Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1869-11-03
tlJatohman s. journal.
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 3, 1869.
Election Of Town Representatives.

NNNlNNNs IINFlNlA NilAA % NN INlTlN 7tNiA NNN'f'
majority oral the votes cast for town rcprescn-
atyc on the first ballot the candidate receiving
the largest number Of votes on the second ballot
shall be dcclntcl to be elected. The chief reasons
for this proposition we may fairly presume are
contained in the following article, written hy The
author of the bin and published in the Brling-
ton Frcd Press of September 2l:-
"Iituot about time 20 change the statute which re-.
quro majority vote ut tho lfcgmon present. to cloct
town representatives, Tho town ot satrsburg hnllVted
Nrfa.ftf tmns without choice 90 te recent election
and thc meeting Then adjourned without making any
election. The Gown OF Joncho iu tlit county, Win Re-
clmug Le.I.Aturc hCcuuc, uitnr hllntna ff1ru Times
tho voters gave 10 opp end ADJOURNED without choee
ffou similar enusol aud boo others representative wAs
only chosen amor spending the cntiro night Boz irultess
three .ded or moro than three slded contest Aud as
long as uc law Requires mnloriy o. elect such pro.
tmo aud trouble. Let The statute Do changed a. tu
allow plurality Co elect on the second ballot, and an
trading between candidates loss running OF candidates
mot DO Doc elected but tn keep somebody eso from being
elected, loss quauelng aud hohrihurnIngs growing ONT
% meuous contests at elections amt eh,n town will
then have ts representative as 10 should have Those
amendment hns been ouen pfopos'd 100 year, past bni
f1r reH.0u could mover Nr carried lu 90. llfurH
but Legislators grow wiser or ought TO- us thc world
grows oId and perhaps ihc pfopo, ton NAV hno moTc
favor now. Let ns have p.aro and purality elections.
Our friend of the Fire. Press is correct in say
ing that such proposition has been made. and
without success We add that it was made when
there was much greater ground for it than at
present, and indeed under circumstances the most
favorable for is acceptance By the General Assem-
bly, and the people From 1880 to 1887 the anti
masonic spirit gave rise to third and for some
time quite powerful party in the State and from
1913 TO 1853 the anti-sla,ery spirit had the same
elect Ia both Of these periods there were three
political parties, and the consequences were nota-
bly, felt in the election of town representative.
In the first period the unrepre.ented towns varied
from 10 to - per onnum; in the last period, from
10 to 80 whereas now the number is ut the min
mum five only But in neither Of the periods.
when the number of uureplescnted towns wa.
large was this proposition fayonbly entertained.
and that fact may well pu; all concerned to ask
che question-why was it not?
a very strong, and we think uuanswcrlble,
reason may De found in the nct that the manner
orelectiou is fixed b. hr Constitution, and the
Legislature has not the power to change IT, Part
second, section -eycn provides that each inhabited
town may hold ana election and choose one repre-
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-ut.,.'..
M $3.50.
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ally, forever Here the electors and the time
and mode of election are prescribed in the Con-
stitution. Perhaps it may be suggested that the
words, chosen by ballot by the irccmen of every
e'''' :" '''',' .''i', '''' w NY "''' =
'''I
'''''' ivy guy ,'''' 'i'' p,'e'''N NV,
1 '' 'i'. ''''''' LOU Wv '''i, ~ w
s'''u'''" un,' now Du' nom 'lo '''' ''''' ''''
s,.,il,. ,ynot INC ,o;gbt bo olecied by a plu.
raIity vat. 4, wiz councillors .. And each free
man shall give in twelve votes for twelve council
Tors. in the same manner. and he hrsire highe.
ia nomination shall scre" As TO Governor it !.
provided that the people shall bring ia their vote,
and the Joint canyassing committee Shall declare
the person who las tie major part of hr ro,es %
be governor - and. in case no choice had been
made by a majority Of all the votes cast for any
one person, it was provided That then the coun.
| ell aud general assembly, by their Joint ballots
shall mike choice Of a governor" Here %,
phrse01gy Is precisely like that In respect e
Representatives, and the Interpretation always hni
been that a majority of oil the votes cast in joint
/ ballot was necessary 90 elect So ia the amend
ments, 10 is specifically provided that Senators
and County officers may be elected BIS pluralit,
of votes simply Hence where no specific proyis.
ion of this kind is made, a majority Is required
We therefore conclude that, ifany change is % De
made in the election Of the most important branch
of the Government, that change should not De
made by Legislative statute, but in the coustitu-
ton itself, through the regular process Of amend
ment.
Another reason for the failure of the pr,nosi.
ton may be found in doubts of its p,liey. The
Distinguishing mark Of our Constitution i. m,
/ principle that all political power i, inherent
in and consequently derived from The people
therefore. an officer, of government. whether lee.
isatiye or executive. are their trustees and .ery
ants, and at all times, in legal way. ncoounta-
BE 10 hcn '-ihe people. Is it expedicnt TO
amend by saying that political power is derived
from a plurality Of the people, and MI officers are
accountable to any fraction however small, which
happens to be a LITTLE larger than any other Of
nail dozen fractions which combined would
be majority We should have TO add but few
words TO make the ruling power an aristocracy
In the election of representatives and state OH
GERS alone do we now respect the will Of the peo-
pie, as expressed by majority Of the whole mum
Der VIII it be wise TO strike Mt town represent
atlon' and so leave nothing to the majority Of the
people IN our State Government but three Execu-
tive oheers'-and notoyen these absolutely, for if
majority fails to elect plurality Senate aud
House VIII elect them Indeed, worse still, If
we carry TINS rule out to Its legitimate result be-
cause then a bare plurality OF two bodies, elect
Gu uy minority OF the people, will control the
legislative executive and judicial officers Of the
state we shall then have, not Democratic
government IN the good sense OF that phrase, not
inc VIII oil the people, but possibly the will of a
minority aseer'ained by accidents, and expressed
IN chapters oil accidents. Our legislation will
lutn De more ant than II Tn he Ike fbot If