Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1876-11-29
Election Of State Officers,

We copy the following from the Rutland Herald.
81 1t has become the established custom Of our
legislature TO postpone the election Of state oil
GERS till near the close Of the session and then
If new man Is to be chosen to any state office.
70 elect some member Of the Senate or House OF
Representatives. This custom has become noto-
rous Any one who has watched the course Of
the legislature for the last ten years knows how
it is. The members appear to resolve themselves
into mutual admiration society at the beginning
Of the session, the pipes laid, and the Office
seekers shape their actions as legislators. with
view, constantly to their own election The in
iuence which members acquire during the ses-
SION through the understanding they have with
each other in the organization Of the House and
the making up Of the committees and the yari-
Gus combinations Of circumstances they are able
to bring about, makes it almost impossible for an
outsider to be elected to any office. This is so
well understood that it has become the custom
for candidates for these Offices to go to the egis-
lature, In order to secure them. Now this is all
wrong Mr. Bailey, Of Fairhavon, hit the nail on
the head when he objected to the election Of Mr..
ladd to the Office of State Auditor because. as
he said, he wished to express his condemnation
Of this custom There ought to be an amend
ment to the state constitution making the mem
bers OF the General Assembly Ineligible to these
offices. This is the rule of Congress. It should
be the rule OF this state. In the meantime, while
waiting for this amendment, the General Assem-
bly, should fix the day Of election very early in
the session, before the aspirants for Office can
have time to arrange things for their own cleo
ton. Then an outsider would stand some chance
We object to this custom, not because Of its bad
taste nor because it allows members to use their
position as public representatives to advance their
private interests alone, but because it gives such
an advantage to an unfit candidate who happens
to be u member of the Assembly over better
candidate who is not a member No one, for ex-
ample, supposes that Mr.. Iadd could have been
elected Auditor last week il he had not been a
member Of the House lie had by various
means, got almost the whole House. from the
Speaker down, " fixed so that nothing except
tidal wave OF good sense recurring to the minds
OF the members could have prevented his cleo
ton. Two years ago Judge Powers was elected
from the Speakers chair to the Supreme Court.
In fact nearly all the offices are captured by mem
bers of the legislature This custom offers a
premium to intrigue and self-seeking. 1t affords
an opportunity to members OF the legislature TO
undermine state officers and get the places for
themselves, and is altogether most disreputable
custom. We speak plainly on this subject but
not more so than some members of the legislature
have spoken to us about it We are confident
that the self-respecting men in that body would
rejoice II the state constitution made its mem-
bers ineligible to offices which they have to III"