Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1873-01-23
THE RUTLAND HERALD.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 81, 1878.
FEDERAL Officers and state Politics.


Vermont has been, not inaptly, styled
the Switzerland of America. Not only
did she derive this appellatlon from the
grandeur of her mountain scenery, but
the inherent patriotism, love of liberty
and love of country of her inhabitants.
Her form of government is that of the
purest democracy and, at the same time,
that of a republic. If these two forms
of government are ever compatible, they
are surely so here, among the mountains
and valleys of Vermont. The founda-
tions of her liberty, her democracy, her
freedom restrained by law, were
laid broad and deep by a hardy,
industrious, freedom-loving, tyranny
hating, far-seeing men. What though
they were rude and unlettered, they I'M
derstood the theory of government and
knew how to reduce their theoretical
IDEAS to practice. With foresight rare
ly cqualed, they founded representa-
tive government, under which, with one
simple alteration, we live and are gov
erned even unto this day. With their
rough, yet sterling honesty, they had an
Unborn hate of crime and dishonesty, and
of everything that would tend to cor
rupt the seat of justice and legislation,
or debauch the public morals. Under
this system, we have lived and thriyed.
Our forests have become cultivated
fields, the hamlet and school-house have
grown to thriving towns and thicl<ly set
tied and busy villages and cities. and
every branch Of industry has prospered.
The constitution, framed in 1771 for the
government Of a population Of less than
twenty thousand souls, of all ayes and
sexes, still remains substantially I'M
changed, and ample, in every respect.
for the safety, well-being and good gov
eminent of fifteen times that number.
Rarely, if ever, has It happened that
State and Ler constitution receives such
tributes Of admiration, such widespread
commentators AS Vermont is now re-
cciving from the whole newspaper press
Of the country. To be sure, these tri-
butes and commentators are uncon-
sciously made but they are none thele
tributes and concentrations. The oC-
cason is the publication, by President
Grant Of an executive order (the full
text of which will be found in another
column providing in substance that per-
sons holding any Federal civil offices by
appointment under the Constitution and
laws of the United States will be expect
ed by holding such office, not to accept or
hold any Office under any State or terri
tOrial government, or under the charter
or ordinances Of any municipal corpo-
ration and that the acceptance or con-
tinued holding Of any such State, terri
tOrial, or municipal office, whether cleo
tive or by appointment by any person
holding civil Office under the govern
lnent Of the United States. other than
judicial offices under the Constitution of
the United States, will he deemed a va
cation of the Federal Office. Now. this
is the very principle upon which our
fathers framed their constitution and es-
tablished a form Of government for Yer
mont After declaring Vermont a free
and independent State. they laid down.
as a part of their organic law, that mo
person in this State shall be capable Of
holding and exercising more than one Of
the following Offices at the same time,
viz governor, lieutcnant-governOr judge
of the supreme court. treasurer Of the
r,f 1f,r
of the general assembly, surveyor gene
raj, or sheriff nor shall any person.
holding any Office of profit or trnst I'M
der the authority of Congress. be eligible
20 any appointment in the legislature,
or of holding any executive or judiciary
office under this State" Under this
constitution, as we have said we
have lived and thriyed. Bribery
and corruption in politics have been uu-
known. However it may have been in
other States. whether politics and Official
positions have been held or controlled
bv Federal Ofiice-holders or not. we. in
Vermont have been entirely free from
any such interference. When, year
hlLtI Ntdlt anu AtIll I'dlSi Olttl NdlIi-
paign, we have read of Federal office
holders interfering in elections, or Of the
corrupt use of Federal patronage, We
have believed as much or as little there
Of MS was reasonable and probable. We
have seen and heard the same charges
made against every administration and
its appointees to Office, no matter what
may have been their politics, but Yer
monters knew that, whether true or
false, there was no such baleful infu-
cnce at work in her midst Thanks,
perhaps, to the wise provision in our
constitution, our custom house officers,
postmasters, marshals, and other United
States officers, have just so much or so
little influence on our local politics, as
their personal character, aside from their
official position, entities them to. Nei-
Their have they sought any such inter
ference. Let us hope that such will be
the effect of General Grants executive
order.
Death of BuIyver.
Death, ever busy reaper, strikes