The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-07-23
THE CLEMENT BOLT.

Surprises in politics will probably
never cease. Indeed there ought to
be no surprises in that domain, for no
one should be surprised at anything
that may happen there At the same
time none can see on what grounds
| the unanimous nomination of the late
! gubernatorlal convention could be at
tackled. at is now suggested that it
Is void because accomplished by fraud.
ulent means. 1t is said that fraud
renders all proceedings void. Now if
a man procures Judgment through
fraud 1t may be set aside This is
upon the ground that the individual
seeking the benefits of corruptly pro-
cured judgment is responsible for the
fraud, that he is involved in the legal
and moral turpitnde through which
the Judgment is procured That is far
from being the case when applied to
the late State convention.
Who is the party interested in the
nomination lately made for Governor
1t Is clearly the nominee represent
ing the majority of the people acting
through their delegates in the CON
vention. Now has the nominee been
guilty of fraud? If he has to such
an extent as to faint the proceedings
then the nomination ought not to
stand. Has majority of that con-
vention or sufficient portion Of it
been guilty of fraud so as to leave less
than majoity free from fraud? If
yes then majority has not partici-
pated in the nomination innocent of
fraud. But no one pretends that this
is the situation Whatever some have
done in aid of the nomination that
is fraudulent there is still large ma.
1orlty which procured the nomination
who were entirely free from any COR
rupt practices. If one or more in
stances of fraudulent practices in one
or more locations, which were entire
ly unknown to the nominee and to the
innocent majority that supported him,
is a ground for multiplying his nomin.
alton the proceedings of any conven-
ton ever held in this country would
be open to attack. None would be
binding, and the system would be
destroyed. There has probably been
no convention held in this State or any
other for the past ten years in which
some one or more towns have not been
guilty of crooked practices in electing
delegates to it.
Now to say that in electing dele
gates in favor of the three candi-
dates before the convention fraud was
not practiced by the adherents of
every candidate would be saying what
any man of common observation
knows is not true. If Mr. Clement
had been nominated by that conven-
ton would he, or the body of his
adherents, have conceded that fraud in
one or six towns which elected his
delegates ought to vitiate his nomina-
ton? They would have said that the
&c 70 thara
was fraud without which the nomin-
alton would not have been made then
we yield but if a majority made
the nomination independent of vicious
practices then our candidate is hereby
an innocent majority of the party, and
here to stay. The nomination was
made unanimous with just as much
knowledge of those practices as the
people have today, The nominee re-
| presents the unanimous sentiment OF
the party, and nothing but the cor
ruption of enough to destroy all inno-
cent majority could prevent the fixing
of an obligation to support the nomi-
nee on every Republican who is not a
traitor to his party.
I If we do not mistake the character
of Vermonters Mr.. Clement and his
supporters, if he runs as an indepen-
dent candidate, will have done great
injury to their cause. When the cam
paign started the adventures loudly
| proclaimed that all they wanted was
a recognition of principle, nothing
| individually. The referendum was
! pledged in manner with which they
expressed entire satisfaction. The
principle was secure, but some men
were left out in the cold. Hence this
fury to get in. Already many squire
men who are in favor of high license
! have been suddenly set back by the
prospect of bolt from the nomina-
ton; and considering how much the
friends of prohibition have lost by
being betrayed individually and other
wise into unwise Ito say the least)
/ political practices, it would seem that
the friends of the new learning can
i'll afford TO begin a campaign for
right, justice and morality by running
an independent candidate on mere
miserable excuse.
Is it ambition and personal consid-
erations, or otherwise, TO make test
question in the solution of which
those reformers will have III addition
to other considerations party fealty
against them? Or will it look more
disinterested if they should put the
cause at issue free from those embar-
easements and when and where it will
be most likely to meet the approval of
the people? For if they are defeated
in the election of Governor it will
surely be considered as a test of the
cause. Essex County Herald.