St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1873-01-03

!, have been plenteOus enough to satisfy
the ambition of all boydOm.
Col. F. 4. Eastman very recently
resigned the office of postmaster ut Chi
cago. and in doing so certified to the
faithfulness and the ability of Mr..
Squlres. assistant postmaster; thus
suggesting, under the civil service sys-
/ TEN. the assistant as IL suitable man to
he appointed his successor. The Pres
ldent. however, appointed one John
! Macarthur to the vacancy. Macarthur
Is Il business man of the city unac-
quainted with the postal service. The
action of the President in this case.
compared with his course in the promo
ton of the assistant postmaster at Phil
adelphia against the wishes of Senator
Cameron, provokeS criticism in some of
the Chicago papers. and the inquiry.
what of civil service! Doubtless the
President could give some substantial
reasons for his action in both instances
of the civil service theory. he will find
occasion to waive the apparent abso-
lutcneSs that seems to enter into it. and
shape his action. sometimes, in accord
ance with circumstances, as they bear
upon the question of the public good.
Civil service, us primal principle, and
asi. - l.,
be all right, but cannot he allowed to
become absolute in its practical appli-
cation. As well might IL farmer refuse
to make Use of only one yoke for his
yearlingS. two and three Years old steers
and oxen, as to insist absolutely. in all
cases, upon the civil service rule i'll fill
try. The President is Il we'll known
friend of civil service reform. In the
practical Use of the system he will soon
find ont how far and to what extent. its
plain and implied principles can he
made to subsrrve the public good. He
is daily learning something upon the
subject.
BY the way We see it stated that one
of the Senator's from Illinois claimed
the privilege, awarded 10y custom. to
name Col. Eastman's successor.
e Fires have been bnrning all over
the country the past month. The cold
weather increases them. We could till
the Cdisdohjan with details. They
teach Il lesson and that is to every
body be coctm at all times. bm douLly
50 IN coid rcothr.
This is the only safe insurance the
people can have upon their property.
Many of the inSuI:I &C. companies are
bankrupt. and others are on the way {"
Il similar condition. our state compa-
MES are safe. but such ~ are insured in
stock companies cannot hut indulge ia
approximations that. should their proper
tN burn. their insurance might prove
mainly an ''cmpty show
We do not know any other WAY We
can do :" much good, these days, ~ We
can 10y repeating the caution to all our
readers be- cdyrtHi dboWt fires. We re-
peat enphHtically To the citizens of the
same. should IL lire obtain conSidcra-
bile headway in certain sections of our
village. it would burn until all comhus-
tihle material within its reach had been
consumed. With this cold weather all
our cisterns. hydrant>. engines. ladders
and hooks, would avail but little.
The same remark applies to all people
living i'll villages where the buildings
are contiguous. Let all take heed
POWERS OF SCHOOL CoNNITTEE>
\ new question relating the govern
ment of schools has recently been de
clded 10y the supreme court of Iowa. 1t |
Is, that 1t Is competent for school com
mittecS to order or cause pupils to III,
suspended for being tardy or absent.
without reasonable cause. to an extent
that intertcrcS with the general good of
the school. or hindcrS and DELAYS the .
progress of studiouS and prompt scholars
III the same classes. This is based upon
the principle that the schools are inSti- f.
tuted for progress in learning. and that |.
whatever intcrfcrcs Herewith may
properly he eliminated thcrctrum. One
or two or more members of IL school
cannot he permitted to conduct 81 as /
to injurc the school and rctard the pro
gress of the prompt and we'll behaved /
members of the same.
THE COUNSEL ON TIE BACK TRACK.
Two weeks ago the counsel of the |.
complaining taxpayers in Chittendcn
county, at Il public meeting, marked |.
out Il line of defense for the rcbellious. |
And now comes ut an adjourned meet
ing last Tuesday, Mr.. Roberts. in be
half of his associates Messrs. Phelps |
and Hard says that after examin- |
ing decisions of the Supreme court not
published till 1870, they have ascer-
tanned that the whole matter lies with
the Legislature. a wonderful discov-
cry, indeed, to find out at so late day,
that law and custom, commits the de
cision of questions like the one at issue,
to the jurisdiction, and final action, of
the Legislature. And now. we are to
have peace all along the shores of Lake
Champlain. The Chittenden county
meeting adjourned sine die Good for
the people. if il is death to the lnMNers.