Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1900-05-24
Pages Mud Machine Oversize OTIS
it's Mark.

G. S. Page or some one In his interest,
makes the charge in the issue which APP
pearcd Friday that the recent state
and First district conventions held for the
simple purpose of electing delegates to
the republican national convention were
packed with railroad-ticket and hotel
dinner delegates" in behalf of the candi-
dacy of Judge Powers for Congress. Para
graphs attempting TO discredit Congress-
man Powers in connection with the late
conventions have been making a person.
ally conducted tour of the Page papers,
both republican and democratic, for some
weeks. but no one cared particularly for
this controversy so long as 1t dealt with
some letter which some friend of Judge
Powers wrote.
When a man in the position of Carroll
$. Page, who has held the Office of COVER
nor of our state, SO far rorgcts himself
and allows himself to be so carried away
by his desire for Office as to countenance
the direct charge that two such bodies as
the State and district republican conven-
tons were packed that ii great proper
ton of the delegates to those conventions
sold themselves for railroad transporta-
ton and their dinners, the affair assumes
an entirely different aspect. 1t then ceases
to be a personal matter and involves the
good name and credit of our State. That
Mr.. Page is TO be held responsible for this
charge docs not under the circumstances
admit of "A possible doubt. TO make cap
ital for himself he was willing to besmirch
the State as well as the people who had
honored him.
1t is not necessary to defend the good
rame of the people of this State before
Il Vermont tribunal. There are certain
circumstances connected with the develop
ments at and following the State and dis
trict conventions, however, which make
"A charge like that put forth by the Page
syndicate indefensible and little short of
criminal. The FREE PRESS took add
vantage of these gatherings to secure an
idea Of the sentiment in different parts
of the State with reference to the cand-
dacy Of asprants for different positions,
State, congressional and senatorial. With
this object in view, its representatives
sounded not only delegates but leading
residents from different parts of the state
present as spectators and the belief was
found to prevail that Judge Powers was
far ahead in the congressional race.
We stated the result of our canvass as
to the Congressional situation in both dis
tricts as well as In relation to other Of
fees in question, and in spite of the fact
that our assertions were based in part up
on the frank admis sions of fair minded
supporters of Page in different sections of
the First district, there at once went up d
howl from the ultra-Pageites that the
FREE PRESS was trying to misrepresent
the situation. They would not allow that
the drift of sentiment was plainly in the
direction of Powers.
Later they saw that they could not dis
credit the testimony of some OF their own
men as well as others and as an after
thought they raised the cry that the con-
ventions had been packed in the interest
of Powers, overlooking in their blind des-
peration the fact that either of these
charges would refute the other. If the
conventions were packed, We did not mis-
Page was present with large force of his
lieutenants and no one who is aware of his
methods will believe for a moment that
he did not then know the weight of test!-
mony TO be against him.
As matter of fact Carroll 5.
Page as we'll as every other intel
ligent Nermonter knows that those con-
ventions could not have been packed, even
granting that Powers could outdo Page
in any attempt of this character. If the
people of the district are for Page and the
friends OF Powers from all quarters were
able to pack the convention, Page must
have lost his cunning, and Powers must
have more friends than Page is now will
ing to concede him. 1t is only necessary
to look at the facts in detail somewhat
TO see the ridiculous nature of the charge
that these conventions were packed in
Powers interest, remembering that in many
cases towns sent different sets OF dele
gates to the two conventions
burlington had seventeen delegates in
ed some of our most substantial and rep
i'sfiIldtlNt cltlIclS' we hnOW tildt tneN
were not selected with reference to their
preferences for congressman but to secure
the selection of Edward Wells as delegate
at-large to the Philadelphia convention. AS
"A matter of fact, however, the great ma
iority of those delegates hope for the cleo
ton of Powers to succeed himself as do
Il great proportion of the representiye
people of Burlington, and they had
neither railroad fares nor dinner
tickets. The same thing Is true of a
host of towns that might be named. We
believe that Mr.. Page will experience diff
Guilty In making the representative men
who attended the conventions from vari-
Gus towns in Addison county for example
believe that they did not pay their own
fares and buy their own dinners and so
with other parts of tho State. We believe
that the prominent men present, who ex-
poet some day to be candidates for gov
ernor and senator and congressman and
for other important positions. and who ex-
pressed their belief based upon good in
formation that Powers would be his own
successor paid their own expenses in tran
sit as well as while at the convention.
first district enjoy being charged with sell
ing themselves?
If in order to further his own po-
litical chances Mr.. Page can with
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