The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-03-26
TILE TOWN GoVERYMEYr.
What the Honorable Henry Ii. Harrison
Said About it at Woodstock.

Said About it at Woodstock.
Men renowned in arts and in arms
statemen, scholars, poets. warriors
have assembled here with us to cele-
brate the birth of the republic, the doc
trine that government Of the people
ought to be government for the people
B and by the people"
For solemn confession of that faith
known of no place in the world more
appropriate, in some respects, than the
place where we now stand. For this
town Of Woodstock is Connecticut
town. AS such it is endowed with
all the rights and powers which
belong to every Connecticut town.
1t is political organism of peculiar
character worth the careful study Of
every political philosopher. 1t is in
fact a little republic in ITSELF an in
destructible republic, in which the prin-
ciple of democratic government has full
play, and where the free action of that
principle is guaranteed by the strongest
constitutional defenses. 1t may be
worth our while to look at this little re-
| public for few moments and see how
it is organized, what are its powers,
and how it acts.
The people of Woodstock number not
far from three thousand. They consti-
tute town. All the powers of the town
are exercised by the "freemen" or legal
voters, some five or six hundred in
number. The suffrage is manhood suf-
frage, and the freemen are all equal
in rights. They constitute the legisla-
tive body, the town meeting, and they
choose all the town officers. The basis
of the town organization therefore it is
absolutely democratic. The town is a
free democracy
1t is indestructible. The constitution
confirms it's perpetual existence The
government of the state cannot destroy
it or merge it in any other town with
| out its consent.
1t elects it's own officers of local gov
ernment-not by permission of the gen.
eral assembly, but by its own right
The constitution gives it the indefeasi-
BILE right of electing annually It's own Sc
lectmen and all it's other numerous Off
GERS Of local police. The state govern
ment cannot take away this right or
interfere with it.
1t elects its own justices Of the peace,
each of whom is vested with a limited,
but, still considerable, jurisdiction in
civil and criminal cause The state
government cannot appoint them. No
body but the freeman of the town itself
can appoint them.
The officers of the justice courts-the
grand Jurors, who prosecute criminals
fol yhc
serves their process and executes their
judgments-are appointed by the town.
The state government cannot appoint
them, or Interfere with the action of
the town in appointing them, so long as
their offices exist.
AS probate district it elects its own
judge OF probate, who exercises that
wide jurisdiction over the settlement of
estates, the appointment of trustees
and guardians, and so forth, which is
usually exercised by courts of probate,
or surrogates' or orphans courts, as
they are sometimes called in other
rstates.
A probate district may include two or
more towns, but each one of thirteen out
of fifteen towns in this county is pro-
bate district by itself. Woodstock lis
such a district. The freemen of this
town, therefore, choose their own judge
of probate, and the state government
cannot take away or limit their right
to do so. And this probate system
strange as the fact may seem to a law
yer unacquainted with it--works we'll, |
for reasons which 1 have not time now
to explain.
By permission Of the state the town |
exercises many other rights and powers |
rights and powers which the state could |
take away, but is not likely to take |
away-many of them being consecrated |
by tradition and rooted in the habits |
of the people.
1t exercises control over public educa- |
ton within its limits and generally over |
all it's local affairs.
It's board of health is vested with |
those great and indefinite police pow
ers," so called, over persons and proper
ty which must be vested somewhere for
the protection Of the public health.
1t legislates in town meetings on a
great variety Of subjects specially |
enumerated in the statute book and,
finally, it possesses the broad general |
powers expressed by the statute in these |
tions for their welfare, not concerning |
matters of a criminal nature nor repug-
nant of the laws of the state, as they |
may deem expedient, and enforce them
by penalties not exceeding five dollars
for each breach" Am not right, then,
in saying that this town of Woodstock |
is republic, free democratic republic,
an indestructible republic, exercising
great and various powers of govern
ment, many of which are beyond the
reach of interference, even from the
government of the state itself?
This little republic has another indie
feasible right--the right of sending two
representatives to every session Of the
general assembly-an immemorial right
which the government of the state can
not infringe.
Connecticut is a small state, almost
invisible among greater states of this
Union, and yet within her narrow limits
are one hundred and siXty-seven of
these little republics. By their indissol-
uble union they constitute the state,
and exercise through the state govern
- |