The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-06-20
A Governors Appointments

THE st. Adams Messenger isn't in
sympathy with the scheme of appoint
ment that exists in Vermont. II
does not believe in a governor send
ing nominations to the senate which,
acting behind closed doors, will
either confirm or reject. 1t thinks
that better results would be obtained
If the public knew what men the
governor had in mind.
Such system as The Messenger
favors could perhaps be inaugurated
by providing that the governor might
appoint by and with the advice and
consent of the newspaper Well
President Taft tried a similar sys-
TEN in connection with some of his
judicial appointments. 1t proved TO
be sorry failure. For governor
or a president to attempt to shift to
the newspapers and the public a
part of the responsibility which the
law has placed elsewhere is not a
particularly wise or dignified pro-
ceeding. Let the people elect or let
the executive appoint. To mix the
two ideas leads to the elimination of
the sense of responsibility and a
consequent deterioration in the. char
acter of the appointees.
when will Vermont be progress
sive enough to do away with elect
ions for judicial Offices and fill such
positions by executive appointment
during good behavior? We trust that
we are giving no offense in using the
word Progressive in its literal rath-
er than in its political or Pickwick-
ian sense. Windsor Journal.
So The Journal believes in safety
neutrality-suspicious., does it?
That Is indeed strange. Mr.. Taft
wasn't the first executive to try let
ting the people know first whom he
was considering for such and such an.
Office. II is the fedral plan. 1t is
the best plan in all advanced govern
ments, where the people are given a
voice in the government II is the
Woodrow Wilson plan today. The
present president gives up a part of
his time every week to the correson-
dents in Washington. for Mr.. Wilson
knows the good that comes from
honest publicity. And the lists Of
possible appointees that appear now
and then. what of them? Why are
they published? Simply that Mr..
Wilson may know whether he Is
meeting the public wish or not.
That the President should want to
meet the public wish is nothing to
his disfavor The President himself
is in office purely and simply because
il is the wish of the people that 1.
be there. II is his duty to meet The
wishes of the people as he sees them
during his term of Office. II may be
that in his larger understanding he
may recognize that a present popular
desire Is mere fancy which will soon
pass away and so will seem to disre-
gard II, and. IL this craftsmanship is
inclusive, he is on safe ground in so
doing and the public itself will come
to recognize his larger vision.
Now. the proposition is simply this,
as The Messenger sees Il: The ap-
pointed official serves the people as
much as does the one elected. The
public has a right TO be served by
good honest. conscientious officials.
The public has a right to offer sug-
gestions TO its executive. be he presi-
dent. governor. or mayor. For a pres
ident. a governor. or mayor is no
more and not less than a servant of
the people. and the master has the
right to make suggestions as to how
his affairs shall be conducted. AS to
The Journals touching upon the cleo
ton Of judges. that is another field.
The Messenger was discussing ap-
pointments, and il believes and ins
sists that II. In company with every
other paper in the state. has a right
TO discuss prospective appointments.
and Il further insists that the people
have a right to know whom their
governor Is considering to do their
work for them. And IL is something
larger than a right for a newspaper
% enter into such discussion. II IL a
iuty. For the public ought 70 know