The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1895-05-22
Large and Small Towns,

Large ana small TOWNS
There is no real conflict of interests
between the small towns and the large
towns of Vermont. All are divisions
of the larger community, and their gen.
eral interests are identical. If there
has been any division on matter of
state policy or administration in which
the smaller towns have been arrayed
against the larger, we do not at this
time recall it. 1t is unwise, it is very
foolish, to talk of antagonisms that ex-
list, if they exist at all, only in the
fancy. Such expressions breed jealous
les which prevent candid consideration
of public questions and stand in the
way of political and material progress.
The Esser County Herald says it is a
fact we'll known to everybody familiar
with legislation that the larger towns
actually plan, accomplish and defeat
the legislation of the state" 1t AYERS
that if any project Of legislation,
unfavorable to the large towns but adj
vantageous to the small towns, is up,
the representatives of the former can,
in one nights work." accomplish such
results that when the daylight comes
the smaller towns would discover that
they were all bundled and stocked,
ready to be taken in and threshold"
Very likely it would be entirely safe to
challenge the Herald to produce bill
of particulars; but if the real facts
should sustain its statement in one in
stance, or in dozen, this would only
afford the strongest possible reason for
reforming a system of representation
under which such abuses were possible.
A system that sends to the legislature
such men of straw that few clever
representatives can in one night
"bundle and stock " them like grain,
and in the morning take them in and
thresh them, should be abolished as
speedily as possible, and better and
truer system put in its place. And this
would be the result of the district sys-
tenn of representation, on the basis of
population.
1t is wrong to suppose that the
adoption of the only true and republic
can system of representation, on the
basis of population, by increasing the
representation of few of the larger
towns, would hand the smaller towns
over to the domination Of the larger.
If there is any such conflict of towns
as some imaginative or jealous people
are talking about, representation on
the basis of population is the surest
way to safeguard the interests of the
smaller communities. A house of rep
resentatives of 100 members, on O
population basis, would make $500
people the unit of the electorate. The
smaller towns are in large majority,
both in number and in population.
Two hundred and eleven towns have a
population of less than 1000 each. The
aggregate is 1876, 900. In house of 10C
members these towns would have &C
representatives, majority of 20. But
this large numerical preponderance il
not all. The person who would be
chosen to represent rural district with
population of 3 300 would in genera
be a man of greater abilities and
stronger character than the men who
are chosen, under the town system, tt
represent the small towns composing
the district. The men who can bt
bundled and stocked up" and ther
taken in and threshold" would disap
pear from the legislature. The repre-
sentative of a rural district would b,
often the man who could give hi
urban colleagues points in legislativ'
debate and parliamentary strategy, an;
triumph over him. In the acquisition
of defensive or aggressive power, tn
advantage in the change from the towl
to the population basis of representa-
ton would be decidedly on the side o.
the small towns.
The reasons for the change in the ba
sis of representation and the size of tn