Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1880-12-03
TOWN REPRESENTATION.

IONN REPRESENT IION.
10 tie Elitor Of tie HeraJd:
An editorial which you published a
few weeks ago in reference to the pres
ent system of town representation in
our State Legislature, defends this
method as matter of right to the towns
themselves, and as though any other
principle must involve a denial of JUS
tce. With all this must take issue.
| cannot agree that the system OF as
sembly districts as it obtains in the
great and prosperous State of New
York, as we'll as in so many others
around us, involves denial of justice in
any form. ] do not admit that this
representation in The Legislature Is
simply Il matter OF right to the toic@.
Il is matter OF right to the state first.
Our representatives are convened at
the 5'H'e UUatc 70 consult and logisl0te
for the welfare of the C0DsmoarGajH.
They meet together, not b2.ause of
any inherent right of thams elves as i'll
diyilIIls, nor b4cluSa the towns they
represent have legally and regularly
chosen them 70? the duty, but because
the safe needs them and has enacted
those very laws by which they We're
chosen. no doubt mach confusion
has come about By the fa It tha5 the
action of the State can only be mala
known through this very body in que&-
tion,-the legislature. But when the
legislature is 50 determining the mum
Der and the qualifications Of its mem.
bers to what does it look: Does ii
! turn simply to the individual rights Of
men, and to the fact, as Dundre1ry
says that zone fellow is just as good as
another and on the Whole rather bet
! ter? tdOes not. 1t cannot settle the
matter by turning to the personal
rights of men only, or the inherent
rights OF the towns but it looks to
the welfare of the State and the needs
of the commonwealth at large. it acts
by virtue Of the same authority which
is exercised when the right Of the fran
chiSe is withheld from certain classes
of citizens, as minors, paupers, con
victs, and those Of unsound mind
The right to vote is not only an jaij
c3Uol right. 1t is a right of the St0te
and if that right is to be exercised
without the safeguards of intelligence
and morality the State is to judge O.
the fat ami is also to exercise an un
questioned power in restricting the
Suffrage. | admit that "cRyt2m" aul
our present laws Of course favol
the town system of presentation, bu
still there may be a better method
Human slavery was once the "cI5tOm'
in this very territory which now makes
up the State of Vermont. Let us no
go backward but forward. If it were
only the custom forevery sc500ldjStrje
in the State to send its Representative,
to Montpelier, without doubt W.
should find advocates enough for tn
plan in our day. Still the wisdom o
such method might be questionable
to some minds. Upon certain phase
of the question which naturally AM
almost OF necessity come into the mind
+ | have no time and no inclination L
{ dwell But when one reflects upon al
the crude legislation that aiIii3ts on
re- State the haSty passage Of law
10 which, it is we'll understood. will be rt
r. praled by the succeeding assembly
? the wasting of time in buucomba ora
g tory and the desire to "advertise my
= self )" and the utter inability. even
G they had the desire, on the part of
= majority Of the members to brin
+ about any reform--one can but wis
Il that we had Il much smaller body t
/ enact our laws, and to feel Us any sue
{ body always doej feel inversely to i
Il size, a greater degree of personal r
= sponsibility to those who elected the
y for Office. 1t is strange in this tin
- when we hear the cry orreforIn and +
=, trenchment Of State expenses, that
- measure of such direct and practices
i economy to the taxpayers should NJ
% meet with popular favor. At least Il
# us hear no more about the mjusti
10 which such reform would work to IL
&c smaller and the poorer towns of tt
: State. AS well might they complai
Is that they have no individual represel
o tative in either house of Congress
lC A..
Island Pond, W, Nov. %, 1880.