St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-05-28
How Shall | Vote?

= and we reprint his letter in full:
The present canvass for governor ha
: developed so much heat, and so many
$ reckless assertions have been made by
= the partisan press that the average
voter, even the one who has read bott
2 sides is possibly al a loss to know Just
where he should stand. There are some
strange affiliations, Page and Powers
for instance, both supporting McCul
Tough. The prohibition Brattleboro
. Phoenix and the high license St. Adams
Messenger both supporting Proctor
The old lines are good deal broken up
and the cause is largely P. W. Clement.
Let us get back to the beginning and
see it. we can understand the tangle
Five years ago ]. G. Mccullough made a
move for the governorship of the state.
He was man Of excellent ability, but
his life in the state had not brought him
much in contact with the common affairs
of the state. He had occupied the posi-
ton OF delegate to national conventions,
and had presided at political meetings,
positions which did not require close in
timacy with state affairs. Thinking
that E. c. Smith of St. Adams was likely
to receive the larger measure of support,
he gracefully withdrew from the cam
paign of 1898, possibly thinking that
that act would give him the nomination
four years thereafter without opposition.
Bennington county elected him senator,
and at the session of 1898 he was reeu-
larly in his seat Tor the most part
and bore his share in the deliberations Of
that body. At the same session DR.. w
| Seward Webb was a member of the
house from Shelburne, and he also had
an eye on the governorship. In process
OF time both gentlemen were announced
AS candidates, and the contest was on.
| 1t had not progressed very far before
many men began to be alarmed at
methods which were being adopted.
Rumors were rife that very much money
was to be used in the canvass, an
amount greatly in excess of anything
which could be called legitimate. Prob
ably the rumors were exaggerated, but
there was enough foundation in tact to
create a widespread desire to prevent
such a campaign. Let any good man be
secured to prevent it, no matter who, so
long as he was a man of recognized
ability. Naturally the minds of men
turned to Fletcher Proctor, and he was
importuned to allow the use of his name
for those to rally around who were
averse to the money method. 1t was
only after long persuasion that he finally
yielded. Very shortly after he did come
into the field Mr.. Webb withdrew. 1t
has been claimed that this withdrawal
and Proctor's entry were prearranged,
but this is denied point blank, both by
Mr.. Proctor and M. Webb, and its re.
peated assertion by the opposition is
only piece of political trickery.
But with this change of candidates
came new alignment. Some OF Webb's
supporters went to Mccullough and
some of McCullough's went to Proctor.
The newspapers declared for one or other
of the men, and the canvass began again
with no other thought than the ord;-
nary issues which come to the front every
two years, mainly which is the more
popular OF the candidates who happen
to be named. A new issue, however,
was presented when Mr.. Clement entered
the race on an avowedly high license
platform. Mr.. Mccullough was asked
his position, and he declared that he
should be governed entirely by the legis-
lature; it that was prohibition he would
be prohibition; if it was high license he
would be for high license. His record at
the session of 1898 was looked up and it
was found that his present position was
strictly in keeping with his action at
that time. When the matter was under
consideration then he avoided personal
declaration, depending on his associates
Tor his opinion. While he was regularly
in his seat when all other matters were
debated and came to vote, he absented
himself when the paramount issue"
came to the decisive point. Mr.. Proctor
was also asked his position, and he made
the unequiVOcal answer that he was in
favor OF the present law. His record at
the session of 1900, when he was speaker
OF the house, was looked up and it was
found that the only time he cast a vote
1.-THE speaker does not usually vote) was
IN favor OF the present law.
Considerable talk has been made be-
cause the high license St. Adams Mes.
senger has been using Proctor's temper
ance principles as an argument in his
favor. Everybody knows that a non
SutlSh lliNtlD NClu LGll JLSl HOW CDuTC0
member ought to live, because the lines
OF conduct by general consent are well
marked. Therefore it is not to be won
dered at that the Messenger In this case
should see the weak point in the McCul
Tough declaration and make the most of
1t. Had the Free Press been on the other
side it would have scored such a declara-
ton numerically, But both papers were
| pledged to their candidates before the
temperance issue was forced to the front,
and a newspaper never recedes from a
position it once take.
The temperance men of the state have
but to contrast the statements of the
two candidates, and look at the records
they made when in 1898 and 1900 there
was no political office mixed up with it,
to Ind Just which comes nearest to the
loyal Vermont idea.
1t is admitted that this campaign will
not be decisive on temperance lines, be-
cause as the papers were pledged before
| the issue Of temperance was made. so
many good men had pledged themselves
to Mccullough without thought of the
temperance issue at all. But the great
number OF men are not pledged, and it re-
mains with them to say where the tide
| shall turn.
We believe that a candid weighing of
the facts as outlined above, and a general
survey OF the best interests of the state
VIII show that Fletcher Proctor is the
best man to put in the governors chair
this year
IN view of the cry that there was an
a'hance between him and the high license