Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-05-29

House for two terms and senator
from Windham county in the legisla-
ture of 1895, writes the Phoenix a
strong letter supporting the nomina-
tion of John G. Mccullough to the
governorship and giving the reason for
the faith that is in him, John Merri-
field is so well known for his probity,
for the soundness of his judgment and
the sincerity of his motives, that he
earned the title in public life of Hon
est John Mortified. Subjoined is
the substantial part of Mr.. Merritield's
letter which we commend to careful
and candid perusal:
The question was recently asked me
how as "A supporter of the prohibitory
law | could consistently vote for Gen.
Mccullough in view Of his attitude
on the temperance question. His atti-
tude as referred to by the prepayment
was doubtless based on his answer to
the well known DIR. Ruslow letter. In
this letter Gen. Mccullough does not
in an explicit way Just what course he
sent him for approval. This state
liNhl 10 q pldtIOIHl lututlCdl, "llnouI
question, with that on which Mr.. Proc
tor stands. The substance, then, of
the platform of each is that if elected
he will sign such constitutional bills
as the Legislature may send him.
Where then this difference in looking
at the question from the only practi-
cal standpoint? Mr.. Clement, the Ii
cense candidate, says that Gen. Nc
Cullough 5 letter was a case of politi-
cal suicide. BY this he probably means
that it was not properly framed as a
vote catcher. 1t could probably have
been worded better with this end in
view. 1t is apparent to all that it
would have been to Gen. Mccullough S
political advantage to have framed
the letter differently. The fact that
he made no bid for the support of any
particular class is not TO be taken
against him from my point of view, !
don't question the right of others to
look at it differently.
1t is said that he did not vote on the
license bill when he was a member of
the Senate However this may look
to Others as showing him an unsafe
man to elect to the goyernorship. |
will say that it has no terrors to me
in view of the fact that up to the close
of this heated canvass the Searchlights
of his opponents. always turned on,
have not brought out single scrap of
evidence that Gen. Mccullough is 9th
er than temperance man in theory
and practice, and a promoter in large
of every good cause in his
! am not one who shares .
the apprehension of many sincere
friends of temperance. whose views | .
do not question, that Col. Proctor
would be a safer man than Gen. Nc f
Cullough to place in the governors
chair. for the reason that he would .
better be able to obstruct legislation
adverse to the prohibitory law.
Col. Fletcher d. Proctor in his sec
md letter does not say that he would
of any constitutional bill
hat the legislature might pass. Why
Because as an experienced legislator
ne knows that while the governor is
given the veto power by one article of
1ur constitution that power is com
oletely nullified by another article
the two branches of the
legislature TO pass bill over veto
~ bare majority of each branch.
Thus if bill is passed by a majority
If one vote in each branch, the bill
,ould be passed over veto by the
anne majority of one. For this rea-
ION the governors Of Vermont have
been very sparing in the use of the
'eto power, rarely using il except in
asses where the constitutionality of a
ill is involved. So jealous in fact is :
ur legislature of any Entertainments ,
N what is considered its prerogatives ,,
hat in recent years the mere sugges-
ions of the governor as to the merits .
t impending legislation nave often
een received by the legislature with
cant courtesy. So Col Proctor of !
curse does not state that he would ;;
eto a high license or local option bill
Why: Because he knows that should
e attempt such course in regard to /
ny constitutional bill relating to this a
uestion, or any other, his veto, in all i
reliability, would be as Intellectual as
ould have been an attempt to have /
topped the wave of fire that carried '
to St. Pierre. t
Is there any doubt then that, wheth- h
r Mccullough or Proctor is elected,
ach would take precisely the same
purse in temperance legislation as
Guild the other: Where, then, the o
ropriety of challenging the loyalty to b
lie cause of temperance of any man Il
no for reasons which he counts good c
refers to vote for the Bennington can d
idate: Why make the representation a
I'D send it broadcast that Mccullough 5,
I'D Clement are portions of one ser il
ant intent alike on striking death to W
lie prohibitory law: This charge n
lould have a conclusive answer in c
he fact that in the two caucuses that b
lement has carried thus far the con al
st. which in each case was a close W
lie, was between the Mccullough and re
lie Clement forces. b
Four years ago in the governorship "
ntest between Gen. Mccullough and W
ol. Smith the larger part of the E
INDIAN county Republicans favored Y,
e latter. the preference doubtless Vi
ing because of the fact that the cl
ilroad and some other interests of n,
e county would be better conserved ri
the latter's election. On April 1. m
50. when our relations with Spain WI
ID assumed IA serious aspect. Gen. III
cCullough Unexpectedly withdrew to
pm the contest, writing a letter in an
lich he stated that he was unwilling by
engage in a contest at that time
len the efforts of all true Republic
MS should he directed towards the
5istance of the government in its on
mr. of upril That letter was hiuhly u