail. Like WEB
STIR aud CLAY, and hundreds of the
ablest lawyers in the land, he graduated
from the farm. Rising by his own ex-
ertions, he entered upon public service
as Judge, at about the time Mr.. Mon.
RILL stepped from the merchants count
ing-house, into the arena of politics.
What is there, pray in the life or calling
more to the people, than there is in the
, life and calling of the farmer boy-the
lawyer the Judge? Were DANIEL WEB-
sTER and HENRY CLAY any the less faY-
orites among the pleople, or were they
any the less the defenders Of the peoples
rights and interests, because their Pc
cuiar talents fitted them for eminent
service at the Bar? Was ABRAHAM LIN
COLIN any the less the friend and idol of
the people, because from a fiat boatman,
and rail-Splitter, he became one of the
most eminent lawyers of Illinois? 1t is
not houses and lands, nor equipage,
nor birth nor high station, but in spite
of all these, and above all these, it is the
god-lihe man, whom the people will honor
and trust. And such man is LUKE P.
POLAND. And is it not amazing that
the very qualifications acquired by him
at the Bar and upon the Bench, which
fit him to successfully discharge the du-
ties of a Senator, should be urged as a
principal reason why he should not be
called to their performance ? While pro-
found craftsmanship may be and is de-
veloped without previous legal training,
is it true that legal training is any dis
advantage to ones craftsmanship? The
objection is too weak to face the light
of a farthing candle. 1t is addressed to
none but the most ignorant and preju-
| diced of men.
But again, it is urged that Mr.. Nor
RILL should be elected Senator because
he has earned the place, by his past
services, and it belongs to him as a re-
ward. Are such places created merely
to serve as rewards of merit? They are
posts of responsibility, of trust, of labor
Men are to be placed in Office for what
they can do in the office, and not for
what the office can do for them. The
benediction from grateful people,
"well done good and faithful servant"
| in the discharge of the trust he is fitted
| by his talents to perform, is the best re-
ward, and the only reward worthy of the
name, that the patriot can receive. But
on this score, does not Judge POLAND
also merit the gratitude of the people
Has he not been faithful public servant
for the past seventeen years Has he
not guarded our rights Of person and
property, and added lustre to the fame
Of our jurisprudence? Has he not toiled
by night and by day, for a compensation
barely adequate to support life Has
he not made himself poor in this worlds
goods, while serving his State? If his
position has been less conspicuous in
the worlds eye; if it has afforded less
occasion for popular applause and less
opportunity to coquette with fortune,
than the position which Mr.. MORRILL,
has occupied, has it been less useful, less
honorable, less laborious, less worthy of
peoples gratitude?
l maintain, therefore, in conclusion.
that if Vermont consults her best inter- |
ests, she will keep Mr.. MORRILL, in the |
House, if he can be prevailed upon to re-
main there, and return Judge POLAND to
the Senate. By thus doing she will |
WELD right arm Of power in both |
branches Of Congress, and maintain her
equal position with Massachusetts,, Hi |
nois, Pennsylvania and New York. She
will avoid this distracting and disor-
ganizing issue at home. She will do
equal honor to two worthy and able
men. But if Mr.. MORRILL, shall persist
in his declination to serve the State fur
Their unless he can dictate the position in
which he will serve; if he can bear mo
equal near the throne" then it becomes
a simple question, which Of the two can
didates is best fitted by natural ability
and education, to fill the position of
Senator. And on this naked issue the
friends of Judge POLAND do not fear the
result. n
The DIFFERENCE A ,,oI1e o,,.osoo,,, ,roe