Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1872-06-27
Look Out for the Cars when the
hell Rings.

may not entirely forget what once acere,
and be properly posted as to those things
that are. But there are times, like the
present, when, under a somewhat new
order of things, certain questions of pol
icy will arise, which startle even an old
man from his equanimity; and suggest
that word from experience, as well as
word to the wise, will prove important
at the moment, as well as sufficient for
the purpose.
A change in our constitutional laws
has, as it might be expected, raised cues
tions, which, if not properly adjudicated
and wisely decided, will prove danger
Gus to the welfare, and disreputable to
the character of the whole country.
Among them is the all important one of
locating the county officers throughout
the county that is, so to rotate those
offices, that each town or section
of the county, may, in its turn, be
represented in certain of those offices.
In other words, to set them on wheels,
so as to concede to the clamorous claims
of important localities. Some such
proposition comes to us from some quar-
ter. Probably from some one, who
fears that unless some regulation of the
kind is not adopted, he, if he have no
other merit, than that of an ambitious
demagogue, may never have an office.
Possibly some honest man, extremely
sensitive to justice, but inconsiderate.
But, Fellow Citizens, if it was my only
opportunity, and it was to be my last
protest, would raise both my hands
against such proposition, with my eX-
piring strength. We have barely escaped,
and not even escaped, without contumely
and contempt, what was fast veering to-
wards Tammany Ring. BY pursuing
such rule, let us see how it has worked
in the years that have passed. By adj
hitting the claims of locality, in certain
portions of the county, by sectional in
tigues, little log-rolling, and a q1taj3-
tim sal6icet Of demagogueism, within the
knowledge Of some of us, we have had
such representation, both on the Bench
and in the Senate, that no sensible far
mer or mechanic in the county, but
would incontinently hang his head, or
more demonstratiyely utter indignation
at the mere mention of it. Your lead
ers, in those times, have felt the diff
Guilty, and consoled themselves by say
ing, ''Let it pass for this time, and we
will look out for the future" But for
the future. precedent had bound them.
For the practical working Of this sys-
tenn, permit me to take an instance from
the legal profession, as more exposed to
it, but as equally applicable to most other
callings. A young man, comes into
some one of our large towns, possessing
a superficial educatioa, more smartness
than talents, more confidence than con-
science, and more distaste to manual
labor than desire for merited success.
Having entered his name in the Office of
some eminent counsellor, who is in no
wise responsible for the progress he
makes, but permits him to run his er-
rands and copy his briefs and to read as
he is inclined, for couple of years or
more, when the young man takes his
discharge and presents himself for an
examination, of which the term is a
burlesque He is admitted to the Bar,
and Immediately HES him to a seventy
nine town in the county, where he opens
an office; and soon, in showing off his
parts, his voice is heard in tavern, post
office, grocery and store in glerification
of the transcendent genius which has so
suddenly blest such "benighted hea-
them" and in convincing them, that the
achievement of knowledge under diff
culties," is but light task to one of
such talents, depreciating all the officers
of the county as "old fogies, not COM
petent to rightly discharge the duties of
their offices, and convincing them that
the reformation of Luther and the revo-
luton of rs, were but as ''boy's play, >
in comparison with what he should do
in the county After sufficiently estab-
fishing his Importance in the view Of the
community in which he lives, he at last
enlightens them with the sudden and un-
expected discovery of their own wrongs
and neglect wrongs and injuries of
which they had heretofore no knowledge
or conception. Here was a large and
important section of the "free and en-
lightened citizens, of the great republic
of Vermont, who had never been prop
erly represented, among all the offices of
this great county. Here were those,
who had attended convention after con-
vention and voted again and again, and
labored and toiled, for the good of the
county, and for the success of the dom
inant party, and had never received an
office. Here were those, who had, for
so many years, huzzaed, swung their
hats, and literally thrown away their
votes in the service of political suprem-
acy, and not one Of these 'free and en-
lightened citizens had received and had
attached to their names, the ali import
ant title of-Hon. 1t was shameful.
outrageous and no longer to he borne.
They arise at once-assert their claims,
or be forever slaves, -minions to a
"bloated aristocracy." Who, then, but
the one, who had disclosed their wrongs,
and opened up to them their wounds,
deserved to represent their rights, and
retrieve their lost honor.
Having once made such regulation,
or established such precedent of local
ity, their claim must not be ignored, and
their demands have been acceeded to.
Thus have the party had thrust upon
them, as county officers, those, who
were a discredit to the country, and
who, if they had been permitted to rest
upon their merits, would have been, as
they are now, covered with oblivion.
No. A thousand times No. Take