The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1869-08-10

rss 1850 -3
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THIS b jsal4an aBrversd paeucHg BY t4v
fsms i--ts ae have js-t baeu oaasiaoaeg.
II taeasy there sgglJ Is farag ia the otjoo.
toa Il al ORR mtmbsrs uero ,euaL fhJy are
aat such, aad although rare insiances vre faund
u .ul.,sIaal sbarteonsIsss. oar General Assem-
bbes have Eoyer besu carried BY corrupt means.
ava with eur proseat basis q Representations
thaga IL l,tlc Tear ll.st Il ever ai BY. Inc gresi
MAJORITY 3 our mgnDtrs sTo honest men, and
We nay safely expect that they Niil eoatiuoo
saeA
Now il haaaiAl election gives greater oppos
tasatas % approach he one yeuai member, it
'mast ID t4o ssmc Tine giFg the ton OF t~euty
honest nsnbers u b. found for every corrupt
one q better opportunity i8f honest study aud
carefal Information a. b tie official duties and
give more wisdom 10 thom. shich is the control
lag action 4 these assemblies.
Another very imppriaul consideration is TIE
cxpgusc u sau1a elections. We have, say for
3 Z afty Thousand yJtas east at every state
election. Tie tune Of each Of these voters in
community as Il each voter we're assessed the
value d that limo, ADD the N 1aoy paid over to
sumo tax rathe5or Add 70 this the time spent
Ia attending PRIMARY meeting, oaacuscs and
conventions, and ia cauyasiug And soliciting
votes ans il i safe 70 say that every election
cast4 tbs state at least at much fall days
work q each voter, or 100000. For this We
cet 40 return. unlees We get it iu The benefit
Of tho election.
Wa have already seen that most q our ofi-
GERS serve two years. Probably not five in every
haudrcd fail ot Their recollection. Tho result
then is IN effect that every other year We have
the expense Of a general election 70 change 1--WE
per cent Of our bniccrs The difference in val
NC between the services II the Use per cent. who
are not reelected and Of those who take their
places is very poor return for this expense.
But tie pccuHary cost Of oar election is BY FAR
the least Of it, expense. Our elections, accom-
panied as hey are by local contests the intrigaos
of eliques, and the struggle Of hungry aspirants
have ii ia lhom much that is demnralizing. Not
TO mention the corrupt appliances which unseru-
pulaus men bring 70 bear more or less in every
close contest, there are influences which cannot
DO stigmantzed as immoral which have yet an
unhealthy tendency, Our frequent elections
bring about an cagcrnoss for place and con
stant courtiug u popularity that works evil IN
our society. Our leading men in such conditions,
instead Of being manly aud outspokea 10 their
convictions, become timidiu rebuking evil and
cautious IN sustaining the right. Iustead Of be :
ing public teachers, advocating wise couasels
anl combining prcjndices aud striving - turn
public thuught into higher and better courses,
oar public leaders asttcr the vanity and stiuIu-
late lie prejudiees 81 the multitude, and follow
wherever the passions or interests OF the many
may lead thom Instead u big Statesmen they
become dgmagogues.
So too, this eageracas for place brings about
an unhealthy ambition. Men forsake stations
ing allufemtnts Of Office. II is very poor bar
gain f5r The State e change useful private cit
izan into a hungry ofiicc-seoLcr.
These 10 be sure, arc necessary evils, the legit-
innate results Of our form u government, but IN
tie Judgement Of your committee are az rayatod
by the frequency Of our elections While they
are no sufficient reasons for doing away elections
entirely there are reasons for having them as
unfrcquently al is consistent with the public
good in other respects
Your committee nj gh, refer to the practice in
ether States showing that the julgem sat Of
eur bert men, those who li4y3 sat as reviewers
d theif own State constitutions, OF who having
lived ualyr tie coHstitlaons q older States,
have assisted II oalabh hing new States, is tend.
lag 70 a concurrence with the yioUs hero express.
.al, but they havo preferred 70 discuss the mat.
ter upon principle and our own experience.
From aH the considerations they have been able
g give tho subject your committee arc Of tho
opinion that, waile they would not recommend
such lengthy terms Of Office as arc found IN 9TH
CT countries, ana some States ii thoir own c1un-
try, they are satisfied that annual elections are
unnecessary aud regard The term u two years
a. ih0 jdl.eious means which both reasoning
founded % principle aud tho experience Of other
States eoaodr ia recommending.
JAspEa HsND,
j ~. CoLHuHS Committee
WILLIAM HARM0S,