Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-12-17
TOWN REPRESENTATION.
To the Editor Of the HeraH.

your last issue in reference to mine !
dated Goth November? Your CORE |
spondent succeeds in knocking down
Il platoon of straw men. But did not
set them up. Some one remarks that
sit is bad enough to make an honest
but topriat ones errors to the
World is hardly to be excused" Ihave
tried to bring myself to believe that
your correspondent is indeed truly
honest in his misconceptions regarding
my former article.
The communication begins with the
statement that | have compared the
evils of our present system to the ''cus-
tom" of slave-holding. The point of
my allusion your correspondent has
entirely lost. was not making any
such idle and foolish comparison be-
tween slave-holding and town repre-
sentatiOn per Sc as he assumes-but l
was speaking in reference to the dan
gerous and subtle power of past GUS
tom upon a people-as upon our own
in this very State, in allowing or con-
tinuing condition so atrOcious, so un-
just and so ubiquitous Us that ofhuman
slavery. | was simply deploring the
power over the present of an evil habit
from the past. Again, your CORE
spondent finds fault with my reason
ing. Yet how does he take my words ?
He says that in my argument the State
''seems to consist of some imaginary
being located in Rutland, Montpelier
or Burlington, and he talks as though
the principle of assembly districts en-
tirely DISTINGUISHES the smaller towns
of the State. l can only say that he
is very gravely mistaken and that un
der this principle which | advocate,
the smaller and less wealthy towns in
the State are quite as sure of getting
their fair and just representation, and
even of sending legislators from their
own borders when they Gun present
fit and worthy men. This is abun-
dainty proven in States where the sys.
tenn of assembly districts prevails.
Your correspondent next refers to
representation in the hands of a
neighbor who would probably be a
rival" US extreme injustice. | must
claim that there is no reason at all for
such supposition. | hold it is just as
probable and just as fair to assume
that neighbors should be actuated by
motives of friendship and feelings OF
kindness as that they should be moved
to rivalry and open cnmity. The as.
sumption is all wrong, and really un.
worthy Of serious attention.
There follows next an argument on
unjust railroad legislation, butt prove;
nothing 1t is not at all al rem. For, on
my side, | could just as easily sup.
pose an opposite case of like char
acter to strengthen my own argu
ment. Such a case of exactly contrary
nature is equally fair to assume, equal
ly probable to occur and equally con
elusive Of u a Judgment exactly oppo
site. Again, my article asserted thai
the State had the right and exercised
the right to determine what classes OF
the people should have the suffrage
And now | am asked to which section Of
disfranchised citizens | would relegate
any town. l. am not responsible for sc
gross an error of conception. | have
not argued for the Acknowledgement Of
any town. That would be an out
rage. | am speaking only for the in
alienable rights of the State. And so al
so in-this connecticut. G. the exercise
of her inaliena bic rights asserted thai
"the safeguards of intelligence and
morality were in the keeping of the
State, but used no expression of econ
tempt for any class. | did not write
in the interest of any Capitalization
of power, neither do "ally" myself or
the side of the larger and weather.
towns as against the smaller and weak
er.
Mr.. EDITOR, / have already taker
too much of your space and | must be
brief in closing. | wish to say that
stand by my former statements. | re
affirm my first position without q quail
flying word. That position is that up
on grounds of necessity, upon grounds
of economy, in the light of expediency
and of justice to the smaller and weak
er parts of our State, the lower hous,
of the Legislature is too large. In the
present session that Legislature ha.
been the occasion of scenes pronounced
by the press to be "disgraceful and hu
initiating" Now, my point is that tn,
body itself, the great bulk of the mem
bers, the genius of the assembly, is utter
ly powerless to remedy the evil. A
your correspondent admits the most o
the members in the work of the session
are able to do nothing, and they nigh
as well do it at home.
1t will probably avail me little t,
speak of the fact THAT Vermont with
population Of 335, 900 calls out for loca
legislation only, an assembly mucl
more than half the size of the who'll
British Parliament legislating for 49,
100000 of people. | shall be told tina
America is not England, and that GU
interests are more in the direction O
popular representation. And so