The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1892-03-23

anu IL mdue 10 COVer SOlue ulJcTlOT duu
unworthy purpose.
Whence comes the call for "a rep
resentative farmer" for governor?
When did the agriculturists of Yer
mont make the Messenger of St. Adams
or the Ne,os aud Citizen of Hyde Park
and Morrisville, with the corporate or
official influences back of either of
those journals, their political mouth
piece? Why this sudden and I'M
wonted solicitude, in those quarters,
for the farmers? Our brethren of the
pillow are of age, and are abundantly
able to speak for themselves and to
seek their own leader and champion.
They protest that their political inter"
ests shall not be jeopardzed, and that
they shall not be made mockery and
jibe by this sort of championship.
There is one man who has been, in the
fullest significance of the term, " a rep
resentative farmer" In the legisa-
ture he has stood up six-feet.six of his
seventy. eight inches of stature for his
brethren against corporate influences
and for everything that would help his
class. He has been no passive trib-
une. In season and out of season he
has worked, voted and spoken for the
farmer; but for this very reason he is
discarded by the knot of politicians
who are working this representative
farmer racket most industriously, and
more passive representatives " are
sought and pushed to the front. This
man is William Chaplin. No better
representative of the farmer class can
be named, and no more successful vote
winner could be chosen, if there is any
strength in this argument. Why forego
the leadership of Gladstone and SUBJ
stitute subaltern?
Lieutenant Governor Fletcher is
another whom it is no misnomer to call
representative farmer, and who has
record of answering devotion to the
interests of his class and the state at
large. The dominant issue of the last
state canvass will not be forgotten.
Colonel Fletcher was among those who
most strenuously maintained that issue.
Can he or his associates in that can
vass justify the abandonment of that
issue at this time? Approaching this
fact, like the sincere and honest man
he is, he refuses, directly or indirectly,
to enter the canvass for the governor
ship, and those of his true friends who
value their consistency and maintain
their honor are looking elsewhere for
their candidate. They are not willing
to lie down under the imputation that
the non-promotion issue was merely a
trick designed to exalt Carroll S. Page
over Colonel Woodbury.. To turn
about at this time, without excuse or
warrant, and nominate, or advocate
the nomination, of Colonel Fletcher
would be wanton act of frvolity which
Colonel Woodbury. and his friends
would have a right to resent as an in
suit.
Colonel Levi X. Fuller of Brattle-
boro has had large experience in
state affairs. He has had much to dc
with legislation. He has wide ac-
quaintance in the state and country,
and experience and mountaineering
have been supplemented by foreign
travel and observation. He is an eX.
cellent business man. He has had 6
practical business training. He is fa'
miliar, through study and direct per-
sonal contact, with the problems that
greatly interest the people of Vermont
at this time. Though not member Of
the legislature in 1882, he took an in
huential part in the labors and dis
cussions that ended in the framing ant
passage of the corporation tax-law
In many other ways he has partici
pated in important economic move
ments in this state, and is now closely
identified with measures to advance
her prosperity. He is broad minded
man, enterprising and progressive. HI
has abundant ability and official expert
ence adequately to perform not onl,
: the technical duties of the Office o
governor, but capacity and willing
ness to devote himself, outside of thos
duties, to the welfare and good name o
the state. For a good-all-round gov
ernor, specially fitted and qualified TO
the important duties and service tina
l will, during the next biennial term
I devolve upon the executive, Colone
Fuller is, in our judgment, the bes
D equipped man that has yet bee
Q named. AS the result of his in
8 cumbency of the office, we believ
8 Vermont would make some marke
e improvement in material prosperit
e and be put in way greatly to advanc
y her rank industrially in the enlargin
Q sisterhood of states.