Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-03-28

were measurably well satisfied to choose
| from between the other two men, then a
| long time In the field. Accordingly, he
| told inquirers that It appeared best that
he should not become a candidate In the
sense OF announcing his own candidacy
He has never said that he would not ac-
cSpt the nomination II rendered And as
ID the change of mind on his part that led
to his allowing his candidacy to be now
announced, II came about simply and sole
~ as the result of very changed condi-
tons. that he could not well disregard
For weeks past he has been in receipt of
letters and personal solicitations from all
parts Of the state, urging IL upon him 9 a
duty TO stand These came from strang-
ers as well as friends. Many leading
workers for both Webb and Mccullough
besought him to come in. The one STORY
from every quarter was that, aside from
a comparatively few interested ones, the
voters refused to enthuse for either of the
candidates, and almost Invariably ex-
pressed a desire to vote for some real
Nermonter' To have turned a deaf ear
to these entreaties. so general and sin
cere. Mr. Proctor finally concluded would
be unworthy conduct and might give rise
to the suspicion that he had mortgaged
the political future. in preference to do
ing his hidden duty now So he has al
lowed his candidacy to be announced by
his friends, without consciousness of hav-
ing broken any specific pledges that any
one had right TO exact from him
And speaking Of pledges. a very lament
able condition Of Vermont politics is
open to considera tion. That is. the Gus
tom securing and making pledges to sup
port certain candidates months and even
years. In advance Of the convention When
an aspirant for office starts in. he solicits
pledges from those who are called the
workers a long time In advance These
pledges are quite generally given thought
lessly and without consideration as to
what conditions may obtain later Not
infrequently. they hob up to trouble the
pledged but he has made them and he
must stand to them. regardless Of all else
To keep pledges Is honorable, but II
would be more in line with "A citizens
duty to be careful about making pledges
for the advanced future. The common
voter really cares but little as to how the
workers are pledged and their distress.
when distress overtakes them, is no con-
cern OF his
Now was Mr. Proctor's candidacy cook
ed up?" Some would try to make il ap-
pear that this talk of a demand for a
real Nermonter" is CANNON. gotten up
hv few vociferolls partisans and news
papers to afford Mr. Proctor a pretext to
enter the field. and that 1t was all deep
dark plot Nothing except the primaries
Will disclose how strong and sincere this
demand was and Is. That II exists no
one who has eyes to see and ears to hear
can question. Naturally II is stronger
among the rank and file than among the
active politicians. who were pledged one
way or the other long ago. But it is votes
that count. and one mans counts as much
as another's. From all that comes within
our personal knowledge and observation
the popular demand for Fletcher D.
Proctor was sufficient to Justify his en-
trance as a candidate. and the caucus re-
cft1f tn~f1 ftFl1a
Of the admirable machine that his op-
ponent has in motion, as well a that OPP
ponents long priority in the field.
Undoubtedly Mr.. Proctor will derive
some strength from DR.. Webbs with
drawal That there was any deal between
these two is beyond belief The most
surprised among Wehbs adherents were
the active workers for him. who would
have surely received The tip. with advices
what to do. II any trade were made.
Nothing of this kind has transpired in
any quarter DR. Webb's supporters are
left free to go TO any candidate. II is ad-
miued that some have gone to McCul-
Tough, while many are vet at sea As to
the reasons that prompted Webb to with
draw. II is fair to accept those given. viz.
that his increased business interests would
not allow him to enter into such a contest
would have been necessary to win. and
he became convinced that the desire of
Nermonters was strong for someone more
closely identified with the state than he.
Mr. Proctor is young and he can wait.
But he Is not too young to make a good
governor. and there is no reason why he
should wait. II the people want him. until
his older rival is accommodated Gen.
Mccullough has no title to the office by
which he can crowd back younger man
until he has served his turn. Should the
state marry Mccullough " to get rid of
him?' II he is the better man and more
entitled to IT, he should have the govern
orship, but not on the specious plea that
he is an old man who has long been after
II. and If he doesn't get it now he never
will
Our candidates name is Proctor. 1t has
not been commonly accounted a name to
he ashamed OF in Vermont. but to judge
from the mean, ugly inuendoes and insin-
uations of certain newspapers ii is now a