The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-07-23
MR.. CLEMENTS SPEECH.

issues, as outlined by him, III the
pending canvass for the governorship,
are here published. They will form
a part Of the case coming before the !
voters, and they are here presented,
to be taken up when the argument
is made. Omitting conventionalities,
Mr.. Clement said
The license party undertook to OBJ
tain by fair means the real sentiment
of the people upon the question. We
| had right to expect that other can
| didates would undertake in the same
| honest way to ascertain the true SEN
timent of the people. But by the
time the convention assembled we
| found that both of the other candi-
dates had been using improper means
to get control of caucuses, in order to
elect delegates favorable to each
They had been buying caucus votes
and had attempted by all kinds of
chicanery to get a majority of dele
gates rather than to ascertain the true
sentiment of the people upon the
question at issue.
This is particularly true of Gen. j.
G. Mccullough, who went into the
convention at Montpelier on June 10
with more than sixty-nine delegates
from towns where voters had been
bribed in caucus to nominate him.
If towns where delegates were elect
ed by means Of bribery had had eau
cuses free from corruption, the license
local option party would have gone
into the Montpelier convention with
J enough votes to its credit to render
the nomination of Gen Mccullough
impossible. He, therefore, did not
represent the true sentiment of many
= of the towns whose delegates support
ed him.
In entering into a convention of this
kind, it is fair to assume that all can
t didates in the convention will abide
by the decision of the majority, pro-
vided that all delegates are honestly
= and fairly elected, and truly represent
S the wishes of their constituents, and
provided also, that fair hearing is
9 not denied the honest representatives
e of honest constituencies.
= The action Of Mccullough and his
l. supporters in bribing voters was a
= fraud not only upon the innocent and
S honest people in towns where it oc.
+. Cured, but also fraud upon the
q. Republican party of the State
:. 1t is settled principle of law and
o equity that where fraud enters into q
n contract it vitiates all the provisions
4 of the instrument.
O The Montpelier convention has is
sued to General Mccullough a certih.
cate of his nomination. That certif
!. cate has no real value, except as it i
r. measured by its moral sign. 1t means
moth ing unless it represents the true
y sentiment of the Republicans of Yer
il mont or a majority of them.
The Mccullough supporters ant
n the Mccullough newspapers say thai
n it is dishonest to bolt the convention
n Since when is it dishonest to repud
|, late and condemn the use of money il
% caucuses to buy votes: Since whel
Al is it dishonest to rebuke the man whC
Q by bribery rather than by honest meth
p DDS undertakes to secure delegates t
the convention and thus to thwar
-. the will of the people: Since when i
- it dishonest for people TO rebuke
ie mob convention for driving its repre-
IN sentatives from the floor by its riot
Gus proceedings and the application o
the gag
This charge of bribery is not new
1t has been made and substantiatet
by numerous affidavits for more thai
&c month, but never one word of denia
- from Gen Mccullough; yet it is s.
- easy for him if it were not true, t
II furnish conclusive proof of its falsity
- - He knows, and he only knows, to wha
- extent he used money in this cam
= paign for such purposes. He,can throy
a. open his books to a committee appoint
ed to investigate the charge. TIL
- proof of it and the proof of its falsit
. lie concealed within his grasp.
If the charge were untrue do yo
- suppose for moment he would with
~ hold his defense: e 49,. rsa
~ Taking into consideration the wa
~, 10 in which the charge has been sub
~, stantiated, the ease with which Gen
~ Mccullough could prove its falsity,
y it were indeed false, and his silence
- - the truth of the indictment is force
20 upon the Republicans of Vermont
- and it is with shame that | stand her
-, as a Republican and say that candi
- date for the highest office within tn
10 gift of the people of the State ha
II procured his nomination by bribery.
- Vermont has been a State more tha
le 100 years without having the necessit
! of law governing caucuses.
-, 1t remained for this man, and
&c thank God, we can say that he is no
-, IS a Vermonter, and his methods ar
- not Vermont methods, it rename
- for him to establish the necessity o
:. such a law. He came from foreig
~ State and brought the methods wit
> him which are today shame an
: disgrace to every honest Nermonte
- of every political creed
y The fair fame of Vermont is drag
= ged in the dust of dishonor, and Gen
- McCullough's own methods to obtai
- his nomination necessltated the adop
u, ,s ton of plank in the Republican plat
" form declaring that the meetings o
~ primaries must be controlled by lay
to prevent the very corruption whlc
= he himself introduced.
The same convention which adopte
that plank, without one word OF pro
test from the bribers or the brlbed
placed at the head of its ticket tn
man of all men who is responsible 70
i. this shame and now would have u
y" think that the robe of candidate
l. like the mantle of charity, should GOV
- er a multitude of sins.