The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-26
1ermtont MMcttntan.
QUITE OUT OF THE ORDINARY.

The Rutland Herald in it's report n
of Lieutenant Governor Mead's speech Il
following the organization of Mead
Club in the Marble City, says:
Or Mead stated that he intended -
to propose legislation along certain a
lines He wanted to attempt several
things that were out of the ordinary. =
The work of personally reviewing all 7
bills was too much for one man to do \
properly and in the best interests OF E
the State, as the Governor is now
expected to do. If elected, the doctor
would have at his right hand as ad-
wiser in these matters one who he 6
helped him greatly by his advice tr .mx
far in his campaign. Senator D. L..
Lewis would be with him at Mo- Jtnal-
Ter to help him, He would ais q sur-
round himself with other eanable
men,"
In this announcement he, is giving
striking illustration of. his state
ment that he wants to ATTEMPT things
out of the ordinary. This suggestion
is decidedly out of the ordinary. 1t
is a proposal to establish an extra
constitutional sldviser to whom he
shall delegate some of his duties as
Governor. Apparently he would as
sign to Mr.. Lewis the task of passing
judgment upon certain bills. The in
terence would be that if Mr. Lewis
as Governor, would sign them, while
if he disapproved, they would be We
toed. Whether Doctor Mead would
pay for such service, or whether
er Mr. Lewis would give his time and
services as a further evidence of his
great friendship for the Rutland man,
is not announced. Certainly there is
no legal provision for payment by the
State for such services.
In defining the duties of the Attor-
ney General the Public Statutes de-
clare that Said Attorney General
shall advise the elective and appoint
i've State officers on questions of law
relating to their official duties and
shall advise the elective and appoint
such matters when so requested" The
law would indicate that the Cover
nor shall ask advice of the ATTORNEY
General when he is in doubt as to any
legal question. If ne does not seek
such advice then, according to the
program of Doctor Mead, he sets UP
sort of Deputy Governor, not chosen
by the people, or responsible to anyone
but himself, to pass upon the mea-
sures enacted by the representatives
of the people of Vermont, legally cbo-
sen
The last phrase, that "he would sur
round himself with other capable
men, is delightfully."- indefinite, but
apparently points to more advisers of
similar nature to Mr.. Lewis,
though, perhaps, Of lesser influence.
Surely this attempt is out of the
ordinary. Whether the people of the
State will think more highly of the
Mead candidacy because of this pro-
posal may well be doubted. The prob
ability is that the other gubernatorial
candidates will feel equal to the con-
sideration of all bills passed by the
House and Senate, as provided by
law. The Mead papers have been very
active in resenting the suggestion
that their candidate was too old to
perform the duties of the office and
have cited instances 20 show with
what vigor he performed the most
difficult tasks, and yet it is admitted
by Doctor Mead himself that the
work of reviewing these bills is TOO
great task for one man to attend
TO personally. Is this an evidence OF
WEAKNESS on the part of the Doctor ?
Is he incapable of doing the same
amount of work that his predecessors
have done, or does ne hold that they
nave hot performed their task thor
oughly and we'll? If Doctor Mead
proposes, if elected Governor, to del
sgate any other powers to persons of
his own choosing, whom the Senate
need not confirm, let us know the
facts now and the persons whom he
proposes to appoint This proposal
is, indeed, most extraordinary.
STAND FOR SOMETHING.