Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1872-05-29

tricts, the matter was plain enough. Assum-
ing this to be the case the people had made
arrangements accordingly. 1t was understood
that Hon. W G. Smith, the present repre-
sentative of the third district, did not care
for another election. In this event the peo-
pie very generally on that side eff the state
settled upon Gov. Stewart as the man to
represent thsm in Congress, and the people
of the whole state were looking to Hon.
Frederick Billings of Woodstock as our next
Governor.
Thus matters stood up to the time of the
State convention at Bellows Falls to elect
delegates to Philadelphia. Meantime Mr..
Willard had been earnestly at work trying
to secure the passage in the House OF hls
supplementary bill, so called, by which, II
made a law, Vermont and New Hampshire
would retain their present number OF Con-
| gressmen. This bill has passed the House,
and there is a fair prospect that it will pass
the Senate This fact seems to have put a
new face upon matters. In case It does be-
come law it would be most ungracious and
ungrateful to drop the man who secured Its
passage The thing would not be thought
Of
| About this timc-in fact at Bellows Falls
/ Ist inst some one announced authori-
| tatively that Gov. Stewart would not be a
candidate for Congress in any event, but
/ tldJ ne tGQS Il CdIuludlt lDI AC-C4CCbAOA- OOA@
! ing at 50 late day, and after as most sup
1 posed, both the candidates for Congress and
! the Govern orship were settled upon, this
announcement c0mplicates matters, and puts
the friends Of Mr.. Stewart, who arc also the
| friends of Mr.. Billings-for they are both
pop liar, able and unexceptionable men-in
an unpleasant position. Some who were fav-
orable to the nomination of Mr.. Billings be-
cause they supposed Gov. Stewart was out
of the field, now take the back track and
advocate the reelection Of the latter. Others
who would have earnestly supported Gov.
Stewart for Congress do not approve of his
reelection as Governor, believing in and
holding to the two-Years term Of Office
This is the position of the Cazedonian, aud
as far as we know, of the majority of the
people Of this section. And the thing for
the people of the state TO decide. and the
first question that will be likely to come up
at the convention next month is, Shall we
elect a Governor for two or four years Ii
the newspapers indicate the sentiment of the
people, this side of the state would vote to-
day TO stick by the old custom of a new Gov
ernOr every two years; and We thluk If they
get proper expression at che Montpelier con-
vention they will vote so then. Some prom
inent papers the west side of the state also
favor the twO-years term, among which we
notice tht Rutland Herald.
There are good reasons for electing Gov
e1nor for short term which will not apply
to many other officers, national, county and
town.
The Bellows Falls Tunes favors very point
edly the one term rule. After review ne
introduction it says
The reasons given for the reelection of
Mr.. Stewart, seem to Us entirely superficial
and specious. OF himself we have of course
nothing to say. His excellencies as a gentle
man and qualifications for whatever position
the people may in their own time assign
him, need no discussion. Next October he
will have held the Office Of governor two
years, same as all our other governors for
more than thirty years. But right here we
are met with the specous argument that our
governors heretofore have been q re-eleo ted
and consequently Gov. Stewart should be
reelected. Is any one SO Jolly green as to
Dot understand that a biennial election sim
ply combines two elections in one?
The only difference between Mr.. Stewards
two years Of governorship and his predecess-
Ors, is that he and the legislature have not
had the pleasure of two sessions at the capt.
tai at an expense to the people of over
forty thousand dollars, luxury which,
however much enjoyed by our excellent Of
uCidlE IL eCCLi5 10 u L4O5L VI INC HCOpAC dIC
willing to dispense with. But we are told
be has been such a " faithful governor
that he should receive an 9 endorsement, Of
bis first two years Then of course his ne 1t
two years should be endorsed, and so on, and
we may then enter upon never ending
eternity Of - endorsement. Omitting this
however, what extraordinary thing has
Gov. Stewart done to entitle him to an extra
two years +? Nothing, absolutely nothing.
Why? Not because he can do nothing ex-
traordInary, but simply because there has
been nothing extraordinary to do. And is
there anything extraordinaryabout Gov. Stew
art himself that he should be governor twice
as long as his predecessors who include such
men as Williams, Royce, Hall and others?
The Rutland Heradl from the tenor Of its
editorials and correspondence, opposes re-
election as applied to the Office of Governor.
One of its correspondents signed -" WIND
HAM, says;
think can assure you that the people
in this section OF the State are very generally
in favor of the one term of two years. 1
hope this matter will be pressed home to
the people 50 that we may have an open and
honest expression Of the public voice on this
subject at our State convention in June.
Gov. Stewart is all well enough, but is there
ANYTHING about him which entities him to
hold the Office of Governor four years when
all his predecessors for thirty years past
have held it but two years. Gov. Paine,
Williams, Fletcher, Smith, Dillingham; and
others held the Office for only two years, and
were content. Gov Stewart will hold the
Office at the expiration of his present term
as long as they did, and surely he and his
friends should be content.
TN L
question as follows
We hazard nothing in saying that Mr.
Billings would have received the nomination
at Bellows Falls with remarkable unanimty,
had the convention which met at that place
been empowered to make it.
By the turn affairs have taken since that
time the Governorship has come to be :" all
at sea, as the saying goes, and we propose
to state frankly why this is So Before Mr..
Billings was named as a candidate for Gov
ernor, his friends, who are the friends also
Of Gov. Stewart, received LEsurance from the
latter that be should not ask for a reelection,
as he felt compelled to yield TO the urgent
call Of many citizens and allow his name TO be
presented as a candidate for Congress. But
Mr. Stewart said then, as we understand he
says now, that his own choice would be TO
accept again the office of Governor, should
the people choose to give 1t to him. More
over, Mr.. Billings, while approaching the
honor his many friends would confer upon
him, wanted it clearly understood that he
should not push for the place, much less
make a contest to obtain it, and declined to
allow his name to be used until Mr.. Stew
arts position had been made known to him. |
To confirm the truth of this statement re-
garding Gov. Stewart, We need not 20 be-
yond the fact, known throughout the State, |
that he allowed the canvass to proceed to an