The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-01-09
What Ex-GOU. Fletcher Said
About appointment of .juIges

Following is an exact transcript of
Governor Fletcher s statement on the
much-discussed topic of appointment of
Judges, made in the course of his re-
firing message to the legislature:
now call your attention to the APP
pointment of judges. 1t is for YOU to
pass upon the quality OF citizenship
and the motive Of those who seek to
influence celebrating body either be-
fore or after that body completes it's
organization and l shall not in any way
try to do so. [ shall confne myself as
far as possible entirely to facts.
Gentlemen of Vermont, there is in
the breasts of every self respecting
man sense of fairness. To that /
shall speak for few moments. During
| the last Legislature probably when it
was one-third over the gentlemen who
| then represented the city of st. Adams.
| Mr.. Watson, and the then senator from
| Orange county, they at that time be-
ing the reference commission or com
mission of the joint assembly came to
my office and said: "GOvernor. we
wish you to submit to the supreme
court certain questions Mr. Watson
said, spea king relative to constitutional
amendments then pending before the
|
preston and belief as a lawyer that if
these constitutional amendments are
passed by the legislature and are pass
ed by the state you win be confronted
and the state will be confronted with a
condition where the executive will have
to appoint, and he will have to appoint
for the constitutional form and that
condition will continue until the consti
tuition can be changed The then sen
atOr from Orange county did not Who'll
| ~ agree with the gentleman from St
Adams and therefore they wished thi,
: question presented to the supreme cour
in order that they might both vote ant
. act intelhgently. There was no one I,
present the matter to the supreme cour
but the executive and ! complied witt
their requests. The court had that mat
c ter under consideration about thre
, weeks and then the chief justice cam
to ME with a pro forma opinion undo
the statute that / had the authority {
ask for advice. He informed me tn
unanimous opinion Of that court wa
o exactly squarely along the lines tina
Mr.. Watson Of St. Adams had take
and he submitted to me certain men
! orandum dealing upon certain Me-
{ York decisions in handwriting Of jude
o Watson. Now | delivered that MESA .
:. TO Mr.. Watson of ST. Adams and whe
shat question came up here in tn
." House of Representatives, he told the
lt exactly what would take place if the
e passed those constitutional amen,
/ ments. There was no deception on h
part or on the executive's part or c
The part of anybody else so far as
'nOw. What attitude the senator fro
&c Orange county took in the Senate
= know not. 1t cannot be said, gentl
men, that the state of Vermont hf
n been deceived about this matter wht
ne its representatives, in the general a
% sembly were thoroughly advised al
-, were told what would take place. No
= this matter was discussed within II
II state last December and the govern
OF vas faced with the proposition of VIII
Ell he could do. He had the advise of t
supreme court, his statutory office
NJ Whose advice should he take!