The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1899-01-11
ARTHUR ROPES. General Editor.
The Senatorial Situation.

Governor Smith has rendered the ap-
pointment of United States Senator to
succeed the late Justin s. Morrill, to
Hon. b. f. Fifeld of Montpelier. Mr..
Fifield has the matter of acceptance
under consideration, but at this writing
has not publicly signified his decision.
In respect of this appointment Gov
ernor Smith expressed his views, and
the considerations that would guide
him, to a delegation of Burlington gen.
tlemen who were urging upon him the
selection of Ex-Governor Dillingham; for
the vacancy, on the ground both of
Mr.. Dillingham's eminent fitness for
the office and, also, of the fact of the
larger popular preference for him. The
Governor replied, in substance, that
similar claim had been made by the
supporters of other prominent candi-
dates, of whom there were three, Rep
resentative Grout, Hon. Henry @. Ide
and Hon. Charles A. Prouty. The evil
dence before him of majority popular
preference for any one of these emin-
ent gentlemen was not conclusive on
that point. Three Of these candidates
were his warm personal friends, but he
was not 80 we'll acquainted with Mr..
Ide. He believed it to be the right of
the people to an untrammeled choice
of successor to Mr.. Morrill,. From
the endorsements of these gentlemen
which had reached him by letter, by
petition, aud by other avenues, it was
impossible to decide which candidate
had q preponderance of preference.
Could he determine this he would
cheerfully execute the popular will.
Under the circumstances as they APP
peared to him, to appoint any one of
these candidates would be TO give him
an unfair and unwarrantable advantage
In the canvass for election by the Legis-
lature. The Governors declarations
were publicly accepted as the express
sion of final determination not to APP
point any member of the "big four"
and the announcement of the tender of
a senatorial commission to Mr.. Fifield
soon followed.
Next to the selection of the man who
was their immediate personal choice,
Mr.. Fifeld was probably the ~ st &C.
ceptable to the different groups who
were urging their favorites upon the
Chief Executives attention. Certain
ly Mr.. Dillingham; and his friends, who
honestly believed, and still believe,
from the manifestations on every hand,
that the people would choose him Sem
ator to- day by an overwhelming major
ity, accepted the Governors solution
of the embarrassing problem with good
grace, content to refer the whole matter
to popular arbitrament in 1900. Gov.
Smiths office in the case was judicial,
and his decision is entitled to respect
full consideration. Scoldng the court is
poor satisfaction, particularly when
ones cause is only temporarily lost.
Its decision in the present instance, at
the most, is merely pro forn1a, for the
purpose of appeal and final adjudica-
ton before higher tribunal. Respect
ing the judge who, all must assume,
has acted in this matter conscientionsly
and according to his honest convictions
and who would not be fit to be Gov
ernor if he followed any other guide in
the performance of duty-the friends
of Mr.. Dillingham; will try their case
before the people, on its merits, with
full assurance of final verdict in their
favor.
If Mr.. Fifeld shall finally accept
Governor Smiths commission, the new
Senator will perpetuate Vermont's ira
ditional renown in the United States
Senate. OF this no man who knows
Mr.. Fiield's ability to handle great
questions effectively and successfully
has any doubt Those who remember
his speech in this city, in the early
days of the memorable Garfield and
Arthur canvass of 1880, understand
what his powers are as public speak
er, the fullness of his knowledge of
public questions, and the extent of his
capacity to 60 to the very heart of diff
cult problems. That speech was an
exceedingly trenchant discussion of the
then existing political conditions and
national perils, attractive in presenta-
ton as romance and as convincing as
naked truth itself. Through the
months of the campaign that followed
the democratic orators, all over the
land, pecked away at the arguments of
that speech, but they never loosened a
stone in it's fabric of fact and reason. II
was circulated all over the North as q
campaign document, and no more eff
fective presentation of the Republican
cause was made during that historic