Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-04-17
U'rom the Montpelier Argus, Dem)


"
0Trom the Montpelier Argus, Dem)
The general sentiment in regard to Mr..
Clements candidacy appears to be that II
is i'll judged, that 1t will not draw the
license vote and will have small effect on
the canvass now In progress. His position
has been held too long fer his sincerity to
be questioned, but his snt'rs thy to Proctor
raises some question as to his present mo-
tives. Unless something altogether unex-
pected develops Mr.. Clements candidacy is
not likely to have any important effect on
this years campaign. What ii may do
for the future of Mr.. Clement and the anti
prohibition movement Is a different mat
ter
(From the Randolph Herald, Proctor)
So Mr. Clement is to be a candidate for
governor after all. His pronouncement
appears elsewhere. His platform is high
| lioeI e-looal option. and if nominated he
will seek the overthrow Of the present pro-
hibitory law.
Mr.. Clement has long been the leading
opponent of prohibition in Vermont. Like
all the other candidates, past and present,
he Is man of ability and wealth. He is
also well known for energy and earnest
ness, and now that he has taken off his
coat he will leave no stone unturned to
win.
But he cannot win. He enters the field
too late, and his motives are bound to be
questioned. There was the same reason
for his becoming a candidate before
Fletcher d. Proctor went in as there is
now, yet he did not enter, and unques-
tionably would not, had ret his friend
Webb, gone out. and his enemy. Proctor
gone in. He cannot hope to succeed: he
will be satisfied II he is the means of beat
ing Proctor. He hopes. by taking advan-
tagc of the license sentiment in Rutland
county. to divide its vote, and 10 secure
strength enough from other localities that
would naturally be for Proctor to &C
complish his defeat.
| Mr. Clements candidacy will add inter
est to a canvass already very spirited
Whether It will achieve it's object remains
fer the republican voters to say. We 10
not believe it will We believe that the de-
sire of the people Is so pronounced for a
good, clean. able and upright man like
Fletcher Il. Proctor--withal n real Yer
Imonter-and its detestation of such tricks
as this Is so strong that the scheme will
not carry. Many who are now inclined to
favor Mccullough will not care to be part
les to Mr. Clements plot and will rebukc
him by coming forward with Proctor votes
in their hands. II 1t is a part of the Rem
nlngton candidates plans to get Clement
into the contest hoping to land the office
himself, the hope will fall short of reaiza-
ton Such trick will not work
MT tleIneit pdpti' tle ANhtldnu IitI =
aid. has been paving the way for this
. move by a series of uncalled for digs at
Proctor. 1t has said nothing about Nc
Cullough. The purpose is clear. Clement
3 is willing to sacrifice himself if he can only
. prevent Proctor from winning. Are repub-
lican voters going to crafty Clements per-
sonal spite? We think not.
Mr.. Clement might get respectable vote
as a high license candidate under other
circumstances. He will discredit his cause
! and himself for the whole long future by
this move. He will not begin to poll the
, license strength in his party. and the ex-
hibition will result in a setback to that
, movement A great number who would
, like to see a change IN the liquor laws will
!, resent Clements action now, seeing its
primary purpose. Even were he nomin
, lated and elected--an unthinkable thing-it
would accomplish nothing toward bringin
about local option. for the governor has nc
=, part whatever in law-making. and cannot
even interpose an effective veto. This
: makes the motive the more apparent
4 P.w. CLEMENTS CANDIDACY.
(From the Swanton Courier)
The announcement is made to-day ovei
his own signature that Percival w. Glenn
= ent of Rutland Is candidate for the re
e publican nomination for governor on q
s high license platform. Although such {
n move on Mr.. Clements part has beer
t somewhat discussed by certain OF the State
t papers the news came as a great surprise
r 1t is hard to predict al this time what ef
h feet his entering the race will have upor
: the chances of Mccullough or Proctor.
Il does not look as though it would hell
n either of them, and If anything would in
n jure Mr.. PrOctors prospects more than HI!
d rivals. For several years there has beef
e enrnty between the Proctors and Mr.
Clement and 1t Is natural to suppose tina
Mr.
II ent would like to see Mr.. Mccullough hav
e the honor.
IS IL the local option men all over the Stat
s mean what they have been talking for tn
y past few years Mr.. Clements candidac.
must be taken seriously Members of In
Republican party who have been clamorin
for a change in the prohibitory law, VIII
have been eagerly seeking some oppor
. tunity to do something that would brin
. about a local option law, have now tn
70 chance to prove whether or not they are II
y, earnest.
While the election of Mr.. Clement woul
"a not affect legislation only so far as pre-
y Guiding the veto of any local option la,
- that might be passed by the Legislature
u nevertheless his election would be Il heav
~ blow at the prohibitory law
70 Mr.. Clement is n scod republican. hi
:, qualifications for the office cannot be ques
" toned he promises to give the State bus
,. mess administration and Mr.. Clement
- counted one of the best business men 1
r Vermont. So the advocates of local OF
ton have no reason to be ashamed of thei
u candidate and II they are sincere and rail-
to his support Mr.. Clement should go int
r the convention in June with delegate
~ enough to make him an important facto
" in the contest.
The great question Is will the local or
~ ton republicans support him? Probabl
= not to any large extent Many of thei
'e have already identified themselves with III
er cause of the other candidates some wi
as say the time Is not ripe for an attempt
u change the law; indeed, the Burlngto
as News which has been one OF the leading |,
u cal option papers has already said So al
te for these and other reasons Mr.. ClemeI
ed will not receive the united local option SUI
o. port.
On And the Burlington News is probabl
no right when II says tho time Is not rip
r. The attempt to get n local option hi
al through the last Legislature brought out
ne perfect Babel Of ideas on the subject ar
ID showed that the opposition to the prohib
nd tory law was far from being we'll O
or ganixcd and until " Is inst as well %
lis ganized as the people 1t is fighting it cal
% not expect to win and until that tin
or comes all attempts to make a change W
~ probably fail.
'' How the situation In Franklin Count
r.. 10 Viewed McCullou9h'. Strength.
ne ~ To the Editor Of The Free Press: