The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-01-30

upon MIN. PeOple understand well enough
that, as a general rule, it is bad policy to
choose for Office, particularly the legisla-
tive offices, men who have not complied
with the requirements of the listing law,
but they do not propose to make this
general rule cast-iron measure of their
judgment and apply it with Russian stol-
idity, regardless of differing circumstances.
On the contrary, they will Judge each case
according to circumstances. The cases
which came up in the last state election,
and in regard to which public opinion
was sharply expressed, were, for the most
part, plain cases of evasion of the tax law.
That they were, or were believed to be,
was shown by the votes of the localities in
or near which the prescribed persons had
their residence. There was at the time
extreme constituencies on the subject of
the listing law, and there was much solic-
itude as to its fate in the present legisla-
ture. Its friends felt that the legislature
especially, which would be called upon to
amend and strengthen the law, should not
be filled up with its open or secret enc.
mics. In the course of the canvass Judge
Royce was the subject of severe criticism.
THE WATERMAN was the first of the
papers of the state to express its sense of
the evil influence of his example. What.
ever good reasons may have existed in
1881 for a refusal to make an inventory of
his taxable property, his official position,
we felt, should have impressed upon him
the Importance of so arranging his affairs
that in April, 1882, he would be in po-
sition to set a good example of obedience
to the laws. We were not prepared, for
his failure to comply with the require
ments of the listing law, to go to the extreme
length of opposing his reelection by the
legislature in 1882. We exercised our right
of judging his case, as we had others,
according to all the circumstances. The
reasons which controlled our action then
Mr.. Billings, should he become a candi-
date for office. Whatever difference there
may be in the two cases, and there is
wide difference, seems to us, in our pres
emit knowledge of the circumstances, to be
entirely in Mr.. Billings favor. The posi-.
tion taken by us on this matter of obed-
fence to the tax law would not hinder us
from supporting Mr.. Morrill, or Mr.. Ed
munds for reelection to the senate; nor
will it deter us in the coming state canvass
from opposing for nomination or election
to any Office any man who has not made
out his tax inventory, if, in our judgment,
there was no good and sufficient reason
why he should not have done SO; nor
shall we feel bound to accept the mere
fact that a candidate has made and
sworn to tax inventory as conclu-
sive evidence that he has obeyed the
full letter and spirit of the law. Our
judgment is our own in these as in other
matters, and while we believe that every
man should make out his tax inventory,
is a good general rule, we are not anx-
ious to illustrate our lack of sense by de-
claring that there shall be no exceptions
to this rule. The test of real wisdom is
in discerning and applying exceptions to
general rules and principles. Justice and
the best good of the state should be OBJ
jects of greater solicitude than any pru-
dish fear Of charges of inconsistency, and
these necessary objects will sometimes be
sacrificed rather than established by in
| flexible obedience to general rules. The
state needs for the governorship at this
time practical statesman, a man capable
of devising broad, wise and progressive
measures of state development, of moral
and material resuscitation. The voters of
the state should unite in an effort to secure
such a man. 1t is immaterial whether he
bears the name of Billings or some other
name. For a contamination 80 devoutly
to be desired, the voters need not wait on
the schemes and movements of few poll
ticians who seem to be more anxious to
secure the offices for themselves, or to con.
troll their disposition, than to advance the
good fortunes of the state. Nor should
they be frightened from their free choice
by the raising of false issues. For governor
let them not look for a man who may shine
for a brief two years in the light the
Office reflects upon him. The governor
| himsa1f ehOu1d ha tho aourca IF l;oht
"THE government of the United States
is not an institution to furnish Offices for
the mendicants thrown to the surface by
the upheavals, mutations, or accidents of
politics." So says Senator Edmunds. Quot
ing the above, the Concord IN. H.) Mon
itor remarks " Surely, not of the mendi-
Giants is the great Vermont senator, who,