Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-07-31
WHEN THE BOLT STARTED.

| When a person lays out a course OF
conduct, political or otherwise, he is
duh indeed if he cannot conjure up
some shadow OF justification or excuse
for it, And such is human nature
that the widest vagaries never tail to
impress some minds and make con-
verts OF them In a modified sense,
these two observations apply to the
present policy OF the Hon. Perciyal W.
Clement and his supporters Tor the
aovernorship Mr.. Clement is gifted
with rather more than the ordinary
degree Of ingenuity, and what with
some foundation in fact, liberal twist
ing OF the truth and sundry wild
flights Of Imagination be has framed a
defence for his bolt with which he will
appeal to that class Of voters who are
likely to prove most receptive. in the
hope that he can gain sufficient sup
port to prevent the election of the
regular candidate
From the very beginning there was
a well-grounded belief throughout
Vermont that unless Mr.. Clement had
his way at the state convention he
would bolt. This was freely charged
and never directly denied. The mani
fest advantage that would come to the
cause he had championed in taking
an appeal to a court where the high
license Democrats could come to his
aid, combined with the personality OF
Mr., Clement, made such an opinion
ready Of acceptance.
1t was anticipated that Mr.. Clement
would carry most of the cities and
large towns, as well as some small
towns strongly favorable to local OPP
ton. A liberal estimate of his
strength in the convention was 100
votes. Mr.. Clement made a pictur- |
esque and popular presentation Of his
case through the state and surprised |
himself, as well as all others, by Sc
curing POI delegates
1t was not until a late stage in the
canvass that Mr.. Clement, according to |
every outward symptom, entertained |
the least hope Of obtaining the nomi-
nation for the governorship. His
ante-convention movements, until that |
time, were directed toward stirring up
the people on the issue, so that, when |
the Republican state convention re-
jected his local option plan, as he posi-
lively expected would be the case, be
could then appear as an independent
candidate and make square test be-
fore the whole body of voters.
Mr.. Clements plans were Temporal
rily disarranged by what took place at
Montpelier His Local Option League |
framed liquor plank that it asked to
have embodied in the platform. That
plank did not squarely declare in
favor Of the passage OF a high license |
law, but asked that such a law be |
passed by the legislature. to become
operative only when ratified by the
voters Mr. Clement made his de- |
mand as liberal as possible so that its
expected rejection might leave him in
better shape to wage his independent
campaign He hadn't the remotest
idea that his demand would be sub
stantially granted, and that his ground |
would thus be cut out from under him.
When Gov. Stewards resolution was
presented, the Clementites were as
perturbed as the prohibitionists.
Though worded differently, in effect
it was the very same as the Local
option League plank, and joe
Jones, acting for Clement, could DO
nothing less than accept it.
SO much the Clement movement
had forced from the Republican party,
but this outcome was not at all &C
cording to Mr.. Clements conception.
lie had prepared for the rejection OF
his demands, whereupon his delegates
were to withdraw in a body and be
was to inaugurate an independent
campaign. with local option as his
slogan.
The vision that confronted the
Clement leaders at this moment was
Of the triumph of their principle and
the defeat of their candidate. To Mr..
Crosby and some Of the coolest heads.