Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1896-06-19

New York and some other States have en-
acted laws requiring candidates for puollc
office to render under Oatn an llelhlIcu W Hc
count of all money spent by them IN the can
Vass. II is high time had such law In
Vermont, and it should apply to the canvass
for the nomination as well rs 70 that lor tne
election. Nominations are secured altogether
too frequently through the use OF money anu
unless proper means are taken to stop the
practice we shall have the spectacle OF our
chief State offices and especially the govern
orship, going to the highest bidder we pc
lieve that the people will apply the remedy
and that promptly, if only their attention Is
called to the subject. The more quickly we
get back to the old Vermont custom or per
mitting the people 10 select their canul'ihtes
Tor Office the more creditable ii VIII be 10 the
State.
As we felt sure would be the case, the
people did not like the idea of Mr.. Grout
securing his nomination by these means.
The result was throughout the State an
unprecedented attending of caucuses and
a substantial victory of the people, al
though the fruits of it, owing in part to
a want of proper political management
at the convention, where Mr.. Stickney's
friends should have at once introduced
an independent candidate for lieutenant
governor, we're not attained.
The necessity of the law mentioned,
requiring candidates to state under oath
amounts of money used and for what
purpose in their canvass, will, we think,
be admitted by all and such a law be
passed by our next legislature. In Eng
land elections to parliament became so
VIGOROUSLY corrupt through the use of
money that a similar law with very strict
provisions was passed. and it is said to
have done away almost entirely with bri-
berry in elections. The Hon. +. j. Phelps
informs us that now candidate for parlia-
ment would not be permitted just previous
to election to give an elector 25 cents for
holding his horse.
Outside of this method of becoming
governor by lavish use of money, the
REGISTER knew of another sufficient
reason why Mr.. Grout was not proper
candidate. In 1856 the senior editor
of this journal was elected to the
legislature from the town of Ripton.
office of postmaster at the Bread Loaf
Inn. This was resigned directly after
the election and another postmaster ap-
pointed. Section 26 (part liz of the Yer
mont constitution reads as follows:
No person in this State shall be capable of
holding or exercising more than one OF the
following offices at the same time, viz.
governor, lieutenant governor, judge OF the
supreme court treasurer OF the state, mem.
Der OF the council, member of the general
assembly, surveyor general, or sheriff. Nor
shall any person holding any office OF profit
or trust under the authority of Congress, be
eleglble to any appointment in the legisla-
ture, or OF holding any executive or judi
ciary office under this State.
What might be the exact intention of
the words, "ellgible to any appointment
in the legislature, is an open question.
The provision does not read "shall not"
or "cannot" be elected to the Legislature.
Practically it was construed to mean
that person should not hold both Of
fees at the same time, and if elected to
the legislature would have to resign the
government office before serving as
legislator.
Very frequently postmasters haYe been
elected, and, resigning their postmaster
ship, served their full term in the legis-
lature without question being made.
The constitution of Vermont provides
an oath to be taken by the representa-
tives elect as follows:
You do solemLly swear (or AFFIRM that
as member OF this assembly, you will not
propose, or assent to any bill, vote or reso-
lutlon, winch shall appear to you injurious to
the people, nor do or consent to any act or