Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-04-16
UNWRlTTEN RULES.

lican party. These are the mountain
rule and the "non-promotion rule.
The former is much the older, the
latter having been tacitly adopted and
observed since U. A. Woodbury., then
acknowledgement, was defeated in
1890 by Carroll 5. Page. We are not
certain when the mountain rule came
into vogue, but it must have been
many years ago, since the governor
ship has swung back and forth, from
one side of the state to the other, as
long as we can remember.
A good deal of consideration has
been given in years past and is now
being directed to the wisdom or I'M
wisdom OF these two rules, particularly
the mountain rule. II is held by some
to be ridiculous limitation. without
sufficient basis in justice to warrant its
continuance. Let us pick out the best
man for governor, wherever he lives,
and elect him, they say. And the
larger the field of choice the more
likelihood there is OF securing strong
man.
These are good points, not TO be
lightly considered. Nobody viii con-
tend that weak man should be chosen
from the East side when a strong man
is available from the West side merely
because it is the East sides "turn."
Vermont wants and needs good, strong
men always for governors. But the
situation generally, we may say in
yariably, is that neither side of the
state has even temporary monopoly
of all the men who are good enough
and strong enough to serve the state
creditably as chief executive. Nor
does any one man tower so high above
bis fellows. even on his own side, as
not to have plenty Of opposition from
those who believe another or others 10
be better qualified and better entitled
to the office. There are at least one
hundred men in Vermont today who
would wear the gubernatorial toga
single sag in the garment
men as capable as the average gov
srnor OF the past twenty years-and If
A hundred men were to name in secret
the one best qualified. it's fair guess
hat no ten OF them would agree.
We're they to thus name the man with
1ut any regard to the mountain rule.
not more than a small majority would
be found to have selected their candi-
iates from one side of the state.
That's the situation, gentlemen. and
,ut of it has grown the mountain
'ule-a rule OF expediency, pure and
simple, not to be observed when there
s good reason for non-observance, but
erving the purpose of securing a fair
md equable' division of the governors
ERIN among the many good men
Rules like this are common in all
tates. They are common in all
ounties and towns in the filling OF
fices. Sometimes they work poorly
nd sometimes it is well to disregard
hem, but they are based on pretty
rood common sense after all-the
heory that one patch OF earth is about
S likely to produce good men as
mother, and that il this is so it ought
o be fairly treated in the matter of
'ffice. Vermont has chosen its two
United States senators in due observ-
nee of the mountain rule so long
hat many people think it is prescribed
" law, yet Vermont has never sent
weak man to the Senate in conse-
Iuence, or chosen one manifestly the
Inferior of some other. We do not
e-elect our governors. and there is
very incentive for a strong man to
continue in his good works with the
prospect that in due time the claims of
lis locality will bring him to the front.
As to the non-promotion rule, it
loes not seem to be well founded. /
Is tendency is to draw small men to
he lieutenant-governorship-a really
otiice-and to bury them
here. If the state gets a strong man.
t is generally at the sacrifice OF his |
political future. Thus it works poorly |
10Th ways. There is no reason why
trong man who has served well as
acknowledgements should not aspire
o the higher seat, but rather plenty |
# reason why he should. The nom
promotion rule grew out of the protest
aised against the promotion rule, the |
practice OF showing up
acknowledgements, whatever their
alibre, simply because they had man
ged to squeeze into line two wears 4