Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-12-14
CURREN T COMMENT.
III Congressional Situation as 1t Appear
in tho second District.

/ III Congressional Situation as 1t Appears
in tho second District.
/ This district is not up yet with that
over the mountain in its crop of congr, s.
sional candidates, but it has made good
start. The fourth appears in the an
nouncement that Col Porter II. Dale Of
Island Pond is lin the field and the pa
pers up that way say he starts with his
own county, at least, husiastcally
united in his support and that is moro
than can be said of Col. Klttredge Has
kins of Rrattleboro" Haskins evidenlly
is the man they fear most, and rightly
also, for he is not only pretty sure of his
own county but he is the only asprant
likely to develop much more than local
strength, and therefore the one who can
best stand a multiplicity of local candi-
daces. Stafford of St. Johnsbury comes
nearer to him than any of the others in
strength throug hout the district but he is
hampered by formidable opposition at
home on the ground that he is an ex-mug-
| Wump and by the complication of Grout >,
Bates and Prouty's candidates. as we'll a 5
| that of Dale in that section of the state,
while Haskins, since Judge Reads with
drawal, has the whole field clear down
this way, except for a littlet k al Bellows
Falls-that will be recognized before the
end as too boyish to count.
'rhc latest indications are that the talk
OF a Windsor county candidate will not
lndteIldilZe, ana IL tndt De so, IL Will De
another important factor for Haskins.
. Nothing of course is certain in politics
and especially in situation like the
present that offers such a field for the eX-
ercise of the proClivities Of Vermont re-
publican politicians to trade and decker
But the chances of Haskins are unmistak
ably by far the best of all.-Brattleooro
Reformer.
MOUNTAIN RULE THREATENED.
The mountain lire" rue Is threatened
If the proposed plan for re-appor comment
of representation in the republican ma
tional convention should prevail. Vermont
would be entitled to nine delegates in
| stead of eight as at present. 1t Is easy
enough to select eight men without Of
Tense, by adhering TO the rule and choos-
/ ing four from each side of the mountains
But where shall This odd man come from?
/ That's the question And, by the way, Is
| there a common-sense reason for fol-
lowing the mountain line rule. anyway?
Isn't it more of a subterfugc than a neces-
! sity? Doesn't it simply spare men the
embarrassment of making a choice some
times when they don't want to?-St. AL
! bans Messenger.
A REFERENDUM DEMANDED.
The law Ohe prohibitory law is
the work of the great body of the
people of Vermont" 1t not
| true Nnell lHe law WAS UTSl adopted v HtH
| the idea was new and had the advantage
OF a great moral enthusiasm behind it
| without the saving effect of experience,
| and when it was the chief issue of the
election of 1853 when the vote stood 90 $40
| to is l42. That it is not true now was prac-
| tically confessed by the last legislature
when 1t refused to submit the question
of vote of the people. Stripped of all
subterfuges, the reason for that refusal
was fear that the people would repudi-
ate the law if given direct chance at ii,
! for it vas perfectly obvious that If, after
a A. years trial the verdict should be one
of approval and in favor of the continu-
ance of the law, it would add tremendous
/ ly to its moral force.-Brattlsboro Re
former Dem.
HARDLY THE BLOODIEST BATTLE.
The total Of 43S killed at Modder River
on the British side may make some peo-
pie in England understand Methuen's re-
mark that it was the b.oodiest battle Of
the century. The actual comparison with
the 1000 French killed at Austerlitz, 25.-
goo French killed at Waterloo, the 1900
Germans killed at Sedan, the 1900 Union
soldiers killed at Stones River, the total
looks pretty small.-Boston Record
ESSEN COUNTY's CANDIDATE.
Among the list of prospective candidates
mentioned for congressional honors IN
the second district is the name OF Porter
/ II. Dale Of Island Pond. Just how Mr.
Dale looks upon the question of his cam
didacy is only "A matter OF conjecture, ~
he has never expressed himself publicly
upon this subject. so far we can dis
| cover That he would balance equally
well in the scales with the other candi-
dates for this Office there is but little
room to doubt. A bitter fight will be wag-
ed against Col. Haskins from certain
T counties in the district, ana the same bit