Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-11-01
esstS County ajrrnla.
island Pond. VT. November 1.
The Situation In Vermont,

OF all the mysterious revolutions In
society is the revolution of Sentiment. II
is accomplished usually, noiselessiy.
Theirs was a time in the history of Yer
mont when Il mdn sought Office by
asserting an individual claim TO it the
people could and did Immediately dis
miss his case II such a mans claims and
monuments were connected with like in
terests OF other men, coupled with an
arrangement or understanding that out
at a list Offices should be possessed or
distributed in any particular way or or.
der in that list, the people would have
been more jealous still and would have
regarded it as an innovation or clog on
the free exercise of their will, Nothing
was looked upon with greater yeueration
than disinterested work done in building
up and preserving the institutions of the
state; and nothing distrusted or feared
more than the appearance of personal de-
signs. Today the people of Vermont
have as little TO do with the election of
officers in some departments OF the state
government as the common people OF
Europe have in begetting their kings and
queens. A man now may conceive de-
sign for holding the highest oticesin the
state before the people have thought of
such a thing, and succeed in getting there
too. This has grown to such an extent
that the people are getting aroused TO
the situation, and after deploring the
exodus from the state of her live, ener-
getic young men for years are waking up
to the fact that her Young men, seeing
the complications and difficulties through
which they would have to pass to obtain
positions of honor and usefulness here,
have become discouraged and sought
wider and more open fields in other parts
of the country.
And now to allay an uneasy feeling
that there is something wrong growing
out of this certain element proposes to
remedy it. How BY opening the field
to free competition and especially to
young men. tits proposed to send Young
men to the next national convention
The fathers have kindly designated al
ready the ones to be sent, thus permit
ting designated ones among the young to
enjoy the privilege of going at their own
expense to a national convention, in
which they will scarcely be known ex
cept that their names will be in print
and to assist in doing the work which
relates to the highest interest of the
whole nation, and which requires cool
candid judgment and experience of older
men; a work that young men are least
fitted to perform. How does this oper
the field for free open emulation or aiC
the people to exercise their will untram
meled?
Take the situation as it is being formu
lated. From what are the people t.
freely select? Are they asked to selec
from the state? They are bound dow,
to simply determining whether they will
continue certain man in office on &C
count of his experience and splendic
administration, (Which all admit, @
succeed him by one of two other designa
ted individuals. This is to be made al
the more binding by saying to the peopl
this is a presidential year and for tn
good OF the country You must acquiesce
Now there is much reason in urging tn
continuance of thorough, energetic busi
ness like and progressive administration
But let that as well as every other thin,
copnected with it be, in some way, sui
nitted to the free determination of tn
whole people. The time has come whe
loyalty to party nominations must dc
pend upon the manner in which it is cor
Quoted and in which they are made,
Now this iGea that young men shoul
be advanced simply because they ar
young or oldermen excluded because the
are older is simply Illogical, The enter
prise and enthusiasm of youth fits me
for some work and some positions, AM
the experience of age better fits for othe
positions and work, The simple question
ought to be,what man, taking everythin;
into consideration, will be most etficien
and useful for the time and place in ques
tion' The more important question is
what man does the whole people indie
pendently think will best accomplish tn
will and purposes of the whole2