News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1890-04-03
THE GOVERNOR QUESTION.
The Governorship.
From the Newport Express and Standard.

is only because more papers have
taken their place on that side. We
havenot given statements from every
paper, but the ratio will hold good
for those unused, and quotations on
either side would be but a repetition
with slight alterations of the argu-
ments given. At the outset it may
as well be understood that the State
will have a good Governor whoever
is chosen. This being the case there
is no reason for making an acrimo-
NOUS canvass or allowing strong per-
sonal feeling to find vent in express
sions which after the nomination we
would wish unsaid That the cam
paign has begun so early has been
deprecated by many, including this
paper. Not a few have asked the
question if there were not other men
better qualified than either Wood
bury or Page to fill the Office, but
when asked to name the men, the
names have not been Forthcoming, so
the case stands just where it did a
year and a half ago and the choice is
practically between Carroll S. Page
and Urban A. Woodbury.. Inasmuch
as the present canvass had it's germ
in the prior election it is just as well
to face the fact that the present choice
will largely determine the future pol
icy of the State as to attempt to
cover up the point, and declare that
whatever is done no precedent will be
established. A precedent viii be es-
tablished, and if Mr. Woodbury. is
chosen, we may as well make up our
minds that whoever is associated
with him on the ticket will call for
first place two years hence. On the
other hand, if Mr. Page is chosen it
viii be with the expectation that the
next canvass will have the non-pro-
motion precedent firmly established,
thus allowing freedom to attend to
one canvass at a time instead of hav-
ing to carry along two under the
guise of one. 1t will benoticed in the
Woodbury. items that great stress is
laid upon his executive ability, and
his satisfactory conduct of his pres
ent office. 1t is admitted. But the
position of president of the senate is
very different from that of the Gov
methods. Any man who is of good
presence, and has good knowledge
of parliamentary proceedings may
make a good moderator, but it is the
selectman who proposes the business
which the moderator sees considered
in an orderly manner. Every allu-
sion to Mr. Woodbury. has coupled
with it mention of his service in the
army. This is well. He did noble
service there and it has not been for
gotten by his city or by the State
The only trouble is that the papers
bring this forward as if he never had
recognition on that account, and I'M
less he is now made Governor the
State will be chargeable with the
basest ingratitude, not only to him
but to the soldiers as a class. But
Mr.. Woodbury. has been a custom
house official, largely because he was
a One-armed veteran; he has been
Mayor of Burlington and we have no
doubt his military record was used
to boom him into the place; he has
been successful in getting a lucrative
business position and it would be alb
surd to say that sympathy for the
old soldier had not a large part in
assisting I i'm in this direction. The
list of State officials in the past years
shows a most generous recognition
of the soldier, so there will be no lack
of patriotism, there can be no charge
of ingratitude, ii this argument is
laid aside
Now as regards Mr.. Page, we have
only to refer to the Woodbury. arti-
cles themselves to show that his abil-
ity is acknowledged by everybody. |
Indeed the statement made by two
or more of the Woodbury. papers
that he can be Governor after Wood
bury is an admission of his fitness for |
the place and we might add. of the |
fear that that fitness was of a char
acter which would make him an un-
close competitor of their
man. The very fact that Mr. Page
has attained his present political and
business position without the very
efficient aid of soldier sympathy
marks him as a man of grit and ener-
~ above the ordinary. He has
erved the State most acceptably as
of Finance, and it is largely
10 his influence that steps have been
aiken to make more secure the saw
ngs of the people. He called quick
md earnest attention to the tenden-
v of some of our banks toloan mon
y IA the West without sufficient
Of the actual character of
he investments, which resulted in
the laws upon these
points. He has served as chairman
Of the Republican state committee in
1 way which at the time of the last
won him high commenda-
ton. The attempt now to belittle
the service he then rendered the par
~ IS as unbecOming as it is ungen-
erous. The newspaper men, if any
class, have right to complain of
the methods used, but putting aside
personal prejudice it still remains
that the end sought was most effect
ually reached in the grand majority
thrown for the Republican candidates
that year. As a citizen, as business
man, as a public officer, Mr.. Page has
proved his ability at every point. 1t
is no small fact that the business he
has grown from exceedingly
small beginnings to national affair,
and that its headquarters are Still in
the little State of Vermont. But
good as are the preceding reasons
why Mr. Page is preferable to Mr..
Woodbury., there remains the fact
that he has no Lieutenant-Gover
to bar his path. We
nave before said that holding that
office should not hinder the incunl-
)ent from some time being chosen to4
he first place, neither should it be re-
sardeG as stepping-stone. We
lOubt if Mr. Woodbury. would ever
AVE been a candidate for Governor,
lad he not held the position of Lieu
enant-Governor. And beyond this,
here are many eager eyes watching
he outcome of this campaign with
he hope that the promotion idea
will carry in order that future schemes
If like character may work. While
is a fact that just as good a man
hould be chosen Lieutenant. as the
Governor himself, it is equally fact
hat much less thought is given to
he second place in hepopular mind.
We must take things as they are, not
s they ought to be. Therefore it is
he opinion of the Express and Stan
lard, without having a personal ac-
uaintance with either of the gentle
zen named, standing as it were an