The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-11-15
The Public's Business


Governor Mead, following in the
footsteps of the most of his predeces-
sors, has sent his nominations OF GER
tain state officers to the senate In a
secret message and the senate has
considered and confirmed those nom
nations in the executive session.
The result is that the first knowledge
that the people of the state Of Yer
mont had of the transaction of this
business (Which is their business)
was when appointments were con-
firmed, the appointees installed and
it was too late even to offer a sug-
gestion for or against any one OF the
men made the peoples servants. The
whole affair was conducted as 1t has
been with but one exception for
many years past, under the cover Of
secrecy. and the people were never
once taken into confidence by the
man they chose to do their own busl-
ness for them.
Now, the Messenger has no fault
to find with these appointees because
1t Is glad to see them appointed. II
has no criticism to make OF Governor
Mead's selection of them for appoint
ment for the same reason. But 1t
does protest against the manner Of
their appointment as II has protested
on like occasions for many years and
it will continue to protest until the
method is changed.
The people elect the governor to
make these nominations for them and
in their name and behalf. He Is the
one and only officer of the state gov
eminent charged with the RESPONSE
bility of this duty who Is elected by
all the people; the senators who have
share in confirming his appoint
ments are merely representative OF
parts OF the state and population and
are supposed to reflect local sentim-
ent rather than the collective will
OF the commonwealth. The Messen-
ger insists now, as IL has many times
before that the people of the state OF
Vermont have a right to know what
men the governor proposes TO appoint
to the public service In their name
before they are confirmed by the sen
ate and 1t is too late to exercise an In
fiuence toward keeping them out OF
office. This whole business pf Sc
crecy and mystery. this whole para
phernalia 81 Star Chamber method is
contrary to the spirit of our American
Institution.
Il is utterly inconsistent with the
genius OF our republican form OF gov
eminent that the people should wake
up some morning to find certain men
In public office whom they did not
even know were nominated for 1t.
The governor OF Vermont should
take the people into his confidence
when he sends nominations for these
Offices to the senate and the people
In whose name he is doing this bus
mess should know the nature and
precise detail OF the business he is
doing in their name. When the nom.
nations are sent from the executive
chamber to the senate they should be
published to the state and the peo-
pie should be given an opportunity
to communicate their Views TO the
senators, II they have any to express
before the nominations are confirm
ed.
The Messenger has argued this pro
position year after year without sue
cess, but II is not discouraged II
takes some comfort from the fact
that the plan Il proposes Is exactly
the plan followed by the nationa
government at Washington. Wher
the president OF the United States
sends his nomination to public Office L
the senate. those nominations ar,
at the very same time published e
the country at large, and all the peo
Pile are put upon notice as to wha
the president has done In their name
In which the people have made such ,
lprotest against the confirming o
some nomination that the Senate hal
rejected Il and the president hal
been obliged 10 make another choice
A contemporary says In It's stor.
OF the legislative proceedings:
These appointments we're sent 4
the senate yesterday accompanied b,
request from the governor tina
they be considered In executive SEES
sion and under rule were requires
to lie "a hours before action was IA
ken. Three OF the names sent TO IN
senate were made public this morn
ing long before the senate could TAX
action on them which caused consit
cradle comment In that body. On
OF the members said that he suppol
ed the reason for the request that IN
appointments be considered I'm exect
tive session was to prevent any en-
barrassment that might arise throug
the refusal OF the senate to confirr
any Of the names and he consldere
that II the names were going TO b
made public through the source h
had reason to think these were tina
there was no use In the senate hol,
Ing up the publication OF the journs
and taking the other precautions 70
secrecy L rather I'm the light OF n
Insult TO the senate"
Does the Senate OF the Unite
States undertake to shirk re respor