The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-07-23
THE CLEMENT CANDIDACY.

emit canuludCy IOr Ille OlllCS VI Wv
ernor was by the Windham county
Refo1mer, independent in it's politica
connections and therefore better quail
fed to render impartial Judgment. OF
Clements acceptance of the nomina-
ton of his convention, the Reformer
says:
He declares that he accepts the
nomination in response to great pop
ular demand The trouble with this
draft of Clements is the same as
was with Proctor draft, Ut is en-
tirely forced. There were some $50
delegates from about the State in at
tendance at the Burlington convention
Wednesday, 1t is charged that a large
number, if not all of these, had their
expenses paid by Clement or his man.
ayers. We don't know how far this
is true, but it is evident that the eau
cuses which chose delegates and the
so called mass meetings which have
undertaken to push the movement
have all been inspired from Rutland.
1t looks too much as though 1t were
personal ambition of Mr.. Clement
rather than the strength of the prin-
ciple he represents, which has brought
all this about.
Respecting the situation i'll Wind
ham county and Clements charge Of
Republican reputation of the plat
form this view is taken;
Here in Windham county the origin
al leaders of the high license move
ment, those whose course at the Re
publican State convention received
&c II
following the bolt and it would seem
are being forcibly put aside from the
ladershiO 20 give way to the most rad
ical element in the ranks. How does
Mr.. Clement think he is helping the
cause by all this? He declares that
he has no faith in the Republican
promises, but he has been a Republl-
can all these years, and declares that
he is one now. He participated active
ly in the pre-convention caucuses.
He directed his forces to participate
in the convention until it became
evident he could not secure the NOM
nation. He secured platform that
suited him, so he said then. 1t Is
true that two or three Republican
county conventions since have declar-
ed squarely for prohibition, aud
against the referendum plank, and it
is true also that almost the first alta tx
upon that plank came in the Rutland
county convention, when Mr.. Glenn
ent himself and his leader Jones, I'M
dertook to defeat its endorsement
there and to substitute a straight high
license plankin place of 1t. This was
within a week after the Republican
State convention. What is sauce for
the goose is sauce for the gander,
Orange county prohibitionis,1 bad
as much right to do what they did
as had Clement and Jones to make that
attempt in Rutland county.
Mr.. Clements Joker, i'll the game
of bluff he is putting up, the Reform
er discredits;
Mr. Clement declares that McCul-
lough's nomination was secured by
bribery. This is serious if it be true.
The trouble is that his evidence is not
convincing. He has produced in his
newspaper number of atfidavits from
voters in the northwestern part of the
State, who say they sold their caucus
vote to Mccullough. They have never
yet been backed up by such corrobora-
tive evidence and circumstances as
would be required to establish the
charge in any court. From the kind
of men these seem to be, as appears
in their affidavits, they are just the
sort that would sell their affidavit
A man who will sell his vote for -
will sell his affidavit for 81. Too
much money has been spent in this
campaign by all the candidates. 1t is
something that the voters should CEN
sure, and something that should be
stopped Mr.. Clement himself is said
to have spent $l2, 900 or So, 900. We
don't believe any votes were pur-
chased, certainly not with Mr.. Glenn
ent's knowledge, with any of this
money, but it all helps to bring about
condition of affairs which we regret
With pertinent reference to his
course in the Legislature the Reform
er disqualifies Mr.. Clement as a COM
of State affairs particularly in the
matter of the increased State expenses.
His attitude in the General Assembly
twas such as to continue the eXtrava-
gance of which he now complains, "
as the Journal has already shown.
"Then, too, he has relentlessly fought
all efforts to increase the revenue from
corporation taxes. Being a railroad
man, affected by such taxes, he was
opposed to the corporate taxation law,
and the Reformer reasonably concludes
Zone would hardly think of electing
Mr.. Clement Governor to urge or put
through such measure. "
In fact the Reformer finds that, ex.
cept in the mooted liquor question
which, nationally, is the first count in
the Indictment
Mr.. Clement has been opposed tC
what the best interests of the State re-
quire. He can't expect the voters tC
overlook all that. He has been any.
thing but the friend of organized la
Dor Whenever it has been in his
power to do so, he has cut the wages
and increased the work of his EN-
ployes. His administration of the
Rutland railroad was not at all for the
public good, but wholly for private
gain.
All % xrbio cOnetitu+ac q partin q r.