Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-07-11
CLEMENT WILL RUN.
Will Be Nominated at Local Option
League Convention to Be Held in
Burlington July 16.

Burlington July 16.
The Vermont Local Option League
has called a convention to be held in
the Howard opera house in Burling-
ton July 16, at 10 a. m. for the purpose
of nominating officers and maturing
plans for conducting the campaign.
1t is generally expected that this
convention will place Percival w.
Clement in nomination for governor
as an independent candidate and that
he will run.
The Burlington Free Press quotes
him as saying in substance: Il will
run for governor of Vermont if nom
mated by the local option conven-
tion to be held in Burlington the 10Th"
The local option leaders from all
parts of the state on meeting in
conference at Rutland July 8, decided
to call the convention. Letters were
read and discussed which showed the
sentiment in many parts of the state.
A petition from Montpelier favoring a
local option ticket was signed by 500
names and a telegram from Barre
stated that a similar petition there
received 41S signatures in three hours.
1t is understood that the indepen-
dent candidacy will be pushed on the
charge OF use of money in the recent
campaign for the Republican nomina-
tion, and the insincerity of Repub-
licans who will attempt to defeat the
movement for local option law. The
Rutland Herald, in reporting the meet
ing, said:
1t was the sentiment of the meet
ing yesterday that a state ticket be
put IN the field. During the discus
sion the action of the Orange and
Caledonia county conventions in re-
pudiating the license-local option
plank adopted by the state convention
was spoken of, and the evident in
tention of probibitionists to oppose in
the legislature the passage of a local
option bill as recommended by the
state convention was also discussed.
The Burlington Free Press con-
tanned the following special des-
patch from Rutland:
Mr.. Clement was called in and in
the course OF the discussion he said
he doubted the sincerity of his op-
ponents. He didn't know whether
or not 1t was best to run independent.
~ iSie eho' ioi the poOpl6 10 say.
If the local optionists wanted him to
stand for an independent candidate
and so decided he would follow out
their wishes. 1t was suggested that
he might be beaten and politically
ruined. Don't mind me-" was the
reply from Mr. Clement "It wont
hurt me. No man was ever hurt by
doing what he thought was right"
Again he said: 1--WE can win If we
want to give it the time and effort.
The question is, is it best for the
cause and whether or not we want
to take hold of it," After he went
out 1t was decided to take definite
action one way or another and by
unanimous vote a committee Of two
was instructed to ask Mr.. Clement to
run. The reply by Mr.. Clement to
the request of the committee was In
effect as above.
The st. Adams Messengers Rutland
correspondent sent the following: 1t
is stated on good authority that Glenn
ent again will stump the state in
the same manner as before the con-
vention, but will not do it all alone.
Instead, he will have a number of
local option speakers to help him.
Every town In the state will be
thoroughly covered, and local option
clubs will be organized in every town
and village.