Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1886-04-23

Have Republicans stopped to think what a rldicu-
lous thing this craze is II
is not only against cardinal doctrine of civil service
REFORM but it treats a high and honorable office
sort of brand of nfamy. II men had caught 1t few
years ago. II would have caused them to say to Paul
Dillingham;, "You cannot be governor because you
guilty of the high crime of having been lieutenant
governor" 1t would have caused them to say to Red
held Proctor, "You are under a ban; you may not
have been in prison, but you have been lieutenant
governor" 1t would have caused them to say to John
l.. Barstow, "Alhough you a veteran soldier aud
honest old farmer, you are disqualified. Get thee
to a nunnery." Now, II anybody had proposed Mr..
Ormsbee's nomination on the ground that he is lieu
tenant governor and ought TO be promoted because
that has become CUSTOM II would be perfectly prop
to reply that the custom may be more honored in
the breach than in the observance. We agree that
there ought not to be such custom, and that II will
be good politics for delegates to have understand
lhg ms year that unless some soou reason presents
itself why they should change their minds, the gem
teman whom they nominate for lieutenant governor
In to be considered out of the list of available cand
dates for the gOvernorshtp next time II they think
dangerous custom is forming, they can thus break
it up without any inyidious distinctions and without
advertising to the world that have and fatal
disease in Vermont which surpssses the skill OF Pas
teur and kills and dishonors at blow-the disease of
lieutenant governor.-Rutldnd Herald.
We feel almost sorry to see the Herald 20
evidently disturbed over the question, first
raised by The Phoenix, whether Vermont is
not getting in a bad way, and establishing
and confirming a pernicious precedent, in
proceeding year after year to make the lieu
tenant governor governor. But the "ridicu-
lous thing" is the specious line of argument
which the Herald adopts and the way in
which its own arguments answer and con-
found themselves. In one line it agrees
that there Fought not to be such a custom, n
and in the next line it urges that Mr.. Orms.
bee ought to be promoted, thus following the
dangerous custom" three times in succession
and helping to convert it into an memorable
law. The Herald is entirely willing the prac
tioe should be dropped after Mr.. Ormsbet
has been promoted. In two years from now
the friends of the then lieutenant governor
will be just as willing it should be dropped
after he has been promoted and so it will e
on, and we shall never see another strong
representative man in the governors chair in
Vermont-not if the petty band of candidates
for the lieutenant governorship can have thei
way.
Few men have served the state az her chic
executive with greater credit than Paul Dill
bingham and Redheld Proctor whom the Her
aid mentions but the Herald knows as vel
as we that had this rule been in force for th
past fifty years, precious few of the governor
of whose name and fame we are justly proul
would have served her in the executive chair
No one would ever have thought Of putin
such men in the lesser office, and the littl
men would have had things all their own way
Let this rule of promotion now be followe
once or twice more, and the lieutenant gov
ernor, and his friends for him, will begin +
claim it as his right to be promoted. 1t wi
be urged, and with force that cannot b
gAinsAid, that not to follow the precedent an