The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-07-23
ARTHUR ROPES, General Editor.
THE DEMOCRATS IN THE CAN.
VASS.

Where is the State Democracy at in
the canvass for the election of State
officials?
Accounts differ. The caucuses an.
swer, some one way, some another.
Until the State convention speaks
caucus expressions are the only index
of the trend of Democratic opinion or
sentiment-and this, besides running
in opposite directions, is somewhat
semi official. Among individual Dem
ocrats there is the same diversity of
opinion. ~ am a Democrat all
right" say many, "but I shall vote
for Clement. Some of the old kiln
dried Hickories, who at each recurr-
ing national election are still voting
for Andrew Jackson for President,
oppose fusion in any shape and stand
the few, the other class are the many.
Another division--if it were posi-.
BILE to divide Democratic Vermont, as
Caesar divided all Gaul into three
sake, and, in the very remote event
of the national Democratic party again
coming into power, for the sake of
corralling the Federal patronage and
having no questions asked as to any
wandering from the fold--joint or
several. These people would keep the
promise of regularity and fidelity TO
principle to the eye and ear by re.
solving bravely and putting up
straight ticket" with the tacit un-
derstanding that voting for Clement
would not be cause for party disci.
pine
The Montpelier Democrats, in eau
Gus assembled, stood up straight for
regularity and the names of certain
of them are a pledge that they will
in good faith abide by their convic-
tions. Nevertheless, it is not forgot
ten that local Democratic leaders and
the local Democratic organ have been
known to bow the knee to Baal. In
1896, for example, each and all were
standing sternly and virtuously for
the gold standard; in caucus they
chose delegates to the national con-
vention and firmly anchored and stay
ed them to a sound financial principle.
But, presto, when Bryan made his
cross of gold and crown of thorns
speech the business was done. Dele
gates, local leaders and organ tumbled
over each other in their zeal to get in
close behind the boy Orator. Will
that flop be repeated, peradventure
organized Democracy at Burlington
openly accepts the candidature of p
W. Clement, the man who stole the
old time Democratic platform, and
now expects to steal the party, as
a local Democratic sage charged in
the lodge of joy and felicitation on
Thursday evening: Time will tell
The Democracy are up against this
situation: Will Felix W. McGettrick,
or any other Democrat of standing in
his party, consent TO take its nomina-
tion TO the governorship, understand
ing that the Democratic chiefs could
not if they would, and probably would
not if they could, control the vote of
the rank and file of their party: A
good Democrat goes with heroic cheer
fulness to defeat with the full Demo
cratic contingent about his bier. That
is the glory that biennially gilds the
inevitable political funeral on the
ides of September. But will Mr.. Nc
Gettrick, or any other good party
man, present himself as burnt offer
ing to the Rutland idol? Will he, or
any other Democrat like him, take
the party leadership, knowing before
hand that the party vote in 1900 of H.
600 is to be cut in two, or to be other
wise scaled down, by assertions to
the standard of a boiling Republican
that he will figure in the annals of
the Vermont Democracy as the Demo
crat who polled the smallest vote in
the history of the party in the State
in which that vote, from it's diminu-
tiveness, is usually the object of mic
roscopic search: That might be dis
tinction but not of the kind proud
spirited man would banker after Per-
force of the unwillingness of individ-
ual Democrats to lead the forlornest
kind of forlorn hope the convention
may be constrained to accept Glenn
ent.
1t is matter of entire indifference
to Republicans which horn of the di-
lemma confronting Democrats they