Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-12-20
GOVERNING AND LONGEVITY.


The death of former Governor George
w. Hendec has served to call attention
anew to the unusually large number OF
Ok governors of whom Vermont boasts
and to lead some of our contemporaries
to comment on the various Influences
which may conduce to the longevity Of
teresting one from the standpoint of
government and right living as we'll as an
academic point of view, and it might be
considered from many sides. The esteemed
the matter under the head why the
longevity of our ex-governor" in the fol-
lowing interesting manner:
The death Of ex-Gov. rIendee again
line of living ex-governors, of whom
prior to his death. there were fifteen,
n larger number by more than double
those of any other state in the Union.
Can this fact DO accounted for upon
any other theory than that Vermont
calls to the executive chair a class of
mon, the calm serenity Of whose pr-
vate lives. MS whole. Is a little SUI
peror to those OF her sister States?
The pure water which flows down
our mountain sides. the pure air
which is the proverbal possession Of
our mountain State. may account in
part for the superior longevity of our
Vermont governors. but may it not
be true that the public men of other
States live faster than those of Yer
mont? Far be 1t from us to speak dis
respectfully Of the executives of our
sister States: but we are confronted
with fact and not theory, and It
seems to us that that fact is worthy
Of consideration.
| One State has only one living ex.
governor and we believe that no
State except Vermont has more than
seven. and that We should have four
teen it seems to us warrants some
thing more than n passing comment
Does It not speak volumes for the up
rlghtness, sanity, temnerance and
purity Of the men which Vermont
calls to occupy the executive chair
Think over the list from Holbrook of
GO to Proctor Of 'O5 and see If vow
recall the names Of any who do not
measure up to hieh standard IN
this fact that We largely owe our SUI
reriority in the matter of the longev-
lily of OUR ex-Eovernors? And II this
Is so. does not the fact constitute an OBJ
feet lesson we'll worth emphasizing?
This is all true. but there are various
other considerations which may apply
in this connection. In the first place it
Is to be noted that our one term rule en-
ables us TO grind out an ex-governor
every two years, and this accounts in
part for our unusually large number of
former governors. Our rapid executive
transit system completely counteract'
that old time saw about some officers
that few die and none resign, so far as
vacancies are concerned. We do not give
our governors time to either die In office
or resign. In fact they do not have time
! to injure their health by overwork-
ing.
We are constrained to comment on the
statement of our esteemed contemporary
pagation of the idea that occupation OF
the States executive chair conduces to
) increased longevity for even sons of the
Green Mountain State may cause more
of a rush for the office than is witnessed
= every time the office jumps the "moun
tain line" particularly in an easterly
direction. We feel it to be public duty
3 to controvert this claim, and if we are
! successful. we shall hold that we have
3 performed distinct public service. that is
I to present and possible gubernatoria
candidates.
r Now according to statistic, thu
man who is seduously seeking lonsevit!
can do much better than to run for COVER
-: nor. Instead of listening to the buzzint
= longevity should move to Vergennes.
r If the statistcian who made the can
0 vass in Vermont's most ancient as wei
as smallest city, Is correct, tina
+ eighty-one persons who are over sevent.
q years of age. and of these three ar
q over ninety, twenty-five are between
+ eighty and ninety and fifty-three are be
6 tween seventy and eighty. 1t follows tina
our governors are not the only Yer
, monitors who live to a ripe old age
= although they are excellent examples o
, lon sev!ty as we'll as of right living.
C ON the whole we would say, if 20
), want to live unusually long and b
l., happy, move to Nergenncs.
=. If, however, you are determined to hol
,r office, move to Brattleboro.
y, VERMONT MEN As NEW YORK Ed
TORS.
u, Various sons Of Vermont have figure
IN, NIT II tI,o