Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1890-09-12
]. H. THORP, Editor and Manager.
TER NJ S
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER u, 1890.
EXPLANATIONS WHICH DON'T EXPLAIN

EXPLANATIONS WHICH DON'T EXPLAIN.
There can be but one honest eXplana-
ton. The Republican voters, to the num-
Der of many thousands, stayed at home in
silent but unmistakable protest against
the eXtravagant, the reckless and the
revolutionary course of their leaders at
Washington. They condemn increased
taxes. They condemn the force bill
They rebule Reedism. They rap Sena-
tor Edmunds. And there is more of it
coming from other States New \ ork
World.
As test of the popularity of the adj
ministraton. and an Endorsement of the
party policy as embodied in the acts of
Reed and the measures fathered by Nc
Kinley and Lodge, such result as this
amounts to a serious protest on the part
of the people of Vermont 1t shows that
the drift of popular opinion sets against
the powers that be, after admitting that
the local causes undoubtedly helped the
Democrats somewhat Springfield Re
publican.
1t is astonishing, and amusing as well,
to learn such news about the late cleo
ton as is contained in the above para
graphs and others of a similar tenor that
are going the rounds of the press. Nor
is the explanation given by some of the
State papers greatly to the credit of their
Intelligence The Rutland Herald thinks
the average Vermont farmer doesn't
know enough about what is going on iii
Congress to be turned one way or the
other by the doings of that body-an
opinion which the farmer readers of that
sheet will doubtless consider compliment
taN to them. The Burlington Free
Press says:
While the Democrats have been carry
. ing on an active ''still hunt" to which
we repeatedly called attention in the
days preceding the election, the Republi-
cans have manifested degree of apathy
remarkable even for them in "otf years.
There has been nothing to arouse the at
tention of the people since the State con-
vention, and the conditions have been
favorable to the peculiar tactics adopted
by the Democrats to accomplish by still
hunt methods what they very well knew
they could not accomplish in open fight.
That the World and the Republican
were both wrong, as they generally are,
is evident from the result in Maine; nor
are the explanations of the State press
any more plausible.
The simple truth is-and there is no
use in Disgusting it-that the "apathy'
of the Republicans, to which the Free
Press alludes, was the real and almost
the only cause of the decreased vote.
And that apathy was caused, not by the
ignorance of the farmers as to the work of
Congress, but by widespread feeling OF
disgust with the condition of things with
in the Republican party of the State. 1t
has come about in these latter days that
few are called of the many chosen to
office. The governorship goes to the
man who can organize the liveliest bureau
and get the support of the most politi-
clans and newspapers-not to the man
who is best fitted for the place nor to the
one whom the most of the people want
There aIe exceptions, of course; but this
is the rule. Offices are sought, not can
didates and that plan which gives the
most offices TO the most men is generally
followed. No governor has had ii sec
ond term for years, although there have
been meu in that office who might prof
itably have been retained in power. Bu
that wont do. 1t doesn't provide open
ings enough. So every two years-anC
the same thing would happen every six
months, il that were the extent of tern
there is an oyerturn and new admins
tration goes in, and this without any refer
ence to the goodness or badness of the mar
then at the head of the State government
The rank and file of the people under
stand the programme, and they have los
all interest in politics. The Republican
candidate for governor this year became
the nominee only after most persisten
personal solicitation on his part. Few
of the leaders of the party and no very
great number of the voters desired hi
elevation to the head of the ticket; con
sequently very many of the Republican
voters stayed at home, and a light vot
resulted. They are sick and tired o
playing the part of willing tools of ambi
tious and not especially worthy men
and, unless the programme is changed, a
the years go by they will grow more ap
athletic still.
Proofs of the essential truth of thes
propositions abound. No one would TO
moment think of questioning the ster
ling Republcanism of Middlebury, we
of its more than GOO Republicans onl