Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-12-10
TOWN REPRESENTATION.


compares the evils OF the present sys-
TEN to the custom of slave holding.
The only objection we have to the
comparison is that the latter placed
the weak in the hands of the few and
the strong while the present system
of town representation protects the
weak, and to some degree, though not
more than sufficient, restraints the in
fluential. Let us examine some of your
correspondents reasoning. lie says
representation is 2 matter of right to
the State" What is the State? Does
it consist of some imaginative being
located in Rutland, Montpelier, Bur-
lington or Vergennes 1t seems to be so
located in his argument. But we had
thought that the State consisted, to a
great extent at least, of her interests
local as well as general. And we have
always entertained the idea that to
leave any interest unrepresented, or to
place its representation in the hands
of a neighbor who would probably be
rival, was the EXTREMIST injustice.
Suppose you Mr. Editor, or your peo-
pie wanted a railroad to Newport, (as
you ought to have.) and it was for the
interests Of Montpelier and Burlington
to defeat your enterprise, and you was
included in Il district, represented by
man who lived in what is now
Bloomfield, whose interest it was with
the b. G. s. NJ. r. r. to defeat your en-
terprise, your town would then stand
with no representation at all, and one
of the vital interests ofthe State would
be dead and buried. very much fear
that your correspondent will hear very
much moro about the Injustice which
his Capitalization notions would work
in leaving our rural interests unrepre-
sented, and placing them in the hands
Of a class Of men whose sympathy leads
them III directions from and not to-
wards our smaller communities. lap
prehend that your correspondent on q
more careful study of the subject will
find a very great distinction between
the necessity of towns being represent
ed in the State Legislature, where all
the little domestic concernsof the State
are regulated, and in the Congress of
the Nation, where the whole people
have common interest. 1t is asserted
that the State might act in this "re
form" movement in virtue of the same
authority that DISTINGUISHES "minors,
paupers, cOnvicts, and those of unsound
mind" Will he tell us to which of
these classes our little town belongs :?
lie further says, by inference, that this
right of representation must not be eX-
ercised without the safeguards of in
telligence and morality. Is morality
in our rural districts SO low, and at SO
high premium in the central portion
of the State, that the former must be
disfranchised and the power of the lat
ter increased? Is intelligence in the
former 50 low as to render the common
people incapable of representation ?
When the common people are treated
with contempt, it is high time that
they took heed, lest the State, with az
lstocratic companions should not ira
vel in the paths worn by the destroy
ers of maay a State, both ancient and
modern. One word as to your cores
pondent's practical reflections. lie
seems to think that in spite of the in
telligence and morality which exist in
the central portions of the State, it is
afflicted with much crude legislation
In what respect does our legislation
not favorably compare with New
Hampshire or New York Has your
correspondent compared the number
of laws repealed in the prosperous
State of New York" with those of oul
own State? Does he really believe
that the 'hasty passage of laws" i,
brought about by the fast old farm
ers in our rural districts? or are they
the ones that waste SO much time in
| ''buncOmbe oratory"? Anyone who
has had any observation about the
State House knows to the contrary
and your correspondents reform
would only take out of the Legislature
the quiet, careful old farmer, and
place in his stead some "hupcombe
orator from the more pOpulous, in
telligent and popular towns in the
State. Will your correspondent look
at the records of a recent day, spent by
our representatives entirely in filibust-
ering, and see which portions of the
State furnished the ''buncombe ora.
tory" for tho occasion, and say wheth-
er the quantity now supplied is not
sufficient for the State without increas.
ing it, and reducing its quality by the
reform" movement, started in the in
terest of our larger towns and to which
he has allied himself !? That we may
have fair representation of all our
interests is the wish of
Yours respectfully,
ESSEX.
Guildhall, Vt, Dec. 6, 1880.