Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-05-31

From tlcst Jol,sbGry Cale5.u iAa.
The question Of who is 20 be Governor Of Yer
mont is getting interesting A. long IS il VA
supposed thst our state would he reiistrictei
and that We should lose one member Of Congress
and that the mountain range north snd south
would divide the two districts, the matter wal
plsin enough Assuming this 10 be the cas-;
/ tde people had made arrangements accordingly
ItxEs understood thst Hon Vs. C. Smith, II;
present representative q the third district, dbl
/ not care for another election. n this event the
people very generally on that eide of the state
settled upon Gov Stewart IS the man 10 repre-
sent them in Congress, and the people Of the
whole State were looking TO Hon. Frederick Bill
Eaga Of Woodstock A. our next Governor.
Thus matters stood up to the time Of the Sisie
Convention A. Bellows Fa,s 10 elect delegates TO
Philadelphia Meantime Mr. willard hsi been
earnestly ST work pg to secure the passage
in the HJ-se of bic supplementary bill 50 called,
by which. if made a law, Vermont sni New
HAMPSHIRE would retain their pre5eHt number
Of Conrressmeu. This bi.i has passed the
House. and there 10 a fair prospect thst II will
psts the Senate This tsct seems TO have put :
new face up0u matters. In case II does become
law II wouli be most uugrzcious and migrate
fu to drop the man who secured its passage
The thing would not be thought Of.
About tEit timc-iH fact 81 Bellows Fals the
q inst-s0ue one announced auth1ritstlyeiy
that Gov Stewart would NOT De candidate for
Congress in any event. but that be rgs cAndi-
date for reelection. Coming AT so late d.y,
and sf,er as most suppote1, boih the candidates
for Congress and the Governorship were settled
upon. this announcement comphcAies matters,
and mus the friends OF Mr. Stewart, who are
r. Ut1.fu~s-f,r fhpv are
both popular. able and uucscep tiluabie men
in an unplesssnt position Some who were ia
vorsble TO the nomination Of Mr.. Billings be
cause tbey supposed Gov Stewart Was out Of the
field. now take the back track snd advocate the
reelection of the latter Others who would
nave earnestly supported Gov. Stewart for Con-
rress DO not sppr0ve Of bic reelection as Tower
nor believing IN and holding 20 the 'So-years
term Of Office.
This Il, the rosition q tie Clleioaiaa, and as
far AZ We know. Of the majority Of the people Of
this section And the thing for the people Of the
State TO decide, and the fret question that viii
be likely TO come up al the Convention next
month Is. Shall We elect Governor for two or
four yeArsy If the newspapers indicate the Sen
timent OF the people, this side Of the state would
vote to-day TO 9tick 10y the old custom Of A new
Governor every tg0 years and We think If
tbev get proper expression NJ the Montpelier
Convention. they Eill vote sc then. Some
nromineut pspers the west side Of ;Ee State slso
favor the two-yesrs term, smong which we no
tice the Rutland Herald
There are good reasons for elecun- Governor
f,r A short term which will not sppy TO many
other officers, national, county aud town.
F.om the Bellows Falls Times.
We were among those who favored NJ Bill
lings- not however until we understood that Mr..
Converte-s name would not be presented, and
very soon thereafter Mr.. Converse himself caused
il 10 be announced thst be was not candidate
The ouettion was therefore in the best possible
way OF s'set,ling'' itself, when-presto seYerA!
Of The prers, earliest in the field on the IueJect
and ia favor Of Mr. Billings, veer back and an
pounce Gov. Stewart as candidate for re-elec-
tion What elements have been al work TO
produce this change We kaog not. certain we
are that no such change has come over US.
The reasons given Tor the reelection OF Mr.
Stewart seem TO us entirely superficial and
snecious. Of himself we have of course nothing
10 saw. His excelencies IS gentleman and
Qualifications tor whatever position the people
NAV in their time assign him, need no dlscu'-
SION Next October he will have held the office
of governor two yesrs, same as all our other
governors foF nore than thirty years. But right
here we are met with the speciout argument that
our governors heretofore have been NEGLECTED,
and consequently Gov. SteEart should be re-
elected. Is any one so jolly green Sc not to en-
derst,nd that biennial election simply combines
two elections in one!
What extraordinary thing has Gov. Stewart
done to entitle him TO Sn extra two years Moth
ing, absolutely nothing. Why Not because
he can do nothing extraordinary, but simply
becauee there has been nothing extraordinary TO
do And is there snything extraordinary about
Gov. Stewart himself Inst he should be governor
twice as long as his predecessors, who include
such men as Williams. Royce, Hs.l and others
Again, will some Of
Gov Stewards friends hear in mind that two
ys.rs ago they went to Mr.. Converse snd otereP
10 support his nomination for governor, II he
(Mr. C.) would be content to serve one year, or
what wss called the remaining term OF Gov.
Washburne Mr.. Conyeres declined any such
arrangement, and We only refer to It rog TO
show how then Mr. Stewards friends couldn't
wait but one year any way, that one gear was
ling enough for Mr. Converse. while noi0 the
present governor must hsve it four years, and
The Lord ouy knows how much longer
We believe, too. that it will be good political
roI;cv 10 establish the one term for governor.
There il a Cincinnati movement. One Of their
main nl.nks lie one term for president That
nevement will soon assume form IN tins STATE,
Depend upon that, no matter how smsll it may
,npe.r. and lei US pursue thst course best cal
cpI,red to unite the republicans of Vermont
and where is there a better platform than that
embodied in the speech f Mr.. Billings, at the
late State convention-and thus preserve our
time .houored republican strength for Ev.rts,
Grant, Colf.1 or whoever shall be the republican
nominee for president at Philadelphia