Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-05-23
FROM THE OBSERVATORY.

FROM THE OBSERVATORY.
1t is only justice to Brer. Fits tC
say that, ambitious to represent the
town, he has tried hard to keep out o.
this fight. He is not to blame that he
cannot overcome nature Can a fish
keep out of water:
1t is time when you can get any sort
of a forecast you want from good
| Judges. One feels sure--or did last
week-that the Proctor canvass has
gone to pieces. Another says that while
| the town was clearly Mccullough s a
fortnight ago, the Clement movement
| has cut the foundation right out from
under This is a Mccullough man who
judges from the men he knows that
have gone over to Clement, though
why the latter should draw more from
one faction than the other neither he
nor anybody else can comprehend. The
fact is that an issue of principle for
politics simply upsets all calculations.
Another, who thinks from long expe-
rience that he knows about Brattleboro
caucuses, sets the Clement vote Eat not
above $50. - Aud SO it goes.
The size of the situation is that the
whole ground is one for guess work.
The only basis for figuring is the test
vote of two years ago, which showed
6S5 for local option and 5l7 for prohibi
ton. Surprising the whole vote of the
town to be 1,5O0 this would give $50
including Democrats, for local option
and 645 for the present law. This is
certainly a fair computation, as the eff
fort in that test was all on the prohi-
bition side. Figuring the Democrats
at 400, this would leave among Repub
licans 455 for local option and 64o for
prohibition. The situation is there
fore a most interesting one in three
cornered fight.
The elements of doubt in this tigur-
ing are first, that the vote of two years
ago was not strictly one on the bare
question of local option. but of
approval of the bill then before
the legislature for local option sub
ject to referendum; and second, it
that the local option SEN
timent is no stronger here than two
years ago when in fact it has been
matter of steady growth for y years
and the present agitation and Glenn
ent's speech may fairly be supposed to
have given it new strength.
Naturally 1t is growing time'' for
the trade disposition. All sorts of offers
and proffers are made except from the
Clement men who propose to vote sim
rtlxr fpr n ,,la md he At h N
to trade: they propose to leave that to
the factions that profess such unquali-
fled hatred for each other in public.
The truth is that if the politicians
dicker in such situation, they will be
over shrewd, as politicians are apt to
be. 1t is case where the goods can't
be delivered, and the end will be give
away for the faction that engages in
it. AS IA mathematical proposition, in a
fight, you have got to
carry two to one of the votes in the di
rection you want or you miss.
Sense and sentiment alike therefore |
make it probable that there will be
5hree- delegate tickets in the field to-
morrow. A good plan for the voter who |
seeks only the best good of the state is
% scan them to see which contains the /
'ewest names of the "old ringers, " the |
Did time politicians who have helped |
,asten misrule on the state, and then |
yote it.
One of the interesting reports comes |
rom the West Village where couple of !
workers for one of the factions are said |
% have thrown up their hands in dis
a week ago it was all .
light for their cause; now they find |
wo- thirds of the voters gone over to
Clement.
"Holloa," says Chas. r. c., wiring
ng the paw of his old friend from the
ural district, 'How are you!"
pretty well. Thank zee. -
"Oh, | mean are you for Clement or
Proctor or"
"Huh, Proctor. not much. Don't
hink much 'er him. Haven't traded
With him for years. -
''Then you are for Clement. "
Anybody else. -
The Proctor young men of Brattle-
oro met at the office of Waterman Il
Iartin Tuesday evening and formed
Dung mems Republican club with the !
members: Z. W. Gibson. f.
'. Gibson. E. W. Gibson, f. W. Glib
On, Z. W. Gibson, E. W. Gibson, Z.
7. Gibson, f. W. Gibson, f. W. Glib !
On, E. W. Gibson, E. W. Gibson, Z. t
z Gibson, E. ". Gibson, f. W. Glib q
On, E. W. Gibson, E. W. Gibson. E. l
7. Gibson, E. W. Gibson, Z. W. Glib
ID, E. W. Gibson, E. W. Gibson. E /
:. Gibson, E. W. Gibson, E. W. Glib v