The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-02-27

men in the maturity of mind and judg-
ment. Its "reasons might have weight
before lyceum of school children, but
that they are lightly considered by some
of the voting citizens of Vermont is appar.
emit in written aud verbal expressions of
opinion, and in the fact that the press of
the state is not exactly rushing forward to
embrace its candidate Our aged contem-
porsry shows something of irritability over
the fact that twice, in less than two weeks,
it has been forced to defend its candidate
and to explain itself at length. 1t is dis
couraging, and might ruffle the spirits of
a younger and cooler champion. And
now comes our correspondent, Free
Lance" to add new weight to our venera-
BILE compeer's burdened spirits, by giving
an irreverent voice to fresh misconcep.
tions of its ideal of the governorship.
We can pardon our governor-making con-
temporary's testiness under these accumu-
lating evils. We feel obliged, however, to
correct some very unwarrantable perver-
sions in its "Foolish Logic" blast. 1t
says that an article in the last WATERMAN
was aimed at the very harmless remark
of the Free Press to the effect that we
understood that DR.. Nichols had decided
to retire from the office of secretary of
state" Entirely wrong. 1t was aimed
directly at the Free Press startling dogma
that the parting with state Office which
had been held many consecutive years is
matter of course wholly within inc dis
erection of the incumbent to determine.
Now the Free Press explains that the
matter Of course is declining to be a
candidate" and naively asks, "Who,
pray, has better right than the man
himself to determine whether or no he
will be again candidate for an Office
which he is holding? 2" On general prin-
ciples, we should say no one; but this is a
very different thing from its original
statement, and we are glad 10 know that
our contemporary was only unfortunate in
its language. Again awe simply said
that he would in any event decline to be
again candidate for that ofhce-which
is what THE WAroHMAN says" Wrong
again. THE WATcHMAN said it is given
out apparently by authority" that DR..
Nichols will decline reelection, and the
Free Press was the authority. There
are some other things which do not
seem to be very clear to our aged
contemporaries failing eyesight. Mr..
Porter was suggested as a successor
to DIR. Nichols on the score of eminent
fitness, not by reason of any " claim" on
the Office, and we submit that there is an
eminent fitness in promoting capable
and faithful officer in the department in
which he has served which might not
exist in putting him at the head of an
entirely different department. An eff.
cient deputy secretary of state, of many
years experience, might reasonably be
expected to make good chief secretary,
but good secretary of state might make
a very indifferent chief executive. We
trust our somewhat splenetic contem-
porary sees the point If not, it will find
the matter more fully elucidated by cor
respondent, in another column. The Free
Press is astickler for civil-service methods,
and we have simply commended to it its
own doctrine. If the question of the gov
ernorship were merely personal matter,
doubtless we should not be "sloshing
round" to use our contemporary elegant
phrase, but should have " deprecated " the
agitation of a choice till things were all
fixed up for our man. But there are still
four months before candidate will be
formally chosen, and we believe, for rea-
sons we have given, that the time should
be employed in looking up a candidate
who shall be something more than figure
head. 1t is we'll to consider the qualifica,
tions of proposed candidates, but unless
it is case of pre-eminent fitness, known
to be available, there is no reason for haste
in declaring for this or that man. Els
pecially is it desirable at this time to bear
in mind the words of Mr.. Billings
"Though the work of the governors Office
is very moderate, he can find many ways
outside of his strictly technical duties to
promote the interests and good name OF
the commonwealth" OF similar tenor
are the outspoken letters of correspond
ents, published in another column. The
lesven is evidently working. There is
time, and let it have the opportunity to dc
its perfect work. The result may be a
governor who may fiud ways outside Of
his strictly technical duties for the en-
couragement of agriculture, the promotion
of enterprise, the improvement of the
common schools, and by other means ad
vance the interests and good name Of
the commonwealth"