St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1888-06-07
Those ST. Johnsbury Kickers.

BrattIebOrO Pheniz, Rep.
| The Phoenix wishes to extend its
appreciative congratulations to the st.
Adams Messenger ON the magnificent
way in which it rose to the occasion
last week, braced itself up and fired a
column and -a-half leader, full of labo-
riOus brightness, at those est. Johns
bury Kickers." They are a bad lot,
and they deserve to be K-i-c- Ike d
with big X. But what we wish Bro.
Gibbs would tell us is why he wore his
boot all out on the CaledOnian, and
never so much as saved the end of his
big toe for the Republican. 1t was
very wrong for the Caledonian to make
remarks because it was not down on
the bill of the schemers for Col. Albert
Clarke to be lieutenant governor this
year, and because Col. Clarke, seeing
this, withdrew from the canvass. But
has MIR. Gibbs forgotten that only q
month ago the Republican, printed in
the same town, and established as an
|. f. W. to maintain the cause of truly
sound Republication, kicked kick a
column long over the way in which our
state politics are being run this year
by the railroad machine2 Perhaps
Mr.. Gibbs dOsn't exchange with the
Republican. If not, we advise him to
send over and borrow the office file
copy of April 10.
Whether there is a whole spot left
on the CaledOnian big enough to ans
wer for itself we don't know, and even
if there isn't we feel no call to take up
the cudgels in its behalf. We might
get kicked if we did. The one obvious
thing which it occurs to us to say is
that the gas engine, which Mr.. Gibbs
so felicitously describes, is coming to
be more used in mechanics it does a
great deal of exceedingly good work,
and it is constantly being developed
and improved. Some folks think it is
the coming motive power. What if it
should also prove to be the case that
those newspapers, like "1he st. Johns
bury Kickers," which say what they
think now and then, even if their
thoughts don't tally with the plans of
the party thimbleriggers, are to be the
newspaper motive power of the future.
The thought is dreadful one, for the
vocation of some Vermont newspapers
would then be gone.
1t was wrong, to the point of wick
edness, as we have already intimated,
for those st. Johnsbury newspapers to
tell of it, but it is nevertheless fact
which can't be blinked out of sight,
that among the rank and file of the
party there is a deep under current of
protest against the cut-and-dried way
in which our state politics are being
run this year. The railroad people got
in their work shrewdly and effective
ly, and before anybody knew it, it was
as we'll settled who should head the
state ticket and be elected governor as
if the state convention had been held.
For the man on whom the choice has
fallen we feel only the highest respect
and have only the best things to say
we simply think it unfortunate for him
that he has come into prominence in
just this way. With regard to the of
flee of lieutenant governor there is a
little more stir and discussion, but I'M
less the signs fail the same "infuence"
will "get there" with its MAINLAND
then there will be small excuse for
holding a state convention anyway.
But perhaps our own hind feet are
not tied down securely. Perhaps we
also are a kicker
Perish the thought!