Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-10-27
TILE COUNCIL OF cENsORs.


otions, and presents six articles Of amendment to
the Constitution
/. Against creating corpontions by special
law.
2. Biennial elections and sessions Of the leg
stature
3. Provision for filling vacancies in the Office
of Senator or town Representative.
4. Appointment Of Judges Of the supreme
Court by the Governor and Senate for term Of
six years.
3. Prescribing female suffrage.
6. Aboshing the Council Of Consors.
The Address to the People ntimates that few
if any Of these proposed amendments had The
entire consent of the Council. Some Of them
had very little strength Of their own, and were,
it is said, iqg-roHcd to their passage. The adyo.
Gates of the weak articles combined, and while
there was fair majority for neither, they were
hoisted in by the alliance Of their respective
friends. But few Of these propositions are sub
mitted on their own merit. Had they been con-
sidered Independently possibly not one would
have had majority even in the Council. Con-
scious Of the general weakness Of their work.
knowing that it did not for the most part COM
mand even their own assent and approval. the
Council submits the amendments to the people,
believing that The integrity and intelligence "
The pcopis are sufficient guaranty that none ~
hese proposals. trH ind a place m The Consliu-
fon -" except such as are necessary for the pres
eryation of the rights and happiness Of the poo
pie. The people elected thi, Council, believing
that they were men of experience. wisdom and
ability, who would not propose anything bat
what was necessary for the preservation OF the
rights and happiness of the people, The Council
refers back to the people the questions they were
elected to decide. How the people will decide
them can be only a matter OF conjecture We iu-
cline to think the first will be rejected In re-
spect to the second. the evils connected with am
nual elections and sessions are not at all manifest
The advantages are very clear and decided Tic
people should require, unless the best Of reasons
exist to the contrary, an annual account Of thc
stewardship Of their servants. A longer term Of
Office and immunity from accountability. furnishes
greater facilities for corruption, and increases the
power Of officials at the same time that it lessons
their sense Of responsibility. The simplicity ola
republic requires annual elections, and we doubt
not that they are in the end a matter of economy.
The third article is well enough. though there
is no special need for it, The fourth article will
find many serious objections to it. In what re-
spcct is it better than our present system? II
practically takes the election of Judges out of
the hands of the Legislature and gives it to
the Senate. We think the present system 20
be decidedly the best In State like ours
distribution of power is far better than its
Capitalization As to the fifth article, orlaining
female suffrage. very little need be said. We
are not aware that any such extension of the
suffrage is desired by any but few sell-constj-
tuted champions Of forlorn women who belong
to the School of Don Quixote De In Nh,ncho
All sensible, christian women. so far as we know.
repudiate the dishonor that is attempted to be
done to their sex They are not willing to be
classified with slaves and idiots, and know
their place and power too well to follow the leader
ship of certain political aspimnts of both sexes.
whose greatest ambition it seems to be to unsex
themselves Don Quixote will have enough TO
10 for years to come to persuade even his own
. peerless Dulcinear to look upon him in any
other light than her % visionary, moonstruck and
,razy cavalier" We rather think that this pr,-
posed amendment will slide II hardly nleasc.