Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-01-30
Officers for 1902.

les have no wish TO Deprive any town Of
its representative, but demand that add
tional representatives be given in prop r
ton to population. say one to so NAM
thousand inhabitants. This would be in
accordance with tho spirit of American
government Each city or town wyu1l
then have an equitable presentation
wit hout obliternting town lines To he
sure, such a change would still give the
smaller towns an unlue innuense in yhao-
ing legislation but It would be better than
minority rule.
How long shall the present system Of
representation in the lower branch Of tn,
vermont Legislature continue? Condi-
tons have undergone a great change since
the town system was ado pied. 1t Is not
in accordance with good government thai
a town like Baltimore with n population of
81. or st. George with % inhabitants
should have equal representation with
Barre or Burlington. Yet the political
leaders In the State do nothing to correct
this monstrous inequality. While admit
ting the rank Injustice Of such a system
They seem too ttrnid to make n move that
Will give the majority of voters their
rights.
SENATOR PROCTOR AND CUBA.
From the New York Mail and Eypress.)
That the friends Of protection should be
the most pronounced advocates Of recipro-
city with Cuba Is forcibly shown ~ Seua-
tor Proctor Of Vermont. He makes the
point that 70 deny Cuba concessions in
duties upon sugar and tobacco sufficient
10 insure the prosperity CT its people will
be to invite future attack upon protection
to our own industries. Mr.. Proctor thus
joins such other pronounced defenders Of
protection rs Senators Plat of Conrccti-
cut, and Gallirger Of New Hampshire. in
favorlng legislation that shall mean indus
trial prosperity and social order In the isl
and to which We have given civil liberty
The republican majC rity in Congress will
be responsible for the welfare Of Cuba.
The administration has made its attitude
plain, through the Presidents m~essage.
tho report of the secretary OF war AMI the
utterances of Gen. Wood. The President
reiterated his own position the other dav,
when he told a delegation frcm Michigan
that both duty and expectancy argued for
concessions &c Cuba. 1t is not a question
of whose capital is to be made profitable.
1t is a '~IucstiCr of permitting the labor of
the island to find employment at living
wages.
THE LIEUTENANT GOVERNORSHIP
From the st. Johnsbury Republican,
OF the several good men suggested for
the office of lieutenant governor not one
IS better qualified for the position, or has
done more faithful work for his party
than Hon. f. w. Baldwin of Barton.
He was a member of the republican
State committee from 1884 to 1894. two
years of which time he was its secretary
and treasurer and six its chairman. lie
vas secretary of the Senate fr m 1874 TO
1850. member Of the House from carton in
1895 and of the Senate from Orleans COIN
ty in 100, ard was unanimously elected
its president FRO ten p
A Selfish DEMAND.
(From the Montpelier Argus)
The National Board Of Trade today
adopted a resolution recommending that
the term OF the President Of the United
States shall be six years and that he
shall be ineligible to reelection. SO says
a press despatch from Washington.
Similar resolutions are frequently adj
opted by business organizations. We Al
ways regret to learn OF it. Business in
terests are important and entitled to a
great deal of consideration on the part Of
the government. They get it.
A political campaign is almost always
unsettling to business. The change Of
politics that come with a new political
administration, or that threatens dur.ng
the campaign. affects busiN s. conditions.
business men want the term Of the ad-
ministratiou heightened for their benefit.
They ought not to have it.
Inc reason Is pldlNlN stated IN the con-
stitution Of Vermont, thus:
That a frequent recurrence to funda-
mental principles"S'are absolutely neces-
sarY 10 preserve the blessings OF liberty
and keep government free
We have the frequent recurrence to
fundamental principles when parties go
before the I, ople with their platforms
and ask the election of their caudida,as.
1t may be claimed that Vermont has de-
parted from this sound teaching in
making elections BIZ nNial instead Of an
nual. Perhaps that might be true If the
majority party here did not have so
strong a majority. Massachusetts, has
retained annual elections with good re
suits.
Nothing that will lessen popular interest
in political affairs is d sirablc. The
government rests on the people and is
continuance depends on the interest its
citizens feel and their fitness for con-
Quoting its affairs.
Less frequent elections, by giving the
people less opportunity for participating in
the affairs of the government, tend o
gradually place its affairs in the hands Of
the politicians and develope q ruling cla 5
Popular government brings duties, bu~-
dons. responsibilities. 1t is the part Of
good citizenship to bear them uncomp ain
iuElv and business men must bear thci'
burdens like the rest, The maintenanc"
OF our form and method Of government s
worth all 1t costs.
REMARKABLE CASE OF HEART
FAILURE.
From the Rutland Nfws)
During the parade of the band attached
to the minstrel show Of John w kct-
chum of Vcrgennes at Richtord the other
dav, a horse dropped dead. The animal
perhaps imagined that Cashier r, Henry
Lewis ct al OF the Farmers National bank
were bringing up the rear and preferred
simple heart-fatlure to skinninG
SIZE OF THE RUTLAND DRINK.
(From the Randolph Herald)
The Rutland Herald has it all figured
out. The city liquor agency sold so many
gallons OF liquor last year; there are so
many drinks TO the gallon, ergo, Rutland
took ISL drinks per hour last year. There
may he flaws In this Cal0ulatton The
Rutland drink, regulation size, Is said to
De considerably in excess of the normal.
IT wouldn't be surprising If the thine hg-
ured down to IT'S or possibly Ii, drinks per
hour ANYHOW the Herald admits that