The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-05-28

This has been the favorite subject
of much editorial disquisition in the
pending canvass for the governorship
The curious thing about it all is that
there has been among the Proctor edi-
torial writers about as many real
issues as editors, bout as many as
the varying phases and exigencies of
their scatter-bra canvass has de-
manded. The real issue originally
was "The Vermont Idea From
that it has passed down through so
many grades it is quite impossible to
classify and catalogue them.
The "real issue" breeders have
been as prolific as rabbit When
their earlier progeny died aborning, &"
the Herald and News of Randolph and
the Messenger of st. Adams, with an
air of extreme satisfaction that bore
sign of intrenched' defiance, pro-
duced this issue"
"The man best qualified to be Gov
ernor.
Thereupon the Waterman and Jour
nal inquired which of the then two
candidates the contemporaries deemed
the best fitted to be Governor, McCul-
Tough or Proctor the Younger? If
the latter, how did they make it APP
pear? The Messenger has been so
busy blowing thistle down it has not
got down to anything more substan-
tial in the way of reason. The Her
aid and News essayed to answer the
inquiry and this was its reply:
The Montpelier journal will have
to excuse us if we decline to get down
into the gutter with it. We can en-
ploy our time and energies more profit
ably
This was somewhat inconclusive on
the merits of the question 1t was a
clear case of confession that the con-
temporary could not, with all the art
and craft of Proctor supporter, show
that its candidate was entitled to be
nominated on the issue it had made
fundamental. So that issue was in
continently abandoned, and then at
Randolph, through the labor of the
contemporary, was begOtten the prohi-
bition issue. The free rum contempor-
aries, the News of Burlington and the
Messenger of st. Adams, were its god
fathers at the christening, at which
function there was somewhat motley
attendance of rum and prohibition
guests Now that hybrid issue has
persisted on the gibbet of public opin-
ion and the fertility of the progen-
itors appears to be exhausted. Hope
of further issue being gone, the child
less parents of the Proctor candida
ture are trying to buy, kidnap or by
some hook or crook get possession of
Clements coons to cheer the loneli-
ness of their dying days. a very sad
and solemn lesson, and an impressive
warning to eschew infidelity i'll politi-
cal relations
If now the contemporaries had had
Proctor the Senior to match with Nc.
Cullough, they would not have been
driven to dead and tell tale silence
for their only answer to the Watch
man and Journals challenge. In re-
spect of early circumstances, their
manhood years, their later careers,
their abilities, their captainship of
great affairs, their service to State
and nation, their rise to wealth and
distinction, there is much upon which
one could dwell with great satisfac-
tion and without invidious compari-
sons. Redfield Proctor was an eff
cient Governor, eminent among the
most eminent on the roll of the State S
Chief Executives. John G.. McCul-
Tough is in the same class of men and
will make the same sort of Governor.
Proctor the Younger started in life
from the upper rungs of the ladder
to which the Senior from the lowest
had climbed. His fortune was made
for him. He is doing well in main
tanning that fortune, but even his
most enthusiastic supporter-least of
all will he himself-maintain that in
his present estate there is any possible
basis of comparison between him and
McCullough-no more than between
himself and his distinguished Senior.
All such pretenses are campaign thun'
der. 1t is regrettable in the extreme
that the indiscretion or unwisdom OF
the promoters of the campaign of the
Younger has left the supporters OF
other candidates no alternative il
some of the courses their opposition
has taken.