The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-01-07
The coIlectorship

The Colectorship
The Messenger has been trying to
understand what could be the logical
reasoning behind the proposition
considered by the Vermont delegat-
ion in Congress that there should be
a change in the customs collector
ship in the first district at the expir-
alton of the first four years service
of Charles H. Darling and it now
comes into print for the first time
concerning this matter to say with
some reluctance that il cannot quite
appreciate what force of argument
could have induced the delegation to
hold up the recommendation for
Judge Darling's reappointment, or
why that recommendation was not
made as a matter Of right and as a
matter of course.
There is no charge made that the
Office is not properly administered.
There is no charge made against
the private character and personal
fitness Of the incumbent
There is no pretence but that all
his predecessors under similar cir
cumstances have been re-appointed
What, then, can be the reason for
a change except the naked intention
to pass it around?"
Is that a good reason in this in
stance2 The Messenger will concede
that there is some merit, some JUS
tice and often a great deal of practi-
cal philosophy in the occasional re-
distribution of public Offices Our
political life would grow stagnant
and rising generations would have
diminished inducements to ambition,
if there were not some of the elem.
ents of the pass-it-around theory in
practical politics But practical pol
itics, yes, even practical politics,
should be founded upon certain prin-
ciples of fairness and reciprocal obi
cations that all men recognize as
fundamental laws of society There
cannot be one code for our politics
and another for our face to face re-
latiOns with our neighbOrs.
In this view, then, the Messenger
submits that, when a man takes such
an Office as the collectorship in the
knowledge that his predecessors
since the Civil War have each held
it at least eight years; with that fact
also plainly known to the Vermont
delegation in Congress and no hint
or suggestion thrown out by them at
the time that they intended to pro-
pose a change and reduce The tenure
, to Vrh hon a rplQr
such circumstances, changes his
place of residence and incurs all the
! expense of settling himself in a new
city and buying and making his
/ home there with the understanding,
shared by the rank and file of the
| people in the district that his tenure
was to be two terms-it is some
thing of hardship for that man to
/ be tapped on the shoulder on the last
day of his first term and told that
4 tomorrow he will be out OF a posit
ion. Any man would say that in all
fairness, he was entitled to sufficient
notice in order that he might make
his plans for the future.
There may be something of a
growing popular idea that the tenure
of this Office should be limited to foui
years but that is entirely an indepen
dent question If the delegation
does desire to make such Limitation
hereafter and the public generally IA
vors it, let the announcement be
be made now so that Judge Darling:
successor shall take Office fully in
formed and put upon notice. But the
question does not do away with the
implied good faith of Vermont tha
the present incumbent was appointo.
for eight years
There are various other arguments
or shades of these arguments tina
might be .adduced here, but enough
has been said, the Messenger trusts
to point out the issue squarely. l
does not involve the character an(
fitness of the excellent men that de
sire to succeed Judge Darling.
does not involve what policy the del
egation may pursue as to length o
term after Judge Darlings tenure /
complete. 1t simply involves doin
the square thing by man that tool
! Office understanding that he woul
have the square thing done by hin
The Messenger cannot believe tn
delegation does not desire and inten
! to do the square thing.-St. Alban
. Messenger.