Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1895-10-25
A Rule That Were Better broken.

aJ Ine recent legislative reunion at Mont
pelier, ex-Gov. Stewart of Middlebury
took ground against the practice which has
grown up in Vermont of electing members
of the legislature for one term only, and
ma king that election practical disqualifi-
cation for further service of the kind.
This practice, ex.Gov. Stewart said, not
only prevents the development of men who
are strong and wise in legislative expert
ence, but constitutes experience an actual
disqualification; it violates a rule that
prevails in every department of business
life, prevents the continuity of legisla-
tion," and is responsible for very large
share of the loosely drawn and only half
considered enactments which get upon our
statute books. The reason for this is ap.
parent. 1t is because no body of new men,
however bright and capable they may be
individually, can get together and make
good laws for the state until they have
first learned the ways of legislation.
In letter to the Burlington Free Press
of last Saturday exGov. Stewart returned
to this subject, urging anew these reasons
against our Vermont "rule of rotation"
and adding that
at brings into the legislative business
of the state biennial stream of inexperi-
ence, and so makes constantly recurring
breach of that continuity which is so es-
sential to the perfecting of new systems or
the revision of old ones, when required by
change of conditions in the body polite.
"The average quality, moral and intel
lectual, of our legislative membership is
not one whit inferior to that of former
time under the old system; but it must be
conceded that the bright men of today are
at disadvantage, and, handicapped by ar
bitrary limitation of service, are not given
time to develop their extent of ability, are
retired at the precise moment when the
public service needs their advancement,
and are stamped ineligible.
"Practical statemanshp in legislation
does not come by nature, nor by inspira-
tion. The term implies the power to dis
| Germ the public needs, coupled with the
ability to wisely formulate laws pertinent
TO such needs. Wise leadership is as es-
sential to the best results in legislation as
to success in military operations. Such
leadership comes from the school of eXpe-
rience.n
Gov. Stewart then goes on to make
the definite suggestion that the way to be-
gin the proposed reform is where the evil
began-at the top; and for this reason he
would have our governors reelected and
would begin with Gov. Woodbury.. The
Free Press, which gave Gov. Stewards
speech when delivered strong and merited
commentator, endorses this suggestion
also. For the essential purpose of this
discussion it is not necessary to decide
VIII ether Gov. Woodbury's election would
or would not be wise. We should be the
last to oppose the reelection of a governor
or of any other competent official on the
weak and senseless ground that "he has
had all that belongs to him" 1t seems,
however, to be far more important that
our legislature should be restored to its old
time standard of ability and efficiency than
that any governor should be reelected. To
do this the only way is to elect the best
men as senators and representatives and
then reGlect them unless there is some suf-
icient reason against this besides the ex-
isting one that other men are waiting and
the office must be passed along. The ex-
perence of not few recent legislative ses-
sions has shown that we are likely to have,
under present conditions, either house of
dull and hopeless mediocrity or one in
which a few experienced men, who have
chanced by some happy accident to secure
reelection, bear almost the whole burden
of active legislation. If it were possible
to formulate a rule or law, under which
only one-third of the senators and repre-
sentatives in any given legislature should
be new men, we should speedily find our
legislation immensely improved in quality,
and it would be enacted and enforced at a
great saving of expense to the state.
The Montpelier Watchman pokes fun at
the haste and avidity with which the Bur
lington Free Press endorses ex-Gov. Stew
arts suggestion that the proposed reform
of our Vermont one-term rule begin sat
the top with the reelection of Gov.
Woodbury., saying
"For example, is the reform to extend
to the governors staff? The production
of colonies is leading Vermont industry,
in which the state has recently become a
competitor of other states in the markets
of the world This question has bear
ing, also, upon another industry, the pro-
duction of military clothing and equip
ments. If the governor is to have a re.
election, the logical inference would be
that the colonies, domestic and foreign
would have redppointment. The cOnse-
quences might be more disastrous to EN-
broidered politics in Vermont than was the
passage of the perfdious and dishonorable
tariff to the national industries. The croI
of colonies would be cut down so per cent
and the business of the military tailors and
brass founders in the same ratio"
Proceeding to be serious the WatchmaI
says with truth which cannot be seriously
questioned: "Reasoning from analogy
some doubts might arise as to the wisdom
of beginning this reform where the evil be
gan, at the top Good surgery begins tn,
healing process at the bottom, although
'wer.--Latest U. S. Govt Report