The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1896-01-08

GOVERNOR LEVI 2. MORTON OF New
York has been ia consultation with
the republican leaders of the EN-
pire State on the question of his can.
didacy for the office of president.
At meeting at which were present
men represt nting the various factions
of the republicans - Depew, Miller,
Plat, Hiscock and others-the evi.
dence OF the demand for Go veruor Nor
toms leadership, from New York and
the country at large, was submitted
and counsel sought. With one accord
these men of widely-differing aflilia-
tons and sympathies in state and local
politics called on Mr.. Morton to become
New York's candidate, and assured
him of the united and cordial support
of the states delegation. Governor
Morton is now regarded as duly entered
or the presidential race. He is seventy
years old, but he is not older than was
either Gladstone or Bismarck when he
was a party leader, without peer in
physical and mental vigor. He has the
wisdom, the tact, the experience, the
trained ability, for the great affairs of
the presidency. Could he endure the
strain of the minor affairs Of the office,
those petty things that stretch to
swapping tension the mental and physi-
cal powers of men of blood and from?
There's the rub. He would make a
conservative, dignifed and courtly
executive, particularly wise and capable
in the administration of the nations
financial aud industrial interests, and
judicious in directing its foreign policy.
A fair division of the hardships and
responsibilities would be to turn over
to the vice-president the rough-and-
tumble contact with the great Ameri
can public that swoops down on a new
president, and to leave to the chief
executive the time, and strength of
mind and body, required for the great
tasks of craftsmanship. Mr.. Morton is
a son of Vermont, and Vermonters will
take a special interest in his candidacy.
IT seems to be two-ring show,
with ring at St. Johnsbury and an
other at Bellows Falls, with jes er for
each. But where does the Forepaugh
of the combination come in? His
name and picture are on the bills, but
here's the comedian of the St. Johns
bury ring haranguing the crowd on the
seats and explaining that the proprie-
tor of the show is only kind of su-
pernumerary and has nothing to do
with the ring performances any way.
Says this man of variegated raiment:
The proprietor of this show, the big
gest in Vermont if not on earth, Is not
responsible for what is said or done in
this ring; the crowd that piebald fellow
down at Bellows Falls is playing to is
not the crowd this ring is showing for,
and what that crowd wants in the way
of gubernatorial trapeze performances
and equestrianship cannot consistently
be put on the boards for this crowd.
Consequently the remarks of the news:
papers in connection with the guberna-
,orial bareback riding and high and
lofty tumbling which constitute the
specialties of this circus are not at all
apropos." This bit of mingled serious
ness and satire brings laughter and ap-
plause from the benches, the ring
master gives the knight of cap and
bells crack with the whip, and while
he imps away to the rim of the saw
dust arena to nurse his imaginary hurt,
the spectators begin to connect his
enunciation of the "policy" of the
proprietor of the gubernatorial show
with the memorable declaration of
presidential candidate that he had
heard about the tariff; it was an issue
in his town once, but it was simply a
uation is enhanced by the circumstance
that the St. Johnsbury ring, in its ar
dent devotion to local preferences,
makes up its bill for an Orleans county
public, while the Bellows Falls ring
caters to st. Johnsbury constitu-
ency. Quite comedy, indeed, and
quite entertaining, too, in the lull that
precedes the rising of the curtain on
the wider stage.
SchO0lmasterG On the Ramnage.