The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-09-03
ALAS, OUR BAYARD!

ALIAS Jun bA L AMI
1t is not surprising that our nimble
friend of the st. Adams Messenger
plunges far back into the dim shad
owy realms of ancient legendary story
to find something to put up against
the Journals recent defense of THE
mountain e'-under normal condi.
tions. He could find nothing in the
real facts of ancient history, sacred OF
profane. Within the limits of Ammo
Domini and 1908, there is not peg
on which could be hung real sub
stantial argument against the prin-
ciple or practice of geographical dis
tribution of Office in a government by
the people So, under stress of ad-
verse circumstances, the the contem
porary retreats into the shelter of
very ancient and misty legendary
times, far outside the precincts, not
merely of recorded history, but of
times infinitely remote from the trail
of plausible invention, to find bluff
to stiffen up his protest against very
wholesome republican custom CT
rule" which, possibly in the interest
of some political exigency i'll the not
distant future, it may be proposed to
abrogate
With its wonted impulsiveness,
the Messenger had said that the conse-
quence of the mountain rule" in
respect of the governorship, had often
been creeping mediocrity in the office
OF the Chief Executive. TIE Journal
asked the contemporary for particulars.
The answer is reprinted elsewhere in
the these columns. The Messenger
ducks. That's not the way with re-
formers Of the real stuff. 1t AYERS
that the Journal, in making this re-
quest, knows itself to be perfectly
safe. - That's a terrible confession
the contemporary makes of lack of
courage. He won't specify. We had
been accustomed to regard our friend
as the Bayard of Vermont journalism,
always booted and spurred, his amor
on, his lance in rest, like his medic
val prototype in history and chivalry,
ready for a dashing tilt in the cause
he had espoused.
Reform never comes from general
tiles in it's advocacy or support. Re-
formers in the church. like the in
domitable Luther, retormers in gov
eminent, like the iron headed Crom-
well or the resolute Hampton, and
their compeers, like bold John Adams
and sturdy Thomas Jefferson, and
their stout companions in rebellion,
are intensely personal in their war
fare for the rights of men, in religious
or civil affairs They hit hard, and
are not too tender of mems feelings
in showing cause for their courses or
defending a proposition or pushing
principles to success.
Now, if the Vermont Procrustes
should catch the faltering Messenger
and measure the contemporary on mis-
bed Of iron, we greatly fear he would
be found too short in stature for a real
hero in the proposed reform of the
mountain line heresy. There might
be large space between the victims
feet and the footboard, so that, to
make heroic fit, Procrustes must
needs stretch the deficient bones and
sinews, and pull the delinquent joints
asunder. A reformer should beware
of too great tenderness or timidity.
The Pigment of the Messengers
brain that, under the existing custom,
the choice of a Governor for the whole
State is narrowed down to seven
counties, needs only to be mentioned
to be dispelled. For establishments
search the history of State conven-
tions, recent and remote. Incompe-
tent men, or men of mediocrity, may
have been nominated and elected to
the office of Governor, and would con-
tinue to be if the mountain ridge
and the custom begotten of it were
wiped out of existence-as they have
been in States having no hills for
mountain line. The rule and the
choice of nominating conventions, in
iosPoOp VI houioOiiuJ VI ohhuiualen
chosen, do not stand in the relation
of cause and effect.
1t may be noted that the political
line and the geographical line are not
always one and the same thing. On
which side of the line was Dilling-
ham of Waterbury in 1888, or Page of
Hyde Park in 1890? Politically, the
former was on the east side, geograph-
ically on the west; the latter was
politically ON the west side; geograph-
ically, the surveyors compass and