Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-04-10
(From the MONTPELIER JourRal.)
(From the Wilmington Timss.)

(From the Wilmington Times.)
IL seems to be up to- the republicans
| or Vermont to choose between Gen. ]. G..
Mccullough of North Bennington and the
Hon. Fletcher D. Proctor of Proctor for a.
gubernatoral candidate.
or Gen. Mccullough, it can be truly said
that ne Is clean, upright man of superior
intellectual ability and mature judgment.
He is self-made man in the finest and
best sense of the word AS boy he in
herited neither wealth nor influence but
won his way in the battle against adverse
circumstances, single handed and alone.
Success was due exclusively to his own ma
! 1--WE ability and his own untiring industry.
AS lawyer his talent vas recognized both
IN pennsylvania and California Arriving
IN the Sierra Nevada country at that criti-
cal period when the great State Of Cali
fornia was wavering between loyalty and
rebellion. young Mccullough plunged bold
| ly into the fight and his eloquence, logic.
personal magnetism and unwaVering en-
erg" We're eXerted in behalf of the federal
government with telling effect. 1t Is doubt
iuI II any other man did more toward
saving California for the Union thaA Gen.
Mccullough. While still young man he
was elected to the General Assembly and
Senate of the State of California and later
on TO the high office of attorney general.
He came to Vermont in 1873 married n
/
GUS Vermont enterprises and for 80 yeors
he has been closely identified with the in
torests Of the State of his adoption. AS
torcctul campaign speaker he has a ma
t'onal reputation and he has been mustered
I into active service by republican State aud
national committees in every campaign
since 1860.
Notwithstanding his interest in politics.
I it il known that Gen. Mccullough is not
Il chronic ohioe-seeker ana that he has
never played the part of the wire puiler
or machine manipulation. lie has repre-
sentod Vermont at three national republic
can conventions and served with distinc-
| ton as president of the Vermont Senate
or 1900. all OF which honors came without
solicitation ON his part. In 1898 Cen. Nc
| CullcuSh yielded to the importantly of Il
host of friends and consented to enter the
| gubernatorial canvass, but when il be-
came evident that he could not win with
out bitter light, he did the handsome
thing and withdrew leaving his opponent.
Col. e. G. Smith, the only candidate In the
field, thus restoring harmony and good
feeling in the ranks of the party. Con-
cering the many things that Gen. McCul-
Tough has done for the advancement of the
material interest Of Vermont, the Times
Will have more to say later, his work in
this line being too extended for considera-
ton hero.
Col Fletcher D. Proctor. the opposing
candidate, is the son of his father "a young
man of excellent repute and fair executive
ability. He is not widely known through
out the State, having devoted his time vey
largely to the details of running the Ver-
mont Marble company of Proctor which is
controlled by his father Being horn the
son of a wealthy man. he had all the adj
vantages which money and influence could
procure for him, and through the Proctor
influence he became speaker in the recent
House of Representatives., discharging the
! duties of his Office in a very creditable
way. He is conceded to be n good fell
low, but there are hundreds of rising
young business men in Vermont with quail
ifcations fully equal to those which he
possesses who will never f, r a moment be
considered as subernatorial possibilities
| me candid and unpre JUDGED observer.
must admit that Gen. j. q. MCCULLOUGH
stands head and shoulders above Fletcher
Proctor in point of intellectual breadth,
executive ability and mature experience
| We believe that Gen. Mccullough is the
logical candidate of the Republican party
and that he should be nominated by a
sweeping majority. The argument of
/ Give us a native born VclInorter'' is
not going to count so nightly in favor of
the Proctor boom as was at first expected.
As matter of fact. Gen. Mccullough has
been Il voter in Vermont longer than
Fletcher Proctor. and if the general is de-
feated it will be on account of the Proc tor
influence, which is supposed to be as
strong in Vermont as is the Plat In
lluence in New York or the Hanna influ-
ence in Chic. The Proctor family haVo
had everything they have asked for in the
way of public offices for more than so
years, and it cannot be said that false
modesty has prevented them from ask
ing. Under the circumstances and in view
of Fletcher proctors repeated statements
that no would not be a candidate it would
have hapnminU lei OF
to have kept out of the governor canvass
this year. instead of forcing his candida cy
before the people, preciptatlng Z. fierce
fight in the party ranks, and laying him
self open to tho well founded suspicion of
having broken faith with Gen. McCul-
loughs friends,
The Times has always been friendly
toward Senator Proctor, but we believe
that the time has arrived when the voters
should arise In their might and insist upon
electing Gen. Mccullough governor in spite
Of the mandate that has gone forth from
the Proctor organization to defeat him
The influence of the Times will be exerted
to this end and judging from reports that
come to us from Wilmington and sur
rounding towns, we believe that a majority
OF our constituency feel the same way
We have heard of no Mccullough men who
have stampeded to Proctor, but il Is
fact that practically all Of DR.. Webb
friends in this locality are now favorable
to Gen. Mccullough.
PROSPECTS FAVORABLE TO MCUL-
LOUGH.
(F'rom the Bennington Reformer.)
The latest report in the governorshipI
contest Is that Col. Proctor has sent trust
ed lieutenants to all parts of the State to
look over the ground carefully. If their
report does not indicate a probable victory
FOR him 1t Is stated that he will say so
frankly and wait until four years hence, |
before he tries for the governorship
In the meantime the reports that reach
Bennington indicate that, except in a few
places, the prospects are very favorable
ito Gen. Mccullough. Later reports from
Windham county, which has been said to
be the place where the Proctor landslide
really slid. show that he has brought over
the little gang Of Brattleboro politicians
who hope, by hanging to Proctor TO suck
a little political pap sometime, but that the
rank and file there who believe IN political
honesty and fair dealing in standing by
the friends who have stood by them. who
have never asked their nearest county
ne'ghbor for help and been refused admit |
the validity OF Bennington county's claim
to the governorship this year, after watt |
Ing for over 80 years. while the other
counties of the State have been duly hon-
ored, and especially when the bennington
county candidate Is one Of the biggest and |
brainiest men that ever selected Vermont
for home. They will therefore support
Gen. Mccullough, unless tho aforesaid |