News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1899-07-26
POWERS VS.. PAGE
Vermont Watchman.1
[Continuel from page 4 ]

ator to succeed the late Justin S.
Morrill,, a certain change in the sec
ond congressional districtin the Office
of representative, and a probable
contest of an interesting nature in
the first district constitute a bunch
of events that will greatly enliven
politics in Vermont and render excep-
tionally important the canvass pre-
Ceding the election of 1900. The
interest in the canvass and election
is not entirely a matter of the future.
1t is of the present, and week by
week is waxing warmer. The local
political situation seems to deserve
precedence for a moment of the
somewhat overweight contention
between Imperialism and its pes
tiferOus antonym.
The Importance of these congress
sional elections ought not to need
enforcement. They are of very seri-
Gus import, and in the clash of per-
sonal ambitions and the importuni-
ties of contending partisans this fact
ought to be kept steadily uppermost
in the public mind. The duty of
choosing a man for Senator, and
men for Representatives, with sole
reference to their ability best to exc
cute Vermont's commission in the
law-making branch of the general
government ought to be, with the
people, supreme, personal or parti-
san considerations entirely subordi-
nate Vermont's delegation in Con-
,gress is small numerically The
State must compensate for numeri-
cal weakness by mental and moral
strength.
In the matter of the Senatorship,
having this sole regard for the high
est public welfare, it is clearly the
part of wisdom to choose for Sena-
tor the man who shall not only fill
out Mr.. MorrilPs unexpired term,
but who shall, in the course of events,
be chosen to continue in the Senate
rial Office, in pursuance Of the wise
policy that in the past has brought
distinction to the State and in a
signal manner contributed to the
welfare of the Nation. In this view
cof the case, the State ought to
choose for Senator a man in the
prime of his powers. New questions
of national policy of the gravest
character have arisen. Senators
with a capacity for constructive
craftsmanship are needed. 1t is not
the part of wisdom to be shifting
unnecessarily the men who are to
hear and settle these questions.
Whom Vermont shall elect a Senator
an 1900 ought to have the quality
of wise craftsmanship, and in his
hQur-glass an ample store of the
sands of time for successive terms of
service.
Nv, P Dillingham; has for many
years been regarded not merely as a
Senatorial possibility, but proba-
bility of very certain character,
The qualities that have long marked
Mr.. Dillingham; for the Senatorship
are we'll known and understood
throughout all the regions of Yer
mont. They are not matter of
rhetoric or imagination. There is
nothing mythical about them. Mr..
Dillingham; is a candidate for the
Senatorship, and in view of certain
suggestions or representations that
appear to be current in certain quar-
tiers, it is proper that the people
should be told that he is not a can
didate for the Office of Representa-
tive from the second district, that he
has no purpose of becoming candi-
date, and could not accept a nomi-
nation to that Office should one be
rendered.
Left to their own unbiased selec.
ton, without a reasonable doubt
the people of Vermont, through their
representatives, would choose Mr.
Dillingham; a Senator of the United
States; and it is not in the nature Of
things that, in the coming canvass
a twist shall be given Vermont pub
lie opinion that shall defeat this nat
ural and proper solution of the pend
ing Senatorial issue.
In the first congressional district
it is certain that Judge Powers, if h
shall be candidate for nomination
will encounter determined opposi
ton. Various candidates. hav,
been suggested, but there is one tina
overtops them ALL that of Carroll S
Page of Hyde Park. Mr.. Page
name is a vigorous suggestion O
business in a political campaign a
well as in the haunts of trade, ant
carries whit the prestige of success
The situation in the district appear
to be this: Judge Powers has hel,
the Office of Representative on fv
successive elections-a period of tel
years, at the end of the existing Cor
gress-a longer tenure than was &C
corded to Stewart, Joyce, or with
very few notable exceptions, to an