The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-01-09

in which the lieutenant-governor has been
publicly brought out" he has reason to
pray for deliverance from his newspaper
champions. A worthy and esteemed gen.
tleman, he must feel that he has been hui
inflated by the reasons which have been
given why he should be nominated for
governor. His case is worthy of better
and a more honorable advocacy than 1t
has had, and than it receives in the follow.
ing from the Era's "open letter": "But
throwing aside all other considerations,
will you give good reason why Lieuten-
aut-governor Pingree should not be pro-
NOTED Governor Proctor was, Governor
Barstow was, and this would seem to be a
poor year to change the custom. 1t is
safe to say that if Colonel Pingree were a
millionaire there would be no want of
thought of such thing at the present
time" Colonel Pingree, we believe,
would disdain to climb into the governor
ship by the Aimsy ladder of alleged prece-
dent here raised for him. An occasional
instance of the promotion of lieutenant
governor to the position OF chief execu-
tive can hardly be construed as rule
binding upon the voters of the state.
Something stronger than even well es-
tablished precedent will need to be
pleaded for the man who will be named
for the chief magistracy of the state.
If the acknowledgements advocate can
make no stronger point for his client
than is embraced in his fling at million
aires" unless we have misjudged the hon.
orable colonel he will make haste to en-
treat this too "open advocate to shut
up. We already have two presidents or
customs regarding the selection of the
governor which are sufficiently senseless
and injurious. Let us not establish
another, one that may prove to be ten
fold more mischievous than either the
mountain or the rotation rule. If lieu
tenantgovernor is promoted, let the pro-
motion come from individual merit and
fitness. A rule established that the lieu
tenantgovernor shall be invariably raised
to the governorship, would necessarily
involve the choice of a governor and his
successor by each biennial nominating
convention, and unless the practice which
has generally prevailed in the choice of a
candidate for the lieutenant-governorship
is changed, the Office would not, in the long
run, increase in dignity and Importance, or
in the efficiency of the administration of
its duties. This "open letter" writer
closes his communication with the follow
ing For many years there has been a
singular unanimity in the state conven-
tions as far as the nomination for COVER
nor goes. How does the unanimity come
about Every year the people go through
the solemn farce of sending delegates to
the state convention, where they 60
through the still more solemn farce of
confirming the foreordained and predes-
tined order of things. This coming year,
it is to be hoped, the republicans of Yer
mont will break the leading strings and,
if MIR. Billings has been slated for gov.
ernor, smash the slate and put Colonel
Pingree in the 'front.'" The people of
Vermont, we believe, echo part of this
hope. Two ways have been proposed to
"break the leading strings" The first,
the denomination of Governor Barstow,
does not seem to receive the support to
which its pre-eminent merits entitle it.
The other, the nomination of Frederick
Billings, has been heartily approved by
the press, and the people have warmly,
and in many cases fervidly, welcomed the
temperance of this star in the political
skies of the state. The great distinguish.
ing feature in each of these propositions
is, that it is entirely outside of "the fore.
ordained and predestined order of things
The preachers of those dogmss, as applied
to politics, and the trainers of states are
generally believed to be opposed to both
of these proposals, and, by we'll known
methods, trying to work up public senti
ment against them. This "open letter y
citizen cries out against "slates," but
shouts for Pingree, whose nomination has
been "slated" from the very first. He seem,
to be an exceedingly disingenuous kind o.
reformer.
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