The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1885-10-21
A Pessimistic View.

A recent issue of the Rutland Herald
astonished the natives by savage
and discriminating attack upon Yer
mont and her people and institutions.
The article says the school system is
VIGOROUSLY inefficient; the system of
legislative representation is not repub-
lican in form or spirit; that it is we'll
nigh impossible to secure reform or JUS
tice from the legislature; that the
sessions of the legislature are long and
stupid and its work mainly controlled
by sentimental demagogues; that the
tendency to discuss paternal measures,
like the cigarette bill, is a growing
craze; that every man who realizes the
existence of social evils seems possessed
with the idea that they can be cured by
legislation; that the Legislators of Yer
mont think far more feebly and talk
more absurdly than the most feather
headed woman that ever was sneered
at for wanting an enlargement of polit-
ical rights and privileges; that the SUI
preme judiciary are the poorest paid,
with few exceptions, in the country;
that the presses and public men are
timid, reserved and non-progressive;
that the legislature is either too dull or
selfish to perceive an abuse of the prin-
ciple of popular rights and to apply the
remedy; that public men of the first
order of ability and public service in
Vermont have been hunted down by
the hue and cry of cabal of small,
petty politicians, who have placed super
fetal faults under a microscope and
whistled sterling public ability down
the wind.
That there is considerable truth and
pertinency in this arraignment will be
denied by none, and there is good
deal in it that the people of Vermont
might profit by; but the chief fault of
the article is that it presents only the
worst side of the picture. There is a
brighter side; and with all the defects
in administration and legislation, the
indisposition of the people to make
haste in adopting important and radi-
cal changes from the old order of
things, and perhaps too parsimonious
policy in public expenditures, Vermont
is not more backward in many respects
than other states. There is room for
improvement, and there always will be.
There is not state in the Union to
which the Herdld's criticisms will not
apply to some extent. 1t may also be
said that Vermont is measurably free
from the ignoble strifes, the civil tur-
moils and the political corruptions that
afflict many of the larger, and even
some of the smaller, states. More of
sprogress " and I" reform " are needed :;
but no one can reasonably expect to
accomplish revolution in public af-
fairs within limited period. 1t may
be we'll to reflect that it is not every
scheme or proposition advocated under
the name of progress " or " reform ="
that is properly entitled to either desig-
nation. The people may be too slow
or conservative in many of these things,
but they can hardly be goaded into pur-
suing different policy by any harsh
criticisms of their real or supposed de-
linquencies.
While we can agree with the Herald
that there are several matters embody-
ing genuine and needed reforms which
are too long delayed by public indiffer-
ence or prejudice, we doubt the pro-
priety of making the situation appear
somewhat worse than it really is. The
Herald is, however, quite correct in as
Stunning that the adoption of the bien-
NAL system was mistake. The adj
vantages which its advocates claimed
for it have been realized but in small
part. This view may be urged not in
the interests of Montpelier, but in be-
half of the general interests of the state.
The results of the biennial system are
not particularly gratifying. 1t has es-
tablished the one-term system in the ma
jority of towns, so that every legislature
is made up very largely of those who
are wholly inexperienced in legislation
the sessions are longer; majority OF
the legislators having to spend the early
weeks of the session in learning theiI
work, crowds all important measures
into about two weeks, and consequently
there is more of hasty and ill-consid-
cred legislation than under the old sys'
tenn; and, it might well be added, that
large majority of members realizing
that, under the prevailing one-tern
rule, their chances of reelection are
small, have no incentive to devote
themselves to the work of the state
with that energy and efficiency which
they might otherwise develop. The