St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1890-06-05
WHY COL. HOOKER SHOULD NOT
SUCCEED GEN. CIRCUIT.

The reason given for Gen. CIRCUITS
proposed retirement is that he is not
a Collamer, a Foote, a Morrill, or an
Edmunds. Granted, but has any
body discovered any symptoms that
Col. Hooker would make himself a
rival of any of these illustrious
names? If so he should be given the
place by all means. If not, a careful
examination of his qualifications, or
lack of them, for a member of Con
gress from Vermont will be in order
We have never, on our own part, set
up any cxtraVagant claims for Gen.
Grout, nor have any of his friends for
him within our knowledge. We
have said that he was a man of
more than ordinary ability and fit
ness for his place, well read man i'll
political history and political econ
omy, close student of public affairs,
and diligent, tireless conscientious
worker, ambitious for himself and
ambitious to serve his constituents
well, and none of these claims have
ever been seriously disputed. How
ever interested persons at home may
affect to sneer at him no one i'll
Washington will be found attempt
ing to belittle him. On the contrary
his high standing is cheerfully recog-
nized, and never so much so as at
present, when he holds one of the
most important chairmanships, the
wearing work of which is responsible
for his present illness. In this place,
which is practically that of mayor of
Washington, he is brought into close
relations with the leading men of the
city. The ground for the
opposition of this paper to Col
Hooker is not the post office ques-
ton, or any other local issue or
local dissentions, D." but solely his
unftness for the place. We admit
freely and cordially his good qualities
as citizen and as a town and vii
lage officer; we admire his good
record as a soldier; there is no
better man in the state to run the
horse show, the state fair or our
local fair; he is eminently a good
fellow" but the plain, sober fact is,
as every thinking man knows, that
one, or all these things together do
not constitute Col. Hooker a suita-
BILE man to succeed Collamer, Foote,
Morrill,, Eedmunds, Willard, Poland,
and dozen others only less distin-
guished in the United States Con
gress.
He is not man possessing the
qualities or munitions of statesman
ship. He has not the breadth of
view or the natural endowment or
trend of thought which fit him for
the duties which Vermont has al
ways required of her Congressman.
He is not man of thorough educa-
ton or cultivation in any direction,
and therefore not man who could,
If he would, make his influence felt in
the consideration of leading ques-
tions of public Importance. His
natural tastes and affiliations do not
lie along these lines. He could take
care of the boys and do his share
of work in practical politics." but
for Vermont Congressman this does
not fill the bill Col. Hooker recently
took occasion to publicly declare
his devotion to the principle of pro-
hibitiOn, but unfortunately his habits
do not always correspond with the
principle, for it is a well known fact
that he cannot withstand the temp
tatiOns of New York and Washing
ton life, and he ought not to be sub
jected to them as member of Con
gress from Vermont. The state does
not require such sacrifice from him.
Ordinarily there would be no occa-
sion to mention these things, but
when a candidate enters himself in
such q race, duty to the public re-
quires a plain statement of facts
To say that there are dozens or
scores of men in Congress equally
unqualified for their places does not
meet the case. This is not the kind
of men Vermont has been in the
habit of sending to Congress, and
with the small representation to
which the state has been reduced
this is not the time to begin
BrattlebOrO Phoenix