Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1910-12-16
FRIDAY. DECEMBER l6. 1910.
The Same Old Story.


allow many members of the legisla-
ture are studying the bills before the
general assembly during the recess p
Montpelier Journal.
Commenting on the foregoing the St.
Albams Messenger says:
1t is hifle late to pass this pertinent
query on, 10 be sure, but it is none the
less deserving of wide circulation be-
cause it suggests the cause of an i'm
mense amount of misgovernment or
mistakes in governmental policy that
the state has to stand responsible for
every two years. Every Legislature in
cludes a splendid company Of men that
have been chosen because of special fit
ness aud training, men of undoubted
personal merit, civic worth and patriotic
aspirations and ideals. Add it also in
cludes perhaps even larger number OF
men that have taken their seats for the
mere opportune qualification of small
ambition; that have never seriously OBJ
served or studied the affairs of state ;
never deliberately inquired into the fun
damental principles of the organic law
of the polity founded upon it; that have
never sought to inform themselves upon
statutes already in force or upon the
merits of statutes proposed; that take
each days work at Montpelier as the
mere happen stance of occasion; ano
that never see or care for results thai
NAV follow their vote beyond the hori
zon of their own narrow life and ex
perience.
This is true of other states, to be sure
perhaps of many just as true as it is o
Vermont, but it is certainly true of Ver
mont for reasons that are not TO on
credit. We are prone to follow tw'
fallacies in choosing lawmakers in thi
state, two fallacies that return to plagu
us at each biennial session of the gen
eral assembly. One is that we too ofte
send this man or that man to Mon
peler lust because he is a good feiloN
aud it is "his turn. Good fellow as b
may be, the question whether he is pal
ticularly fitted for the position OF Law
maker or not is not allowed to coun
1t is "his turn. The other is that "
choose representatives. from certai
locality in town or from a certal
town in a county because it is tt
"turn" of that locality or town to fur'
ish the legislator. In other words, ont
in so often we must find lawmaker
such and such place, whether there
one there or not. The curiously inver
ed idea appears to be that the place
to be represented at Montpelier and M
the people. And generally when v
follow that practice we find that IL
man chosen to represent the place wi
represent it better by staying in it.
All this has been pointed out al
dwet upon in newspaper editorials
speeches from the platform, in conve
sation on the sidewalks for years al
years. And there does not yet appe
to be any very appreciate change. "
continue to do our public business
this same old irresponsible, indifferel
good-natured tolerant manner.
But not man that reads these lin
would for one moment think of hiril
as an agent in his own private busine
one with such little aptitude, experien
or qualifications as many a candida
whom he has helped to elect to do t
greater business of this state.
1t is little wonder that, even TAXI
the most optimistic view of our repub
can form of government, we often q
put to wonder how through all the
years we have succeeded in maintain
as good government as we have. A
sometimes it would seem to be in sp
of our endeavors rather than because
them.