Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1902-07-11
Individual Ambitions not
easily Suppressed. Or
Men First and the Cause
Afterwards.

no surprises IN that DOMAIN ioI ho o"e
should be surprised at anything that
may happen there. At the same time
no one can see on what grounds tile
unanimous nomination of the late suher-
material convention could be attacked
!, is now suggested that it is void be-
cause accomplished by fraudulent means
7; : said that fraud renders all proceed
iuSs void. Now if a man procures
Judgment through fraud it may be set
aside. This is upon the ground that the
individual seeking the benefits of a cor
Taplibly procured judgment is response
HE for the fraud, that he is involved III
the legal and moral turpitude through
which the judgment is procured. That
is far from being the case when APP
piled to the late state convention. Who
is the party interested in the nomlna-
ton lately made for governor? 1t is
clearly the nominee representing the
majority of the people acting through
their delegates in the convention. 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 convention or sufficient portion OF
it been guilty of fraud so as to leave less
than majority free from fraud? If yes
then majority has not participated in
the nomination innocent of fraud. But
10 one pretends that this is the situation.
Whatever some have done in aid of the
rcmination that is fraudulent there is
slill large majority which procured the
1sc-Diuation who were entirely free from
Auy corrupt practices. If one or more
instances Of fraudulent practices in one
O.. more locations, which were entirely
unknown to the nominee and to the in
uoa=nt majority that supported him, is a
ground for Multiplying his nomination
the proceedings of any convention 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
wears in which some one or more towns
have not been guilty OF crooked prac
tees in electing delegates to it. Now to
say that in electing delegates in favor OF
the three candidates before the conven
ton fraud was not practiced by the adj
herents of every candidate would be say
ing what any man OF common observa
tion knows is not true. If Mr.. Clemen
had been nominated by that convention
would he or the body of his adherent
have conceded that fraud in one or sil
towns which elected his delegates ough
to vitiate his nomination? They woul,
have said that the square, honest propo
sition is if there was fraud withou
which the nomination would not hav
been made then we yield; but if a ma
jority made the nomination Independent
of vicious practices then our candidat
is here by an innocent majority of tn
party, and here to stay. The nomina
ton was made unanimous with Just a
much knowledge of those practices as tn
people have today. The nominee repre-
sents the unanimous sentiment of tn
party and nothing but the corruption G
enough to destroy an innocent majorit
could prevent the fixing of an obligatio
to support the nominee on every repul
lican who is not traitor to his part
If we do not mistake the character {
Vermonters Mr.. Clement and his su,
porters, if he runs as an independer
candidate, will have done great injury [
their cause. When the campaign starte
the adventures loudly proclaimed th;
all they wanted was recognition of
principle, nothing individually. TT
referendum was pledged in a mann,
with which they expressed entire sati
faction. The principle was secure; b,
some men were left out in the coll
Hence this fury to get in. Already man
square men who are in favor of hig
license have been suddenly set bac
by the prospect of a bolt from tt
nomination; and considering no
much the friends of prohibition ha,
lost by being betrayed individual
and otherwise into umwise Ito s;
the leasD political practices, it won
seem that the friends of the ne
learning can ill afford to begin car
paign for right, Justice and morality
running an independent candidate on
mere miserable excuse. Is it ambiti,
and personal considerations or 9th,
wise to make test question in the sol
ton OF which those reformers will ha
III addition to other considerations par
fealty against them? Or will it 10,
more disinterested if they should p
the cause at issue free from those G
barrassments and when and where
will be most likely to meet the appro,
OF the people? For if they are defeat
in the election of governor it "
surely be considered as test of I