News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-02-20

&c ting the Lieutenant Governor OF
u le term as the Governor of the next.
IS soon as public attention was called
20 the matter numerous objections to
any such order of succession were
+ readily suggested. 1t is against the
policy of the Republican party to es-
tablish or keep in operation line OF
succession or to regard one office as
of right stepping-stone to thatnext
above it. When in (1SS6) Col. Full
Ter of Brattleboro was nominated In
the Republican state convention as a
candidate for Lieutenant Governor,
| the nomination was made on the open
avowal that he would not expect or
seek a nomination as Governor at the
next election. 1t was with this express
understanding that he received the
nomination and was elected. The
party did not then establish q new
order of prOcedure-it only returned
to the old custom of choosing a Lieu
| tenant Governor for one term and re
firing him to private life at its expir-
alton.
The welfare of the party demands
that this custom be continued, eX-
cept for extraordinary reasons, and
be considered a part of the "unWrit-
ten law" The Lieutenant Governor,
like the Governor, should be chosen
from among the people. In popu-
lar government we want no order OF
succession as among mOnarchles. No
man should be vested with even the
semblance of authority to claim a
civil office next in rank above him as
an act of courtesy or Of right. A Vice
President of the United States surely
does not expect or clam the nominal
ton for President at the next election.
| He is content with the position he Oc-
cupies. So it should be with a Lieu
tenant Governor of Vermont. Here
ceived the position he sought. If he
wished to be Governor, why did he
not seek the nomination instead of
the Lieutenant Governorship? Was
it because of a belief that the latter
conferred upon him special claim to
the Governors chair the next term ?
! Was it that the subordinate position
would bring to his aid political and
personal advantages over any COM
petitor for the higher position next
term? Upon either hypothesis, he
ought not to receive q nomination,
for it is contrary to party policy as
well to public good that the office
should necessarily imply endowment
to another; or that the surroundings
and advantages of one be such as will
place an aspirant from among the
common people at a disadvantage.
We secno cause whatever for laying
aside this policy of the Republican
party in the coming campaign. Many
a man would make a good Lieutenant
Governor who would be a dead fail
ure as Governor Above all, let a
candidate be straightforward and
honest If it is his aim to be Govern
or, then no one denies his right to
seek the nomination. If he desires
to be Lieutenant Governor only, the
course is open. We are of the opinion
that the Republican party has little
or no use for politicians who having
obtained the rank of Lieutenant Gov
ernor use the office as a ladder to
climb up to a higher which they had
not the manliness to attain to at first
Stick to Republican principles !
Loyalty to the party demands that
the present policy cOntinue-the Office
of Lieutenant Governor must not con-
fer right or special privilege to that
of Governor. " -..