Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-08-14
CLEMENTS CHARGES.

Material nomination the keystone OF
his argument. by Gen. Mccullough
means, we suppose, by his agents
with his knowledge or consent, there
by making him particeps criminis.
AT present, owing to the lack of q
primary law in Vermont, Gen. Nc
| Cullough or any other candidate for
nomination to any Office can buy the
nomination outright; can bride voters
can employ fraud or corruption Of any
kind can run in voters of the oppos-
ling party TO aid him in the caucuses
without legal punishment. Under
existing conditions, the only way to
Impose a penalty OF any sort upon
such a candidate is by scratching or
boiling his nomination, and defeating
him at the polls.
This is the course Mr.. Clement is
taking toward Gen. Mccullough. If
Gen. Mccullough bought his place at
the head of the ticket. or secured it by
unfair means, the mere fact that by
these means, as alleged. he succeeded
in his object does not bind his party
morally to support him. To hold that
it did would be TO make the conven-
ton, and not the election, the court of
last resort a court at present gov
erned by no law or rule of action with
penalty for transgression. 1t would
be to remove all fear of independent
voting as a check and rebuke to cor
ruption. 1t would place a premium
on dishonesty in political canvasses,
since all the woHld-be candidate need
consider is how, by fair means or
foul. to win out AZ the convention. the
party being bound to endorse him at
the polls.
So. in the present case, it is entirely
proper to inquire into the circumstan-
ces attending the nomination Of Gen.
Mccullough, and we do not hesitate
to say that if any Republican voter.
after fair investigation, is fully salts
fled that the present regular candidate
is such by virtue OF fraud, the voter is
justified, as a Republican and citizen.
in declining to support him, and by
him in order to administer
the only penalty that at present can
be visited upon him for his misdeeds-
the penalty OF defeat.
So much by way of premise now to |
a briet consideration OF the charges.
To begin with, by whom are these
charges made? BY p. W. Clement, a |
defeated candidate at the convention.
What is the nature Of Mr.. Clements !
Are the charges preferred |
solely with a view to promoting hon
esty in politics, or to serve the inter-
ests of the person who puts them for
ward? Is it largely a move by the
promoter to accomplish the defeat OF
tue man W NJ bcctIA uALA ~ AuI NpH-
vention. or is it undertaken in the
Iaudable spirit Of reform? Would or
would not the connection of Mr.. Glenn
emit with this canvass, from the begin
ming, tend to bias his views against
Gen. Mccullough These are peril
nent points, leading up to considera-
ion Of the charges themselves.
Was the nature of the Mccullough
canvass such as lent probability to Mr..
Clements statements? OF common
were large sums Of money
AVAILABLE for such uses as Mr.. Clement
alleges? Manifestly, so patent a thing
Is the purchase Of a nomination could
lot have taken place without the
OF more than one person,
himself the defeated rival. ]
On what do the specific charges
'est? We have heard that they were
BASED on certain affidavits or signed
procured by persons inter-
ssted in procuring them from certain
voters who took part in caucuses at
which delegates to the state conven-
ion were chosen and VINO deposed
hat they voted for Mccullough dele
gates in consideration OF certain sums
paid them or favors rendered them by
Dartisans of Gen. Mccullough These
lfiidavits. to the number Of perhaps so
in all. were published in the Rutland
Herald just prior to the convention.
They came from less than a dozen
towns, practically all on the west side
Of the state. In one case, a serious
charge of bribery in Franklin county,
made through one of these aftidavits,
was Immediately retracted by the sub
scriber himself, who stated that he
signed the paper without accurate
of what il contained, that
II was untrue and that he had been