Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-05-01
THE RUTLAND HERALD
village Meeting To-day.


Hall. In addition to the ordinary bust
ness transacted at our: annual village
meeting, several new questions of inn
portance are to be acted upon and de-
cided. From present indications, al
thoughit would seem that there was less
concert of action than is usual on such
occasions, it bids fair to be one OF the
most interesting, closely contested and
exciting elections held in the village for
wears. One reason for this may be found
in the new method of choosing trustees.
Heretofore they have been elected on a
general ticket, each voting voice in the
selection of all the trustees. There is
an argument in favor of this course,
=. founded on the fact that although, by
:the charter, one trustee is required TO
reside in each ward, yet, practically, the
trustee Of ward has no more control
over the business and affairs of partic-
ular ward than have the other trustees.
BY the charter, the trustees are the gov
erning power, and all streets, repairs,
expenditure of money, etc, whether for
the benefit of a single ward or the entire
village, are under the control and man
agement of the entire board. Carried
out to its fullest extent, we are aware
that this reasoning might be applied to
all legislative bodies, but there is dis
tinction and difference in reference to
village and smaller municipalities and
corporations, which will readily suggest
itself to every mind. Under the old sys-
TEN, too, we have always, or nearly al
WAYS. secured excellent boards of trus-
tees. The new system is, as yet, untried
and no one can predict its practical
working. Notwithstanding what we
have said, we must confess ourselves in
favor of the new or ward system. 1t
is, in our opinion, little more demo-
cratic and republican than the other,
and more in accordance with the spirit
of our institutions and government
Both systems, we may say, are proper,
republican and intended to allow the
people to select their own officers, If
the new system, which is to be inaugu-
rated to-day, shall secure us competent,
intelligent, respectable trustees, then ii
will be the better system, because, as
we have said, it is a trihe more demo
cratic. What we expect and seek under
any and all modes, is to secure the best
attainable board of trustees. Perfec-
ton, of course, cannot be attained, but
we want the best we can secure.
We need not speak in this connection,
of municipal court" We have al
ready, on repeated occasions, intimated
our opinion, and it rests with the voters
to decide the matter as they deem the
best good of the whole people requires.
The question of funding a portion of
the floating debt of the village, and vot-
ing tax to pay the balance, is one of
vast Importance. We do not propose to
discuss it at length, here and now. The
village owe the debt, and, the property
of every individual resident or property
owner in the village is liable to be seized
on executions to satisfy and pay any
judgments that may be rendered there
on. If this should be done, it would
still remain debt against the village for
which every taxpayer would be liable to
pay his proportion thereof. The debt
lnust be taken care of some time. 1t
seems to us that wisdom, economy and
true policy would impel the voters to
meet and grapple with this question,
Il
posed of to-day as well as any time
The amount of debt to be funded, if
any, and the tax is matter for them to
decide. We trust that it will be decided
in such way that the floating debt may
be wiped out forever, and that such a
tax may be voted as win pay current ,ex-
penses for the ensuing year, as well as
that part of the Indebtedness which is
nat funded. Let us start, to-day, in a
new course, and have no more floating
debts. The difficulty, heretofore, has
been not with the trustees, but with The
voters. The trustees cannot carr,
the ordinary current expenses r. ,ho =,
lage without money, any = ,oro thau -
children of Israel CO" = - '' 49,,
t neho effo straw ~co the people deslr
49,. 49,. " Jnomically administered
,i lovide for their indebtedness
- ent expenses, and not leave thei
~" les to work only with village order
at discount.
There is one article in the warain
which is deserving of especial attention
the tenth--''to see if the village will
alter any of its bylaws or ordinances, o
make any new bylaws" We know nc
that any steps have been taken to brin
this subject properly before the meeting
Under our charter, the power to max
and alter bylaws and ordinances rest
entirely with the voters of the village
The trustees have no power in the ma
ter. The need of new or changed sy
TEN of ordinances must be apparent
any person who has examined the pre-
ent code. 1t is necessary that an ord
nance should be drawn with care an
legal precision. One or more cannot, c
course, be hastily drawn and passed in
village meeting. For this reason we
not deem it necessary or proper to reft
to the alterations and additions to til
present code which have suggested then
selves to our mind. A proper course
and, indeed, il seems TO us, the onl
course-for the meeting to pursue in ii
matter, if such bylaws and ordmanc,
are not already prepared, would be
refer the preparation of the same to I'll
new board of trustees or COMMITTEES
for them to report at an adjourned vi
lage meeting for the consideration of t.
voters. With these suggestions we leav
the whole matter-where it alone an
properly belongs-to the voters of I'll
village. We trust that every one VIII
attends and takes part in the mectin!
this afternoon. will act only for the be