Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1896-02-27
The Governor Canvass--The Free
Press Misquoted.

The Ludlow Tribune gives its hearty en-
dorsement" to what the FREE PRESS
has said concerning the excellent charac-
ter and record of Major Grout-but. But
what? Why the FREE PRESS, so our
Ludlow brother alleges has in effect told
Mr.. Stickney, and that splendid specimen
Of Vermonter, Henry A. Fletcher" that
"if they will only be good boys this time
and keep out of the way 1t will support
them when their turn comes" This, the
Tribune adds. amounts to saying that the
governorship as not an office which is free
to seek the man best qualified to fill 1t at
the time, but rather one which can be
claimed by the holder of the first mort
gage; in other words, the man whose turn
has come"
Our Ludlow contemporary thus bases
a Misrepresentation on a misquotation.
This paper has said nothing about turns"
in connection with the governorship. 1t
has not used that word, nor directly or in
directly conveyed the idea that the Of
fee Dc, to use the Tribune's phrase, mort
gagged" to Major Grout or to any one. In
fact the course Of the FREE PRESS in
dicates with tolerable distnctness, that 1t
holds the direct converse OF that propo-
sition. 1t is not many weeks since this
paper was seconding Gov. Stewards at
tempt to break the one term RUE and ad-
vocating the reelection or the present
governor. It wac an unsuccessful effort,
the one-term rule being still too
strongly intrenched to be broken
but 1t was mado in good
faith, as we believe, ON the part Of
ex-Gov Stewart, and certainly was so on
the part of this paper. 1t rs not conceiv-
able that the FREE PRESS could have
been advocating a second term for Gov
Woodbury. If it believed that Mr.. Grout
had a mortgage on the office this year.
No, we do not believe in mortgages" or
turns" In the disposal of the governor
ship. We favor the nomination of Major
Grout for the same reason that our Lird-
low contemporary advances for its prefer
ence for it's fellow townsman. Mr.. Stick
ney. viz: that among the candidates before
the people, he Is, in our opinion "aL things
considered, the man best qualified to I'LL
the office" at this time. We can adopt,
with very slight variation, as applied to
Major Grout, the words In which the Tr-
bune commends its candidate. Major
Grout, too has been for a quarter of q
century and is now a careful student OF
State legislation, and his position during
all these years has been such as to offer
the best facilities for such a study. His
position as speaker of the House has
brought him into close touch with legis-
lation and legislative matters under dis
cussion. His intelligence, his practical
Judgment his interest in and aptitude for
public affairs, his devotion to the welfare
OF the State are not open to suspicion.
He knows the people now on the stage OF
action and Ia known by them. All this Ia
as true of the Derby as Of the Ludlow
candidate.
We believe, further, that Mr. CIRCUITS
character and his avowed intentions. In
the event of his election to tho Office
pledge him to throw the weight OF his
personal and official influence in favor
of wise and close economy in State expen.
ditures--a consideration of much impor.
tance at this time. The fact that wher
sacrifices for the public good were called
for he offered. and we'll nigh yielded, his
life for the support OF national unity and
human freedom. though 1t may count fol
nothing with some has weight with many
good and patriotic citizens. and undoubt.
eddy Is an element In tho wide and grow.
Ing favor with which his candidacy has
been welcomed In the State at large. II
is to such considerations. as we believe
and not to any "turns," mortgages,