The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-01-13
The Small Towns the Beneficlaries.

The Montpelier Wdtchman, the st. Adams
Messenger, Burlington Ne,oS and other state
papers, adopting the lead Of the first
named journal, have begun thus early to
hammer away at that Anticipated Chinese
wall, the system Of giving every town in
the state representative in the Legisla-
ture. And while this task of deserved de-
struction is big one, some Of the blows are
beginning to show. BY excepting everlast-
ingly at 1t " during the next two years
some progress toward enlightenment on
this question may be made. But, while
the system is wholly wrong and should
have been done away with years ago, the
campaign against it must be conducted on
educational as well as aggressive lines.
The inhabitants OF the small towns must be
taught to see not only that they are now
possessing representation that is unjust, but
also that the removal of the injustice would
work for their good.
We commend the practical wisdom
of the Leaders suggestion. Unless
the small towns can be convinced that
the existing system is not only unre-
publican and unjust, but works to their
disadvantage also, the reform is not
likely to come. Those towns are in the
majority. They hold the key to the
situation. They cannot be coerced,
but they may yield 10 reason, and, with
a full understanding Of the subject in
all its bearings, may themselves become
the foremost supporters of the demand
for change.
The WATCHMAN has before pre-
scented this view of the matter. Dis
cussing the subject in 1896, it showed
that, if the change should be made, the
small towns would not surrender their
control of the Legislature to the large
towns and cities and become subject to
their will, but that their representatives.
would constitute two thirds of the
membership in both the House and the
Senate, individually and jointly. 1t
showed that in House of 100 men,
bers, chosen from election districts of
$500 inhabitants, there is no combina
ton of towns that could bring the rep
resentation of the small farming COM
munites below 60 in the House, and
that the practical working of the sys-
tenn would be to increase this number;
so that, if the people of this state, in
this closing decade of the nineteenth
century, like the North American In
dams or the Highland clansman of
mad@val times, are divided by feuds
and are reaching out for each others
throats, if there is war and an ire
pressble conflict of interests between
the small towns and the larger-which
| ought to be at one-the former would
have the heaviest voting battalons,
and providence as we'll as circumstances
would still be on their side.
The WATCHMAN showed that there are
in the state 1913 towns of less than 900
inhabitants; that there are So having
from 1000 to 1900, and 25 having from
1900 to 1000, making an aggregate of
I'll towns with population of 10000.
Divided into representative districts of
$500 inhabitants, the minimum repre-
sentation of these 211 towns in House
of 100 members would be 60. Thirty
three towns and cities, having an az.
gregate population of $4,000, on the
basis stated would have a maximum
representation of 40 members; but
among these SO municipalities are 1e
whose population is less than 1000
ranging from 2,0I3 to 1900. Seven
others have a population that does not
much exceed 5000, and there are blu,
10 having population exceeding 1000
The small towns would inevitably have
representation of from two to three
to one of that of the really large towns
The small towns, by massing theil
strength, would unquestionably be rep
resented by stronger men, by men OF
greater ability and experience. They
would thus, while retaining their nu
merical superiority unimpaired, derive
large increment of power in the shape
of the higher abilities of their repre-
sentatives, their wider experience
their greater moral and intellectual
force. In all that makes for good gov
eminent, all that conduces to real pro
gress and prosperity, the small towns
if there were any antagonism of politi
cal or material interests, would be i'm
measurably strengthened by the change
proposed. But no such antagonism OF
interests, between towns of any size
large or small, exists. 1t is idle to sug.
gest it. Their interests are one" one
and inseparable," like those of the
States of the Union. The small towns
have ever found in the representatives
of the larger their strongest and wisesi
and most considerate champions, and
this condition will continue under any
change in the basis of representation