Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-02-28
DIR. WEBB AND HIS CHANCES.


the License Plank in the Platform Defea
Himl-His Generosity to the State Remem
bered-Other Pleasant "reminiscences
Good Manager of His Own Affairs 0ugh
to be Able to Defend the Treasury.
The New York World takes a mos
interesting and amusing view of DR.
Webb's candidacy for the governorshiI
of Vermont, as will be seen by the fol
lowing from its columns:
CDR W. Seward Webb, of No. 6S(
Fifth avenue, is candidate for gov
ernor of Vermont, and if he receives
the Republican nomination at the
spring convention he will be as good
as elected, for there are not enough
Democrats in the entire state to carry
a single county on strictly party lines.
CDR. Webb's legal residence is Shell
burne, Vt, where his country estate,
known as Shelburne Farms, is one of
the finest in the world. Tie doctor has
lived there since 1887, but probably not
5 per cent. of the voters ever saw him.
Some of the remainder have heard of
him at one time or another. They have
heard nothing but good reports, and
every one who knows the millionaire
likes him. Yet it remains to be seen
whether the conservative Vermonter
will decide to place an alien of the state
at the head of the government.
In Vermont the Green Mountains
divide the state into an east and west
side, and it has been customary for
many decades to choose governor first
from one side and then from the other.
As they are elected every two years the
number is not great, and hot contests
result.
Dr. Webb has for an opponent Gen.
j. G. Mccullough of Bennington, who
is also more or less of an alien. The
general has done as much for his ma
tive town as has the doctor for Shell
burne. The doctor, however, once gave
the militia the use of his COW pasture
during the annual encampment, and as
this saved the state nearly S210, his
generosity has never been forgotten. 1t
was rumored at that time that the doc
tor must want political preferment,
but he subsequently lived down the
canard.
"There is high license plank in the
platform to be supported.by DIR. Webb
and this, it is feared, will do much to
defeat him. The conservative element
in the state has been fighting for years
to keep the prohibition laws on the
statute books and while the laws are
still there the fight has gradually gone
against them. They are so strict at
present that should DR.. Webb, in his |
house, give friend enough liquor to ,
make him intoxicated, the doctor could I
and probably would, be sent to the /
to polish marble for a spell. I
The workhouse is not in Rutland, and /
better known citizens than the doctor
have been confined there in blue jeans
aud had their hair cropped for owning
a hotel or drug store in which liquor
was sold.
CDR. Wehh's great wealth and social
have kept the people in
awe of him, but there is no reason in
his, for the millionaire is most demo-
,ratic-in Vermont.
In 1896 he was elected to the legis-
AZURE from Shelburne, and he won
very one with whom he came in con-
act by his simple ways and cordial
manner 1t was during this session
hat he was appointed a member of
he House Committee on Military AT
airs. In order to get on better terms
With his fellow workers he took the
N a trip about the state to inspect
amp sites. Several of the members
lad never been in more luxurious car
han smoker, and the magnificence
f the Ellsmere took their breath away
for two days. 1t was on this trip
hat one of the Legislators mistook eel
ash and refused to eat it on the
Tint ba J,Jptt lilo HI, TODD
erved with grass in it. 1t was noted I
oted for prohibition drank the Doc
or's champagne. When reporter {
allied the attention of one of them to I
hat appeared to be a moral discrep-
ncy he came to the surface with the
emark that he drank for his stomach
nd voted for his constituents. - /.
"DI. Webb's wealth will not neces 1
irily initiate against him, for he has
cen generous, and in many of his fl {
ancial deals Vermonters have got in Z
4 the ground floor His income is a
lrger than that of the State, and r
lere is a feeling that man who can ;,
anage his own affairs successfully =
lght to be able to defend the treasury. =,
1.-THE governor of Vermont is very 9
rye pollywog in a very small puddle. v
he dimensions of the puddle are so b
mited that when the pollywog grows z
a full -fledged frog he usually hops q
ito the national House of Representa-
yes or the United States Senate" !,
id friend of DR.. Webb yesterday. ',
"If Dr. Webb has any political am 4
tions they lie in this direction. 1t o
figured by astute politicians that q
20 representatives of the Vanderbilt Il
illions- and the New York Central are 81
UGH better than one congress. Yer ft
ont will have senatorial election C;
It long after DR.. Webb's term as gov r,
nor is ended, should he be elected, +,
ID if he makes a good record with the y,
rmers there is little doubt but that -
would be sent to Washington. q,
"The brunt of DR.. Webb's battle
i'll be fought by the railroad interests p'
the state. The doctor is interested II
rectly or indirectly in every road of N
from the Massachusetts u
lie to Canada, and every influence
by the roads will be swung. h.
lpable managers are conducting the
mpaign. - :,
Humors feed on humors-the sooner pc
n get rid of them the better-Hood,s b;