Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-06-14
FOR the FREE Pass AID TINES.
One Term. or Two.

Fer the FREE Pass AID TINES.
One Term. or Two.
observe IL several Of the newspapers Of the
State discussion, If one may call it by that
name Of the public and political policy Of re
electng to olIce in the state. those who have a.
ready served fJr the single term Of two years.
However disguised msy have been the purpose
Of the debate, its ultimate ain is apparent
enough, as intended to bear upon the question
Of the denomination Of Gov Stewart; and the
noticeable thing about it is, that the argument
for $ single term should have started almost
simultaneously in 80 many digerse quarters, and
that there should hAye been such remarkable
uniformity in the method Of the argument and
the conclusion. It is az though one single mind
hsd prompted the question, arranged the argp-
meut sud iicts,ci lie eonc.aIion. Upon qaes-
tons Of political ethics and Of crerAl ezpeli-
eIcy, having no particular psrs5ual bearing, or
special and purposei application, ve are not spt
to ind concurrence Of opinion SO mechanically
perfect fthese few newspapers are the people.
or utter the peoples voice, then, rs thina. the
people are in bad Tsy.
Under the former system q .nnue. -ec;..nf,
the oiicial vlo performed hi. duties well for his
first term generally received the popular spprov-
e by second election. Saok uss the moral in
s.inct Of tie people, though .aeiilas. forced 70
be Suppressed, through some politics! necessity.
The advantage OF such reelection wss two-fJld:
FIRST, it implied al approval Of the coaiac, Of
the oIiciAl for psst service; Secondly, il Sc
cureI for the public Iaryioe the experience snd
training which pas; service Lzl male Of P-aoti-
cal advantage TO the public. The result vas, 30
some extent. (more would hsve been ces.rablel,
10 secure Iteaiine1s Of Simin.strsticn, AL sys
ten and consistency In public Atairs With our
annual elections, the practical Termanence Of our
judiciary has been pleasant subject 10 coniem-
plate So, under the same system The people hs7e
given good degree Of steaiuess AMI permAn-
ence to some other Offices o. the state, as treas
urer, auditor &c. And the same vas true form
cry Of the cfice Of governor But nov, under
the system Of biennial elections, II is suggested
that we change al this and Why Il Il said,
that one term now endureS SIS iuaS IN point OF
time as two terms under the former system.
Well. what Of that The Representative or Sen
aor who served two years $50, If reelected,
will 20 back to his duties With less familiarity
with them. than be would If bic two years ser
vice had been continuous But his previous ex-
perience and training are worth something; ani
shall we throw away thst7 Again, the people
lore much by forecl0Nug themselves Of the privi-
age Of passing their verdict upon the pact con-
duct Of their servant, thus reducing 81! 70 the
dead level Of incompetency for Icrilcr service,
and taking away the stimulus % wes! doing,
which comes from popular approval All this
is true OF the Governor Of the STATE. His more
active duties hzve been connected with the set-
sion Of the legislature. During his two years
term, be hiss INST them but once II W are to
turn him OF, slmost before tie people have
learned 10 know hin IS their Governor, or the
name has become familiar TO biz ears, IS the
PANE rule. rot reason, suppose We shift all our
officials every two years, rom Governor down.
Can we conceive anything more crude AM IN
stable than re should have Aud how soon
would the state become Cazrscterless, and lnsig-
nifcsnt in the estimation @. tie people OF other
states. 1t il s;riki1gly noticeable. that those
states which take rank IN the Union are those
which hsve put their bss, men into the public
takes rank with i,s Representative.
Il cannot be urged sgainsta second election ofoue
a. Cove nor ofV ermont, thsta chsuseis necessary
in order to the breaking up Of rings Of interested
parties formed to promote his election
Considering the me4gre patronage OF his office,
such a suggestion seems ludicrous Nor csn It
be ..id, that he may net have learned something
by past experience in his o:ace, which might be
OF service 10 the state; nor that tbs opportunity
for saving ''Well DONE or I'll toCs, 70 the
candidate for reelection is not valusuie popa=
lar right sad privilege, and important as affect
ing politics! ui5r1lity; sgaia, tina: the rank
and character OF the state abroad ia ~ all eleva-
ted. bv thrusting upon the public attention
new name. before the world has fairly learned
the name Of the Governor Of tie SKATE. and turn
ing At large rabble ofeX-G0verners 0Gtnqnber-
ing Tic ttul.r colonies Of the palmy days Q. our
state militis What then can be said IN Ia |
vor Of the cae Jingle term for governor This, /
and no more, taRt otherwise the honor Of the l
office. with it's titla. will not 90 round; that |
there are good meEy m9n IN the party thai /
would answer pAssably vel for governor, or, |
at the worst, the State would not te ep, to suffer
from their administration foT single tern, Ss .
Is provei By the State having got along oEe /
wear without any Governor at all; that there are /
twenty or thirty Of these gentlemen, very re-
.pectable and worthy men, who have done great |
service for our party, TO whom it would be
agreeable to round out their lives with this olice
and Ee.r the title Of Governor, snd whom We
should ike to gratify-so let il go round-one
term snd no monopoly.
This is all very very smisbie, and would be
well enough, if the Goyerncrship vas OF private
ownership or Was joint st6cs property held
by come dozen or twenty, las seems supposedly
and wss not great trust for the whole peopie,to
be employed for the good Of the whole, snd for the
highest advantage OF the State; TO which end the
whole people should be allowed to select their
own trustee. But it is belittllng OF the digni-
ty of the office, 81 impairment Of the honor and
character of the State, q debssement, to allow
its chief Office TO be used SO mara Perquisite and
plaything of the few meddlesome gentlemen WHO
make up states, and undertake 10 relieve the PEG
pie Of the management Of their own shalrs' as
trlbutine the little plums and boR-bons of
ofice at their orn sweet will--this for you, that
for that other fellow. <ad this for myself; and az
for the governorship, "a saill atfAirl, pass ii
round as the email chSuge Of politlos, the MIN
bic sixpsnee.
Now there may, or may not, be good resson
for refusal tic re-nominAte and re-elect Gov.
Stewart. Let the people judge. But that he
has held the Office fer one term ia no reason
against hira, but an argument in his favor. His
experience is worth something. Stesdines1 OF
is worth something. Aequain;-
ance with the people as Governor, ard their SC
nu.iutsnce with him az their Governor are worth
something. knowledge abroad Of who our Gov
error is and what he is,sre worth something. The
to commend by the peoples ballots
. iu,t. malicious liberal and honorable admins
trstion, IF it be such), is worth something.
And it 10 worth something to cure the men who
assume to manage parties, and thus manage the
PEOPLE of the fancy that tbs goyerncrship is their
perauisite, thing to be traded about. swspped
off. OF rsis ed for. or to be tossed from hand to
!, and like toy, and to teach them that II is
ri dignity and high public trust which be-
= 10 the whole people. and will not besr to be
Dns s i; = fhe small change Of the huckster's
! So nH nj the cost of wear snd waste, and
noP; 49, y OF the image aud supsEzcription
~ lt;e oo' ,sa .,o,e rs Stamped upon it.
'nich tne s CITIZEN.