The Rutland daily globe. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1873-1877, 1874-09-01
WEHX IS Ell SO


WHEY IS IT SOL
Experience leads us to expect much |
smaller vote to-day than that pollod two
years ago, or than that which will. prob
ably. be given two years hence. AS a
natnral re ,ult of smaller vote we, also,
anticipate less majority for the republi-
can state ticket. When asked why the
vote should be smaller and the majority
less this year than it was two years ago or
will be at the next election, the answer is
given, with the same assurance us if it
really answered tn, question, :" because it
is not the year of presidential election
This may be in fact an answer, but it is
one without reasOl. 1t is true that IN the
year of a presidential election, men feel it
more of a duty to turn out and vote
than in other years, that larger aggregate
vote is polled and heavier majorities given
than at any other times, but why should it
be so? If the state and presidential
election occurred on the same day the
answer might be reasonable, because it
could be said that all were interested in
deciding upon the governmental policy,
the politics of the nation, and, also, that of
the state for given number of coming
years. Yet that policy, that politics is as
decisively settled this year as it is the year
of presidential election. The
mere matter of who fill the ex-
ecutive chair. and who are his
constitutional advisers, may or may
not decide the policy or politics of the
country. That is determined biennially by
the election of members of Congress. II is
true that the different departments of the
government work more tremendously when
when the executive and legislative BRAN
ches are in political accord but the execu-
tive is powerless to carry out any given line
of policy without the aid of Congress.
Notwithstanding this fact, yet the people
fail to regard congressional election with
the same Importance they do presidential
election. Each, in fact, possess the same
importance, and it is as much the duty of
every freeman to vote at one election as at
the other But two years ago, when
there was no president or member of Con-
gress to be elected, it seemed that every
freeman was anxious to discharge his duty
and record his vote. With one accord they
attended at the state election as they did,
also some two months later at the presi-
dental and congressional election, and the
result was " full vote. Vermont led
the van, and yet at THAT first election only
state officers were chosen.
We say "only state officers" were to be
chosen, and why, we may ask, are they
not as important to the people of Vermont
as the policy or officers of the general gov
eminent ? Reasoning from the selfish pol
icy of looking out for number one,"
ought there not to be larger vote at a
state than at a presidential election Our
interest in the policy and laws of the
United States is, at the best, remote. Very
few of us are affected by the action of
Congress, one way or the other. Some
general topics interest US alias, for in
StuuCC, thC tGiill. iHtCluui ICNCuut, cur
rency, national banking system, etc.--but
most of these only indirectly. But our
state policy, our state legislation and our
state laws interest us directly and i'm
mediately OF what necessity is it for the
citizens Of Rutland county to be familiar
with the general laws and legislation of
Congress, save as topics of current his
tory? How necessary is it for the same
citizens to be familiar with the laws and
legislation of Vermont, not alone because
it is part of the history of the day, but
because they must be governed in theiI
actions and business thereby? To illus.
trate: Almost every article of goods which
we buy Is subject to tax payable TO the
general government. Who pays the tax
We, the buyers, but we pay it without
knowing the amount of tax or even, per
haps, that it is taxed at all. Let the legis
iure Of Vermont authorize or levy a tax
and it is of the first necessity that we should
know it. We pay it directly and know
the amount therefore and what it is for
Almost every law of the state and nation
might be contrasted the same way anC
with the same result. We do not mean t
say that we are not interested in the mat
ter of our representation in Congress. Fa
from it, because many and important in
terests are entructed to their keeping upol
which our welfare as nation and our lib
erty as citizens are involved. We onl,
intended to illustrate, in Il general way
how much more we, as people, are di
rectly concerned with our state Legislation
than with that of the nation. Why then
If this is so-and is it not so ?-do not tn
people take more general interest in tn
election of their state officers and the mem
bers of their general assembly p? We trus
that the day may come when the freeme
of Vermont will see, more than they d
now, the necessity of voting at each an
every election. AS we have said, we d
not expect as large vote or majority, to
day, as that of two years ago, but there !
no reason why there should not be- 10