Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-09-26
BRATTLEBoRo. FRIDAY, SEPT. 20, 1902
Market Prospects at Montpelier

As the date for the assembling OF
choice assortment of rumors from
which any one can select to his con-
tent. One, which was given scare head
lines in the Boston journal Tuesday, is
that Clement comedies a safe majority
to Mccullough, has called off his
workers. and given up the fight.
This Clements paper, the Rutland
Herald, promptly brands as lie. An
other, which is going through the state
in strong undercurrent is that Clement
and the Proctors have made deal, =
by which old-time hatreds are buried,
the Proctor influence is to he thrown
to make Clement Governor, and he in
turn is to subserve the senatorial am
billions of the Proctors, father and son.
Quite plausible story is made out
in support of this latter report. whose
motive is laid in remembrance of lies
told by the Mccullough managers
against Proctor in the pre-convention
canvass. especially that broadside
about the five saloons under Proctor
deeds in Proctor, and in the McCul-
Tough tactics in the Brattleboro caucus
in turning in to help Clement in order
to down Proctor.
Nevertheless it is we'll to be chary of
belief that substantially sets old Red
- 81;
That long headed citizen isn't apt to
let temper run away with him. He
knows that trades that have no basis
of principle, but in fact slaughter
principle. are the most fatal of things
political: and he hardly fails to COM
prehend that the present is not time
when the people of Vermont are to be
fooled with. No trade could he more
unprincipled, no union more adulter-
Gus. than one now between, Fletcher
Proctor, who sought nomination as the
particular champion Of prohibition, and
Percy Clement who stood for Just the
opposite Besides it would he perfect
ly ridiculous for Fletcher after the po-
siton he took on the stump after the
convention.
If there is any such thing going il
is safe to figure that the old man isn't
in it, any more than he was, according
to the general understanding, in
Fletchers original candidacy,
No doubt it would be most happy
thing for the Republican machine of
the state to dispose of Clement 10y
making him governor or senator or
anything else he wants. No doubt the
machinists, after absorbing more
or less of Gen. Mccullough S
money. would be perfectly willing to
sacrifice him to save themselves. No
doubt it is an awful thing for them to
contemplate the loss of the prohibitory
plumber without which the machine
will keep running into a hot box every
few minutes. But the alternative pro
vided by this trade presupposes Glenn
ent to be without principle and that
he would sell the cause that has made
him, politically, for a paltry office.
That would be smash for the Clement
neutrality-suspicious. for both. Is it be
lievable that he would be so silly?
In fact. there is an endless variety
of trade combinations. possible or con
templated which nearly all run to =,
folly or absurdity. There are millions
back of the candidates. by means of l
which there may be several mortgages
lifted the coming winter. The fact
that the voting for governor is to be
done by ballot is favorable to the com
mercial view of things. So all that
may be regarded as certain next week :
is that nothing is certain, though it is r
very probable that Gen. Mccullough !
will have a majority on the first ballot. j
If be doesn't, trade will be lively as +
never before. on rapidly rising mar n
ket. Our grandfathers thought they T
had lively times in the days of anti r
Masonry, Wings and Democrats. from +
1881 to 1885, when the choice of gov :
ernoI went to the legislature four years +
out of five, and the last time after SO n
ballots they had to give up without
electing any governor at all and Silas
Jennison, the lieutenant governor 5
elected, had to take his place. Our o
fathers thought it fairly interesting in o
1858, on this same issue of prohibi- T
ton, when it was young, when between a
the Wings. Democrats and Liberty Il
party the choice of governor again tt
went to the legislature and John S. n
Robinson was elected. the last Demo
crat to hold the place.
But none of this was a circumstance .
to what will happen if this thing starts :,
IN deadlock
Mr.. Porter's Prospects. so