Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1873-10-15

The Town MEETING os. THE COUNTY
BoARD.-So long as the town meeting
lasts In community, it is almost impossl-
BILE that there should be rings" in that
community. Does the town vote fifty
dollars for the cross walk opposite the
widow Jones barn? Does the treasur er's
report show next year that it cost fifty
one dollars? Somebody will remember
what was voted, and somebody will ask
where the extra dollar came from, and
who expects to pay it. 1t would require
more than the ingenuity of any ring New
York has ever known to pass the argls-
eyed criticism of March Meeting. 1t is
therefore, as we believe.a matter for great
regret, that in the crowd of work pressing
upon the farmers of new States, the peo-
pie Of the West, in working their constl-
tutions, have so generally abandoned the
New England theory Of the town meeting.
Outside New England, the division into
townships has much less political value
than it has here: and the first object OF
good government, namely, the mana cement
of schools, roads, and health, is lett, IN
large degree, in the hands of supervisors
of counties, or other officers CHOSEN by
counties, who are not subjected to any
re, ular personal interview with their con-
stituents. and who have in practice very
considerable latitude of powers, which, to
the New England " selectman," are wholly
unknown. We do not believe that the
local administration can be as we'll carried
forward by such boards as when it is IN the
hands of men absolutely and personaly y
responsible to their constituents, IN lnter>
views face to face. But we will consider
che question of administration, which Is OF
less Importance, at another time. The
chief ground for regret in any reduction of
the autocracy of the towns, or OF the re-
sponsbility of the town meeting IS, that IN
such reduction we lose our noblest school
for the training of the citizen. The citi-
zens of the West, and to much less ex-
tent, those of the South, have other schools
to which we have alluded. A temperance
meeting, a church meeting, trustees
meeting, is such school. But no school
is at once SO adequate, so comprehensive
and SO complete in its details as is the
town meeting, where it has all its original
forms, as in pu4e democracy.
Whenever the American constitutions
are discussed, this formation of the original
cell, as we may call it, is spoken of, and
the value of this school of training is
recognized. 1t is, therefore, matter Of
profound regret, that this school hardly
exists anywhere outside of New England
And for the men of courage and of fore.
sight, who are trying to make republics in
the Southern States, we believe that nc
duty is SO evident as that of accustoming
their people to the methods and principles
of government by frequent meetings of the
towns for purposes of local administration
For reasons which it would not be diff
cult to explain, the constitutions Of mos
of the Western States are based on th'
constitution of the State of New York, Al
+ adopted in 1921, rather than ON the con
y stitution OF Massachusetts, as adopted IL
!, 1780. To these two types most OF th'
. American constitutions may be reduced
} With the adoption of the New York mode
= there has come into most Of the Western
: States the habit of carrying out the regu
Iation of local affairs by the decision o
IS boards of county supervisors, Of one o
o another name, without that discussion il
/. detail by the people themselves in towns
and of report in detail to the people them
selves, which belongs to the New Englsn
i town meeting. Even a village, howeve
!. small, may be incorporated in these States
d and many villages are Incorporated. Blu
5, in the New England plan, every townshi
is Incorporated so soon as 1t has peopl
% enough tor the machinery of town goverr
a ment. There is not an inch OF land
Massachusetts outside the limits Of il
ia town corporations. And in many Of th
q, towns of New England there are not
Of many as ten voters; every voter has on
or more offices in the town in such case
ID This system, it will be seen, gives to ever
10 man in the Commonwealth degree of r.
Id sponsibility for the affairs which interes
as hum most, namely. the affIlrs Of his ON
ia neighborhood, which he cannot possib
y escape from.-Rer. e. E. Hale, IN o.
to and New for October,