Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-07-18
THE DIE is CAST.

crossed the Rubicon. The fight is
on.
The bolting candidate summarizes
the issues: License as against prohibit
tion, honest political methods as
against corrupt use of money in eau
Gus elections, and such a reduction of
state expenses as may be made with
out injury to the efficiency of the
service.
The Republican state convention
took cognizance of the first issue, the
one on which Mr.. Clement first came
into the campaign, by providing far a
referendum with local-option high
license attachment. The great mass
of Republican voters of the state ac-
cept this plank for exactly what it ap-
pears. Two Republican county CON
ventions have endorsed the present
prohibitory law in resolutions, but
this does not mean that the issue shall
not be submitted to the people. The
great majority of voters, including sim
cere temperance men who would look
with forbodings and doubts upon the
establishment of any form of license
in the state, are willing and are salts
fed to face a referendum, to let the
majority settle the question. Mr..
Clement doubts the sincerity of the
declaration for a referendum. The
time to doubt sincerity has not come.
| of Mr. Clan1nnf vuaif Nuifb
until the next legislature has acted
and then he can determine whether he
drew a political gold brick at Mont
pelier. The failure to give a refer
endum after the recent action of the
state convention would result in a po-
litical whirlwind sweeping the state
from end to end. compared to
which Mr.. Clements melodramatic
campaign for local option and high
license would be only a gentle zephyr.
Purity is the only leg on which Mr..
Clements candidacy can stand and
that may be a lame one. That mon
ey was spent freely in the pre-conven-
tion campaign was apparent. Hired
workers were on every hand with
their arguments. The great mass of
these workers were supporting Gen.
Mccullough. Some were supporting
Mr.. Clement Probably Mr.. Clement
calls the money which he spent to car
ry certain towns a perfectly legitimate
expenditure. 1t is generally so con
sidered although it is not ideal poll
tics. 1t would be better o'let the
people act spontaneously, but we sup
pose that in hiring a man to go into a
town to solicit and influence votes,
or in working up sentiment through
the dissemination of literature, "cor-
ruption" and "debauchery" do not ac-
tually exist. Gen. Mccullough I'M
doubtedly spent thousands of dollars
to canvass the state, to circulate liter
ature and to influence voters. He
had as great desire to be
governor and more money to spend
than any other candidate who has
come before the people. He gave
money to certain lieutenants to be
spent as money is usually spent in
Mr.. Clement did the
same thing. How Gen. McCullough's
lieutenants spent their money, or how
Mr.. Clements lieutenants spent their
money perhaps the principals do not
known positively. That Gen. McCul-
Tough directed, countenanced or had
knowledge of the buying of votes is
not believed by his friends or his
supporters, and the latter class at
the present time includes many who
were counted against him previous to
the Montpelier convention. There is
in his business or personal
life to lead to such belief.
Mr.. Clement has found new is
in state expenses. The
subject is an old one, but Mr.. Clement
did not touch upon it when he was
running for the Republican nomina-
tion. The condition in respect to in.
crease is not peculiar to Vermont.
Every state has the same problem.
Some states recognize the increase as
one OF the inevitable tendencies of
modern life, and plan for it by increas-
ing revenues. Before this campaign
is over Mr.. Clement will be asked to
tell to what extent he helped increase
the state revenues through taxing cor
porations during his term of legisla-
tive service.
The campaign has been very spicy
to date, but it is still young. Mr..
Clement has had his throw at Gen.
Mccullough, but there are others who
will have their turn later. Mr.. Glenn
ent will realize before the flowers
fade in September that the fierce rays
which beat upon boiling candidate
are not altogether pleasurable.
Mr.. Clement wants to be governor.