Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1909-06-03
A Correspondent OF the NOrthfield

appeal 10 all unpreJudiccd observers
and students OF legislative representa-
ton. The correspondent asks II the
representative would not deprive the
smaller towns OF It's representative
continually. He holds that II the size
Of the Legislature is reduced. 1t will
be only q short time before lawyers.
bankers and insurance men with a
few rich farmers mixed in" will con-
stitute the Legislature, who will vots
eight times out Of ten in favor Of their
own interests. The correspondent
adds:
The history Of our last Legislature
proves 1t. when few lawyers and In
surance men defeat tax reform laws
which were wanted by q vast ma iority
OF the voters OF the state. but OF
course they being the great and
mighty. they knew better what We
wanted than we knew ourselves. Thoy
Of course had read Waylands series
Of political economy and wanted laws
formed along those lines.
In commenting upon the points raised
by the correspondent Editor whitney
says:
In another column an esteemed cor
respondent discusses town representa-
ton and favors a continuance Of the
present system Of making the town
the unit for representation in the
Legislature. While the News believes
It fair and wise policy to allow tho
smaller towns a majority Of represent
atives IN the General Assembly as at
present It is OF the opinion that n re-
duced membership would be advan-
tageous.
AS has been previously suggested. an
euuita BILE plan to attain this end would
perhaps be to allow one representative
for each town having 1000 or more
inhabitants and grouping the towns OF
less than that population, allowing one
representative for each 1000 as near
as practical. Provisions could be made
for rotation so that no town in a
group would have an advantage over
the others in the selection of a repre-
sentative. as suggested by the corre-
spondent
On the proposed basis the reprcsen-
something like 100 members Then IL
It could be arranged and it seems pos
sble. so that one-half Of the members
be returned at each session the state
would have a good number of expert
enced legislators. who ought to be able
to get down to business early in ses
sion, get through with the work in
good season-and go home. The plan
would somewhat curtail the passing
around of honors, but there are more
important considerations than in send
ing a townsmar to the Legislature
simply because 1t Is his turn
OF course 1t is quite possible that
Legislators are inclined to vote to
greater or less extent in their own in
terests as Mr.. Neill suggests. and per-
hapa block desirable legislation: but
as II appears to the News this would
happen to no greater extent in small
Ter General Assembly The only rem
edy for seiishness in this matter is an
awakened public sentiment.
The objection to a straight district
system regardless of town lines would
be that the large towns would gain
greatly in representation. and in this
it is doubtful II the State as whole
! would he as we'll served as in the
method suggested above.
The very fact that the last Lesisla-
ture refused to pass the legislation
favored by the correspondent. Is the
best answer to his contention that tho
a large Legislature are to be retained
because they tend to promote the In
terests OF the common people. 1t Is a
notorious fact that the last Legisla-
ture refused to be led by anybody. and
it is consequently unfair to those who
were qualified by ability and expert
ence to lead to charge them with the
defeat of measures advocated by the
people
Experience counts in Legislative mat
tiers as we'll as In other fields OF activ-
ity and progress. and Editor Whitney
is on the right track when he suggests
some system that will ensure the re-
| tention OF certain proportion OF tho
legislators more than one term In or
der to meet this requirement.
Let us summarize again the PROPOSE
| ton to reduce the size Of the House to
about $50 members. the size of the
popular branch OF the New York Legis-
lature.
Let the representatives be divided
| among the different counties on an
| equitable basis. say of population. out
provide that In no case shall a town or
city have more than one representa-
tive. If 1t is necessary to put several
towns in a district. provide. as the
Mortified News suggests. that each
| town shall have representative in
rotation, thus making certain that the
| representative of each will look out
for the interests Of the partner towns,
as the town in question will want to
be looked after when the representa-
ton passes to a neighborine town.
| This plan would keep the balance OF
power In the hands OF the small towns.
and thus check radical tendencies mat
might appear In the larger centers OF
population; It would assure according
to experience more careful and EN-
cient body Of Legislators, and II would
save to the state treasury many thou
| o. n nf al