Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1895-05-24
The Remedy.

IF a reform i'll our system of represen- |
tatiom is not effected in the next five
years." said a well-known Burlingtonian
yesterday, there will be a revolution-d
peaceful revolution: the larger towns will !
refuse to pay their state taxes
We hardly anticipate consequences as
serious as that: indeed, the enormous
wrong and injustice OF which we complain
ought to be remtdied by the Vermont
sense of righteousness through the peace
full means of argument Surely the aver
age Vermonter, even though he h I'll from
the smallest of small towns, won't take
a thing that doesn't belong to him surely
he won't usurp power over his neighbours
property to which he has no claim in
equity.
The thing to be done is for the next
! legislature to call a constitutional con-
vcntion, for revising and remodeling our
antiquated Constitution and bringing it
up to date. And it should be a represen
tative convention, too-one delegate for
say every thousand of population, and
not one delegate for every town, big and
little. The principal work of the conven-
ton would naturally be
/. The reform of our system of repre-
4 sentation the division of the state into
assembly and senatorial districts; the al
lotment of representation where it be
longs, viz. with the people.
2. The placing of the constitution
within reach OF the people of Vermont -
that is, making it practicable to change
its provisions, when change seems needed
thus doing away with the Chinese con-
servatism which makes change and CON
sequentIy progress impossible.
To do all this, we need to bring the
young men to the front. The old fellows,
as rule, are intensely conservative.
E They are not open to argument, for all
their ideas and opinions are formed and
they can't change them, and won't. Let
, the young men come out, and give the
dry bones a shaking. In that fascinating
! book The Legislative Manual" the av.
erage biography of our legislators reads
: something like this:
"John Smith of Wayback; born 1919
, educated at West Cranberry seminary
was town treasurer thirty-seven and Sc
Z. lectman seventeen; has also served re
peatedly as lister; was justice of tn,
peace in 1875 t60; represented the tow
in 1S62-63."
Instead of which, we would be glad t.
= read in the next issue of the Manua
= many scores of such biographies as this
>. William Jones Of Wayback; borl
: 1870; was president OF the local Harri
. rison and Morton club in 1892, but neve
g before held public Office"
II The bright young men, that's the elias
t we need. They go out of the state, the
go to the great cities, they go West ant
Il South, and they win fame and fortune
e Why not give them a chance here a
% home? And-a still more pointed ques
kioii- why uOi Oul NOuliS liiSli StSSCi
their rights and assume the leadership
Stand BY your order, young men {
lie Vermont! When the time comes t
is choose a representative next year, don
Ot help by your vote and influence respec
re able old fellow who has been selectma
lie forty years; keep him at home, where /
Id has been so useful, and send one of II
s. bright young men to Montpelier. In Il
IN fullness of time the cheappoliticans VIII
a now manage our affairs will trot out ft
governor some old plum who began h
career on the turf before you were Dor
and who ought to be smoking his pill
and reading the Old Farmers Altman;
ay by the kitchen stove instead of runnii
Isl for Office. Give him mo" that w
at shake Mount Mansheld--and give us fl
liz leader young man around whom Il
"e new generation can rally with enthu
Vi asm and the great host who are sick un
at death OF the way our state politics a
Ut now managed.
'al Young men to the front !-Burlingtt
Daily News,
be