St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-07-23
CLEnENT NAMED FOR GOVERNOR.

: high license local option league at Bur
lington Wednesday. About $50 dele
gates were present. The Howard Opera
House, where the convention wa.
held, was only about one-third full
including spectators, at the morning ses
sion. There was a marked absence O
enthusiasm until the appearance OF Mr.
Clement, when he made his speech o
acceptance. This was the feature of the
day. Mr. Clement, who is suffering with
an attack Of govt, appeared at the en-
trance with his lett foot baudaged and
limped through the hall to the stage
amid continuous round Of cheers and
applause.
In his speech Clement arraigned Gen.
Mccullough severely, claiming that 60
Mccullough delegates in the state con-
vention were elected by fraud and in jus
ti6cation of his bolt he said: THE Nc
Culough supporters and the McCul-
Tough newspapers say that it is dishon,
est to bolt that convention. Since when
it is dishonest to repudate and condemn
the use of money in caucuses to buy
votes! Since when is it dishonest to re
buke the man who, by bribery rather
than by honest methods, undertakes to
secure delegates to the convention, and
thus to thwart the will of the people?
Since when is it dishonest for people to
| rebuke mob convention for driving its
representatives from the floor by riot.
Gus proceedings and the application OF
the gag?"
Mr.. Clement spoke as follows in regard
to the necessity of caucus law: "Ver-
mont has been a state more than 100
years without the necessity OF a law gov
ern1ng caucuses. 1t remained for this
man-and, thank God, we can say that
ne is not Vermonter, and his methods
are not Vermont methodist remained
for him to establish the necessity of such
law. He came from a foreign state,
and brought the methods with him
which are today a shame and disgrace
to every honest Vermonter of every DO
lltical creed. The fair fame OF Vermont
is dragged in the dust of dishonor, and
Gen. McCullough's own methods to OBJ
tain his nomination necessitated the
adoption of plank in the republican
platform declaring that the meetings OF
primaries must be controlled by law to
prevent the very corruption which he
himself introduced"
Mr.. Clements attitude on the state
referendum plank was stated as follows.
That the convention, having condoned
one fraud, was willing to perpetuate
another is proved by the fact that the
two leading candidates Of it's appoint
ment are prohibitionists. We forced the
machine to recognize license as a living
issue, and the machine adopted it as
measure OF safety, and not because the
leaders IN control wanted it. And then,
IN order to secure themselves with the
prohibitionists, they nominated men
that party to carry out the provisions OF
the platform. The dishonesty of the
whole proceeding is too apparent to
need anything more from me than a ref
erence. Subsequent events have proved
the insincerity of party leaders. Many
counties IN the convention assembled
have repudiated the Montpelier plat
form, and these in convention have bolt
ed before any action was taken by the
license local option party. | am cor
WINGED that there is only one way to SCI
tie this question, and that is by direct
appeal to the source of all power in this
commonwealth-the voters OF the state
and it is to them that we do appeal.
They call me bolter. So long as God
gives me breath hope | shall never fail
to bolt such methods and such men,"
Mr.. Clement then voiced his admira-
ton for the republican party, and closed
by showing the increase of state expenses
IN recent years, and advocated the reduc
ton OF state boards and state Supplies
bought at wholesale. He said: II be
lieve that more than $4,000 a year can
be saved to the state in that way, and
at the same time more reliable and bet
ter service can be inaugurated. 1t that
were done, and license local option law
enacted, and one-half the fees from the
sale of licenses be paid into the state
treasury, not only should we be relieved
OF the necessity of levying a state tax,
but we should have somewhere from
$4,000 to 100000 a year, which
might be put into permanent roadway
or used in other improvements"
When the delegates were called upon
to adopt platform it was decided not
to incorporate a paragraph personally
attacking Gen. Mccullough, as origi.
nally planned. An attempt was made
to commit the delegates in favor of
nine-hour law and a weekly payment
system, but it failed. The platform de-
mands the repeal OF the prohibtory law,
favors the substitution of a high license
local option statute, and calls for more
stringent laws governing party prima-
RES. The resolution declares that pro
hib1tlon is ineffective and demoralizinp
he use oil money in politics is con-
demned, and the declaration made that
the referendum resolution on the liouor
question adopted by the republican con
Ventlon was only sleeping potion ad
mustered to license and prohibition
delegates alike The platform demands
that the legislature pass high license
local option law, to be submitted to the
voters and to become effective only when
a majority OF the people have signi6ed
their approval in the same manner a.
the prohibition law became operative 30
years ago, and in event of such a law
being submitted by referendum, all true
friends OF Vermont are urged to SUPPORT
1t at the polls. Economy in the admins
tration OF public affairs is advocated,
The local option league elected the TO-
loving officers Wednesday: President,
r. W. Agan of Ludlow vice president, F.
Z. Herrington of Burlington; secretary,
Henry 6. Smith of Rutland city; treas
urer, George R. Bottum OF Rutland city;
executive committee-Addison, w. H. Rid
ley OF BRISTOL Caledonia, E. w. Hutch
ms OF Lyndon; Chittenden, Joseph Auld