The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1893-03-01
March Meeting.

The Legislature, at its late session,
made very radical changes in two laws
which vitality affect the interests of
every town in the state. Upon the
first of these in the scale of import
ance, viz the school law, the WATCH,
MAN commented in an editorial article
two weeks ago. The second, "An act
| creating the Office of road commits.
sioner," etc, provides for methods of
keeping the highways in repair and
for improving them that are as radical
departure from the old in this de-
partment of town affairs as are the
changes iu the school law. For the
administration of both school and high
way affairs under the new laws, men of
the best judgment and of demonstrated
capacity to manage wisely should be
chosen, and men of this class should
be willing to serve.
The first Tuesday in March has very
rarely found the voters of the towns of
Vermont confronted by graver respon-
sibilities. 1t is impossible to overrate
the importance of the action of the
towns in the matter of choosing officers
under the school and road laws: aud it
is impossible to lay too heavily upon
every voter the importance of attend
ing the coming town meeting and par
ticipating thoughtfully and with de.
liberation in its proceedings. The
success or failure of law is generally
much more question of good or bad
administration than of the intrinsic
merits of the law. A bad law admin.
istered with discretion and judgment
NAV yield better results than a good
law inefficiently administered.
In the article to which we have re.
ferred the WATCHMAN advised that the
number of school directors be limited
to three. The law provides for three
or six II three selectmen can mau-
age the general affairs of the town,
three directors should certainly be able
to manage the schools. Unity of coun-
sci, harmony in action, efficiency in
management, lie in the smaller num-
Der. This point settled, it is then
question of the men to be chosen.
The difficulties in the first year OF the
administration of the law will be
greater than in any succeeding year,
unless very serious mistakes are made
in the first year which shall project
their evil results into the future. To
provide against precisely this contin-
gency great care should be taken in
selecting the men to be voted for as
directors We assume that every
voter, whether he likes the law or not,
will wish to see it faithfully admins.
tered Nothing will be gained by eff
forts to make the law unpopular. With
this end in view, nothing will be gained
by needlessly multiplying school di.
rectors or by making Indifferent selec-
tions of directors. In this matter, as
in all other matters of interest and i'm.
portance, voters will be patriotic and
sink all personal considerations in their
regard for the general welfare. Give
the law fair trial, and put it in a fair
way of having such trial
Voters are perhaps more sensitive 10
matters relating to the highways than
in those pertaining to the schools.
The inalienable right to liquidate ones
highway tax by leaning on hoe
handle at certain rate per hour is
very dear to the average taxpayer.
We do not hear Of candidates rushing
around for support for the office of
school director. We do hear of lively |