Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1916-08-16
VERMONT'S MOUNTAIN RULE
CONTINUED FROM PAGE TWO

northeast corner of Wallingford;
thence south on the east lines OF Wal
lingford, Mount Tabor, Peru, Winhall
and Stratton to the southeast corner of
the latter town, and west on the south
line of Stratton to the northwest corner
of Somerset, to the southwest corner
thereof; thence east to the northwest
corner of Wilmington and Nottingham
to the north line of Massachusetts,. -
(See Nap Al
The legislature at it's March session
holden at Rutland, 1897, divided the
state into eleven counties, Addison,
Bennington, Chittenden, Franklin and
Rutland, on the west side, and Gale
donia, Essex. Orleans, Orange, Wind
ham and Windsor on the east side of
the Green Mountains. In 1902, Grand
Isle was carved out; in 1914, Washing
ton; in 1885, Lamoille, making fourteen
counties, seven on the west side and
seven on the east side, the mountain
range being substantially the line
dividing these counties, with the
exception of the last organized; La
noble. This county is divided by the
mountain range. (See Map b.
Since Vermont was admitted into the
Union, or for the past 125 years, so
different men have been elected gov
ernor of Vermont, % from the west
side, and q from the east side of the
mountain, and since 1861, or for the
past "a years, 27 governors have resld-
ed upon the west side and 27 upon the
east side of the mountain, for the past
90 years % Of Vermont's governors
have resided on the west side, and 20
to the east side of the mountains.
From 1871 to 1926. "a years, Yer
mont's governors were elected from
the west side and the lieutenant govern
ors from the east side. Since 1926,
of the 43 lieutenant governors elected,
% have resided on the west and 20 on
the east side. Since biennial elections
have been established, the positions of
governor and lieutenant governor have
alternated between the sides of the
mountains
Since 1871, to the present time,
there have been % different persons
elected to the office of United States
senator, and one has been elected from
the west side and the other from the
east side, with but two exceptions,
The first exception was upon the
death of Senator William Upham of
Montpelier, when former Senator Sam
uel S. Phelps of Middlebury was ap-
pointed to fill the vacancy. The
reason for the failure to observe the
rule is explained by Hon. E. P.
Walton in (Vol. 8, p. 4, Governor and
CounciD as follows, "according to the
rule, always accepted from the admis
sion of Vermont into the Union, some
citizen of eastern Vermont should
have received this appointment, but the
nomination of a Wing as judge of the
supreme court, was pending before the
senate, with prospect of a close vote
Judge Phelps was in Washington, anC
it was doubtful whether new ap
pointee, then residing in Vermont
could reach Washington in time. II
this peculiar situation, the Vermont
delegation in congress urged Governor
Erastus Fairbanks to appoint Judge
Phelps, and the appointment was
made"
The second exception was in 1858
when Lawrence Brainard of ST
Adams, was elected by the people to fiji
Senator Upham's place, and wa
caused by the mix-up of politica
In 1910 Brainard was a Wing. I,
1916 he was the Liberty party's candi
date for governor. In 1848, he was
Free-SoiIer. In 1853 the Republican
party was formed and he joined that
He was the presiding officer of it
first state convention, was nominated
by that party for senator, and wa
elected by large majority regardless
of the Mountain Rule" History tell
US he was the first man to be sent t,
the senate on purely abolitionist prin
cipIes.
The election of the National Hous
of Representatives in Vermont ha
been controlled as follows:
November 8. 1892. An act wa
passed, dividing the state into tw
districts, one on the west side and tn
other on the east side Of the noun
tains.
October 26, 1896. An act wa
passed, leaving the districts two, on
on the west and the other on the east
but changing the boundaries somewhat
November 4. 1902. The legislator
divided the state into four district
substantially, two on the west, an
two on the east.
November 4, 1872. The legislator
provided for the election Of six repre-
sentatives, without regard to districts
November II, 1922. The legislator
divided the state into five districts
two of which, at least, one each sic
Of the Green Mountains. November
1912. The legislature divided tn
state into four districts two of which
were on each side Of the mountains.
November 10. 1851. The legislatul
divided the state into three distric
two of which were on each side of tt
mountains.
December "a, 1880. The legisIatu1
divided the state into two district
one comprising Addison, Bennington
Cbittenden. Franklin, Grand ISL
LamoiIle and Rutland counties on Il
4 IL N-J
Orange, Orleans, Washington, VIM
ham and Windsor counties on the ca
side Of the mountain. This is the pre-
ent arrangement. During this 1:
years, with the state (See Map E
divided into districts as above s,