The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1888-01-25
The Harris Boom.


Washington county may present an ac-
ceptable candidate for the governorship,
or that Windham county may yet offer
a candidate who is not the particular
choice of the II. Y. 1t is generally
understood that the candidate of the
II. Y. is Hon. B. ID. Harris of Brattle-
boro. 1t is certain that still hunt :"
in his behalf has been in progress for
several months; and while his candi-
dacy has the support of some diverse
elements it has failed thus far to
awaken a popular response that be-
tokens success.
There are a number of reasons why
Mr.. Harris will probably fail to secure
the honor he has coveted so long,
though in the outset he has the sup
port of such able and influential papers
as the r. ", st. Adams Sentry, Rich
ford Gazette and Londonderry SITTER.
To say nothing of his dubious pros
poets in his own county, he is likely to
find tremendous lack of popular ap-
probation and support in at least nine
or ten other counties. His reputed
connection with the scurrilous Lon
donderry Sitter in by-gone days and
his reported contribution of one thou
sand dollars to bring the r. Y. into
being for political purposes "-facts
which we learn he is now industri-
ously but vainly striving to explain
away-will operate greatly to his dis
advantage. There are still other rea-
sons, to which we may refer at the
proper time. But more than all is the
fact that he has provoked strong per-
sonal antagonisms which would pre-
vent him from securing the full vote of
the party, even if he should succeed in
getting the nomination. This is the
year when the republicans of Vermont
need candidate for governor who can
poll every republican uote and as many
from the opposition as it is possible to
get. AS Montpelier correspondent of
the Tribune well puts it in the COM
munication we copied last week, " the
party candidate for governor should be
that man whose candidacy would
arouse the most enthusiasm and who
can poll the largest vote" 1t must be
apparent to all well-informed republic
cans that B. d. Harris is not "that
man." His newspaper organs are
doubtless well aware of this fact, for
one of them has already begun to argue
that it is of little Importance to repub-
lican success in the national canvass
whether the republican vote of Yer
mont in September is a few thousands
more or less!
The friends of Mr.. Harris are under
stood to deprecate an early discussion
of his chances for the governorship;
nevertheless, they appear to have no
scruples about making "quiet and
unobtrusive" canvass in his behalf,
and this has been going on for some
months. Of course they regard their
canvass as legitimate and timely, but
when others seek to bring forward
another candidate then we are warned
by the r. Y. that people are too busy
with their tiocks and herds, their
wood and lumber, their midwinter
farmers meetings, their merchandise
and productions" to attend to political
affairs. And yet Mr.. Harris and his
partisans are so little mindful of these
considerations that they are industri-
ously working his governorship boom
at all times and in all places. A man
came to Montpelier from Wiudham
county last week, ostensibly to attend
the dairymen's meetings, but he man
aged to get in considerable work in the
interest of Mr.. Harris candidacy.
The reports that have reached us from
time to time from other parts of the
state indicate that Mr.. Harris is very
much of the opinion that the man
should seek the office and take no
chances in waiting for the Office to seek
the man. We are informed that at the
recent meeting of the Horse-b breeders
Association in Rutland the genial
Colonel Hooker facetiously introduced
Mr.. Harris as the "neXt governor"
This may have meant much or little,
or nothing in particular, for Colonel
Hooker's ways are peculiar and often
mystify his most intimate friends.
Reports have recently come to us that
Mr.. Harris boasts that he has Wind
ham county "well in hand" but this
does not accord with our advices from
other sources which may be more reli-
able. 1t was remarked by granger"
in attendance at the dairymen's meet
ing that Mr.. Harris would be the
"farmers' candidate" but his claim to
this particular distinction is rather
shadowy and far-fetched. He might
with some propriety be the candidate