Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1876-03-22
Some Things in New Hampshire.

bones were all made in Vermont there
are some political curiositics on this East
side of the Connecticut River.
The closeness of the state vote is Il prob
lem to Il Vermonter The Green Noun
tains are always one side up with thou
sands to spare, but the White Mountains
are kept fright side up" only with
care, and the "care" means work and
money. In n poll Of about eigty thousand
votes neither party has a man to spare.
The two states are very similar education
ally and denominationally They are in
the same latitude and they are placed side
by side-New Hampshire being u little
nearer sunrise But what has made one
state SO unlike the other politically? l
give it up.
New Hampshire has bat one election or
town meeting day in the year. Everything
from Governor and Member Of Congress
down to pounl-kcepcr is elected on the
same day. This fact has run politics into
all town affairs. Many good men of both
parties dcprecatc this partisan condition
Of things, but no man breaks loose from
the patty trammels. 1t would be better
to separate the elections rs in Vermont
and thus politics would be largely scparat-
ed from municipal affairs.
A man once voter in New IIam}Shire
may retain Il voting residence here as
long rs he lives, though he migrate to the
end, Of the earth. This political curiosity
has increased the poll of the state - per
cent in twenty five years with no increase
of population. Probably fifteen thousand
New hampshire voters are non rcudc1h
they come from the north and the south
and the cast and the west to put in an 07-
pcarancc on the second Tuesday of March,
The election depends upon these risitiHg
rotcrS. The state is governed by it, migra-
ted sons. That party wins which gets
home the largest number of its lie Iona
trie1nfs. Also this bunglins and bad piece
of political wisdom makes it easy to doctor
the check lists Dead men and fictitious
men can vote in New Hampshire. 1t is
the RICH, Of franchise made easy.
And this same arrangement has increas-
ed the New Hampshire house of represent
tatiyes. The people are paying roundly
and dearly IN immature legislation and in
taxes for this political laundering The
number of representatives, is froponjoHci
/ 4, A. ~ , Al,
shire will sometime want a thousand seat,
in the popular branch Of lis legislature
One ward in Manchesttr--: farmers ward
has several hundred new voters this
year and the democrats have voted for two
additional representative, in that ward
the republicans refusing to put any cNtr,
names upon their tickets.
The Constitution Of New Hampshire
has remained As the fathers lcf; it, in the
last century. In 1870 the people called
for a revision, but the reyi>in. convention
made a political, partisan mess of il, and
the people rejected the work. That little
operation cost $4,000. and the TAXPAYER
has not forgotten it. and 50 thousands have
this wear voted No" on calling another
= Constitutional Convention though
every man agrees that the venerable
document needs amendment The people
seem politically afraid of Themselves
The New Hampshire voter is Il curio>-
ty. Note-b buying and selling is winkcl at.
/ Men boldly advertise their votes for sale
to the highest bidder. The recent cleo
ton has required, probably, :; considerable
amount to keep the patty gearing, all in
ORDER
| Your correspondent voted in a demo-
cratic town. Two representatives were To
be chosen. The last years inrurnbr nj :
were c.tndilltr>, and their election was Il
- furcgonc conclusion. But what WIS
my surprise 10 witness their personal IN
tcrc>t in tie voting. With eaclc eyes they
watched every voter and his votr-onc
standing on the ro>trum near the modcr:,-
tor. and the othc- standing 10y the Aonr in
the midst Of the crowdinw voters What
did it mean? Did some of the voters need
watching? Was there money to be paid
after the voting? Evidently those VOC
watchers believe in " personal effort
March II, 1876.