The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-08-22
CORRESPONDENCE.
wao Is TO REPaEsESr ~,

State legislature. Az the sessions are
biennial they are supposed to be Of
double their usual importance. there.
fore great care should be taken il the
selection Of candidates The popular
complaint has al along been that our
legislatures have ever been governed
by few lawyers who have held the
remainder in complete opeyance. As
consequence laws are made and OPP.
erations conducted for the benefit Of
the lawyers more than tie people at
large Whether the complaint is well
grounded we do not care TO say What
we desire is TO call public attention to
the fact that if complaints of such a
character are not true il would be a
matter OF wonder aud contrary to all
political experience The great mass
of our Representatives are sent from
small, back towns, AS rule their
character is such as TO render their in
tluence mere blank They are select
ed for the honor to be thereby conferred
upon their persons and families, being
put forward by coterie under
the leadership OF brothers and OF
cousins. The tacit understand.
ing is that this honor shall be rotary
among the leading families OF influence
and standing. Only through this un-
Outstanding can one family be induced
TO vote for another. The elected mem
Der goes to Montpelier as entirely ig.
norant of what he is going into as is
the traveller upon strange road in q
dark night. The principles OF govern
ment, the art Of public speaking, the
faculty Of cool circumspection, are en-.
tirely foreign to his nature and expert
ence, The matter of qualifications had
only negative influence in his cleo
ton. If be had possessed qualifica-
tons he never would have been elect
ed. He was available" because no.
body had anything in particular against
him. And nobody had anything
against him because he was incapable
Of doing or saying anything especially
good or bad. He goes up to Montpe-
lier to represent the interest of peo-
pie. He might as well stay at home
and let his town go unrepresented.
The only persons really benefited by
his election are the shoemaker who
furnishes him his boots and the mer.
chant who gets the profit upon a new
suit Of clothes. If the people persist
in electing such men let them complain
no longer about their being ruled by a
clique. 1t is as natural for them TO fall
under the control of others as it is for
water to run down hill At home their
very election was owing to their sevil.
ity. Why should anything but servil.
ity be expected Of them abroad They
will be the same in one place as all
Understandable only to act out the
bidding Of others.
The remedy is this: make brains and
independence Of thought the indispen'
sable requisite for candidate. A man
may be successful farmer, kind
neighbor, good townsman, but worth
nothing for representative. We
would not slight these qualities, but
they must not be placed uppermost
Without the power OF independent
thought the man possessing them is en-
tirely out Of place az Representatives
And he will sit as uneasiy 10 his chair
as dog in pulpit. The people must
make up their minds that the Office ID
not merely honorary. Let them, be
fore they select, look around and sec il
there in not some one WHO'S not fishing
for the place who can truly represent
the town and make that representation
respectable. One who has some
knowledge Of the duties required Of
him. and who can get up before an
audience and say that bis soul is bis
own. If he does well the frat term
send him the second. the third and the
fourth. Every additional term he will
be still better qualified. No one, how
ever talented, can DO much his first
term. II he attempts il he fails. aud
becomes either bore or laughing
stock. Let ns repeat. The idea must
be rooted out OF the public mind that
/ representatives. are to DO elected merely
for the honor OF the thing.
Very often great interests are at
stake, and issues arc pending which are
to affect the welfare Of all who are to
come after us. Then will rise up your
man OF brain aud thought, aud act a
/ part. aud the town which be represents
will be proud Of him. But your ser
vicable" candidate. your candidate who
gets his office through uneles and
cousins, by catering his neighboFs. aud
by being punctual 10 bic attendance
upon church for the four Sundays be.
fore his election, will sink into the oh.
security and oblivion which be deserves.
Our way would be 10 let him remain
where he belongs from the beginning.
$50