The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-05-29
As to "HOuse.Cleaning.''

Concerning the existing basis of rep
resentation in the house of representa-
tives, the Brattleboro Reformer forcibly
says:
at is Of course too plain for argument
that the present system of representation
by towns, though it answered we'll enough
in the early days when the population was
comparatively evenly distributed. is inequi-
table and undemocratic now when il means
that Glastonbury for instance, with seven
or eight voters, shall have the same power
as Bennington with her 1900. Scores OF
cases can be cited in Vermont where a
voter in a small town exercises from 30 to
200 times the power in law-making that one
in large town does. Whatever argument
there may once have been for such an in
equality, that the small-town voter was en-
titled to it because so much more virtuous
and intelligent than the 'furriner' in the
large village, is being dispelled by the news
of the terrible crimes, the most revolving of
which humanity is capable, that is so con-
stantly coming from the rural communities
and in much larger proportion than from
any city or village. But no such argument
ever had much merit any way or ever will,
even when the conditions Of depletion, dis
couragement and shiftlessness that have
borne 80 terribly against our back towns,
are replaced by wiser and better systems.
In free America no man nor any set OF mon
Is entitled to dispropOrtionate share Of
power in public affairs on the theory that
he is better or wiser than his fellows; the
very fundamental idea of our institutions
forbids 1t. Our town representative system
is unquestionably wrong, unjust, and ILL
working in its effects, and urgently needs
to be replaced by district system, and
surely will sometime"
The Ret0rmer expresses the opinion
that "about the only chance of effect
ing this change is more equal division
of votes between the parties in this
state. 1t all reduces itself to the old
formula that what we need above all
else in Vermont is housekeeping
in state politics." If the Reformer is
right, the prospect of change in the
basis of representation is hopeless. No
such revolution as our contemporary
finds necessary in order to effect the
change is possible. Revolutions never
60 backward, and the filling up of the
legislature with democrats would be
such backward swing of the pendu-
lum OF political progress that its occur
renee in Vermont is utterly improbable.
Furthermore, there is nothing in the
history of the states legislative pro-
ceedings to indicate that the democratic
contingent is qualified for even the hum
Bile but highly respectable vocation of
"house cleaning" much less for the
high tasks of craftsmanship. A few
years ago leading democratic repre-
sentative was the author and leading
advocate of one of the biggest schemes
for looting the state treasury that has
in late years at least, been con,
ceived. 1t did not prevail. " House.
cleaning" on a national scale was to be
done when, in March, 1893, a demo
cratic administration, backed by dem
ocratic congress, took possession of the
government; but democracy 80 befouleG
the seats of power that the people a
the elections in 1894 undertook some
house. cleaning" on their own hook
and with besoms in their hands sweep