The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1897-01-13
POLITICAL.
Representation and Corruption.

The Boston Herald, commenting on
the current discussion of the non-rep-
resentative system of Vermont in the
composition of the House of Represen-
tatives, declared that the St. Adams
Messenger was vehement upon the
subject of corruption realized and an
ticipated." To this statement the Mes
Senger replies:
In earnestly urging change in the
constitution of Vermont whereby the
present unequal and undemocratic sys-
tenn of legislative representation in the
lower, or what is supposed TO be, and
should be, the popular branch of the
legislature, shall be superseded by some
semblance of justice, the Messenger
has not intended to charge or intimate
the existing system is responsible for
corruption either realized or anticipat-
ed. Certainly nothing this paper has
said upon the subject of the "rotten
borough" system which prevails in this
state can fairly be construed as ''vehe-
ment upon the subject of corruption"
A conviction of the existence of cor
ruption in any department of the state
government or in the administration of
any law would be a justification foI a
reasonable degree of vehemence in de-
nouncing it, but 1t would not follow OF
necessity, nor even by implication, that
legislative representation based upon
imaginary town lines is responsible for
the existence of that corruption.
1t may, and probably is, true the i'm
possibility of enacting wholesome laws
or of amending or repeating unwhole-
some statutes is primarily responsible
for their execution or non execution to
some extent. That the administration
of existing sumptuary laws in this state
is little short of public scandal is al
most universally admitted. Probably
under some reasonably equitable sys-
tenn of representation this scandal
could be cure d in part at least And in
this aspect town line representation
may be chargeable with some respon-
sibility for the administration of injus-
tice, but it is possible change such as
this paper urgently advocates, a change
whereby the people msy speak through
representatives fairly representing
their will, might not effect change OF
the statutes in this particular direction
In 80 far as injustice and corruption
may be considered correlative terms, OIL
in the sense that injustice does and
must breed corruption, the present out
rageous system in the election of the
representatives OF the people of Yer
mont is corrupt, but it may not pro
duce corruption, according to the sense
in which that term is ordinarily used
No charge of corruption, in the usua
acceptatiOn of the word, has been ever
suggested with regard to the present o.
past legislatures of this state. Th'
method of legislative representation
furnishes no incentive to corruption 81
far as the state is concerned. Tit
largest community within it's border
has no more influence, apart from thu
personality of its representative, thar
The smallest. Twelve voters in Balli
more are the equals of two hundred
times that number in the larger town
or cities. Civic virtues, honesty o
purpose, sincere desire to serve tn
best interests of the commonwealth
are not con fined to the Representative
from the larger communities.
The difficulty is the system itself i
rotten to the core, 1t Is based upon m
recognized conception of a demOcrati
form of government, is in no sense
government of the people. 1t woul
be just as equitable, just as democratic
just as sensible, TO base legislativ
representation upon the color of tn
hair, the size of the foot, the grth @
body, the shape of the house, as upo
the imaginary limitations of town @
city. The continuance of the tow
line system beyond the time require
TO effect its adjustment through const