Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1912-12-04

More Railroad Speculation.

The Montpelier Journal says: 1T
is also understood that surveyors are
at work making a thorough survey of
a line from Newport through Troy,
Westfeld. Lowell, into Eden to connect
with asbestos mines. The Central
Vermont is surveying a road from
Montpelier via Hardwick to the mines
which would complete the circuit"
The MOrriSville Messenger says
1T is pretty generally understood at
Montpelier that the New Haven sys-
tenn is behind the big deal just closed
by Boston parties whereby they acquire
the control of all the electric power,
light, and transportation companies in
that vicinity. 1t is also talked that an
electric railroad from Montpelier to
Essex Junction to connect with the
Burlington system there and with the
Stowe electric railroad at Waterbury,
which is to be extended to Morrisville,
is part of the plan of the men be-
hind this big business transaction.
II this is done the main line from
Montpelier to Burlington will undoubt-
eddy be built as thoroughly as any
steam road so that express service at
high speed can be maintained as we'll
as local service. In the end such a
road could be easily made into a steam
railroad, if necessary. 1t is evident
that Vermont, especially the central
portion, is on the eve of great cleo
trio railroad development.
Plurality Election of State Officers.
Hereafter the governor, councillors
and state senators in New Hampshire
will be elected by plurality instead of
majority. In Vermont we are likely
to hold on to the majority idea for a
while longer.-Ludlow Tribune.
And foOlshly, too. If the voters of
Vermont stop to consider that they
are apt to disfranchise themselves by
adhering to this majority rule, they
might be induced to change to plural
ity. Failure to elect by majority
throws the election of governor into
the legislature and leaves to COM
paratively few and uninstructed men
the privilege Of choosing the chief
executive Of the state and other
officers. The members of the legs-
lature are not elected on gubernatoria
preference and, therefore, they are
not in a position to represent accur
ately the sentiments of their constitu
ents nor are they bound to respect the
ruling sentiment OIL CT0lf communities
as far as political lines are concerned
albeit they generally do. In fact, i
is rather uncertain bestowal of the
very important business of electin2
our state officials.
1t would be far better for the voter
of the commonwealth to reta tn,
right of electin2 their own officials b,
making a deadlock all but impossible
Plurality elections by an electorate O
one hundred thousand voters are no
likely to result in a tie vote betwee
the leading candidates; hence, Their
would be practically no chance TO
throwing the election into the legisla
ture. Moreover, the plurality O
votes Indicates a preponderance @
sentiment among the voters, which
virtually, is as strong as a majority
especially in cases where there is
multiplicity Of candidates as preser
day conditions bring out. Anothe
three party fight in 1914 is sure t
throw the election into the legislatul
again; and the only way for the votel
to avoid being robbed of the
franchise privilege is oy demanding
plurality election of state officers,
New Hampshire has done.-Bar
Times.