Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-09-11
LESSONS OF THE CAMPAIGN.

When the details of the battle of
Bunker Hill were reported to Lord
North, that staunch supporter of King
George said in his distress, another
such victory and the colonies will be
lost.
1t was about such a Pyrrhian tri-
umph that the Republicans of Vermont
gained last week. The scale tipped
their way by a narrow margin, and
Clement, the boiler, failed in his ann
bition to become governor, but the re-
suit is not such as to bring joy to the
hard-and-fast members OF the dominant
party in Vermont, especially those
who only consider the winning of vic
tories by phenomenal majorities as the
chief goal.
There is. in the outcome of the
recent contest, food for much sober
reflection. In the face OF the stagger-
ing, and well-nigh oyerpowering, blow
that the Republican party received
last week Tuesday, it behooves all
who profess loyalty to that party to
study the situation and the conditions
that threatened it with disruption and
defeat, and, if possible, to draw les
sons that may serve to future profit
from the recent experience.
An analysis of the vote shows that
about 50 per cent OF the normal Re-
publican strength was thrown to
Clement, the bolter What was the
cause, or what were the causes, Of
this formidable detection? Vermont
Republicans have almost ever been
loyal and constant in their following
of the party standard. Indeed, their
answering devotion has frequently
been cited by untriendly critics as
unthinking Bourbonism. Obviously,
this large number OF Republicans must
have been aetuated BY new and
strange impulses, by strong influences,
to lead them into actual open conflict
with the old party. What were these
impulses and influences?
Without doubt the primary cause Of
the detection was the widespread dis
satisfaction with the prohibitory law,
and the determination on the part OF
thousands OF voters to take the strong
est and most direct method Of express
ing themselves. Though there was
little difference between the Republican
and boilers platforms, in actual mean
ing. both demanding the passage Of a
local option law to be referred to the
people, yet all who had followed the
pre-convention canvass knew that
there was difference, and to many an
important one.
The Republican platform declaration
was self-contradictory. 1t squipted
toward prohibition as principle when
it condemned the unrestricted traffic in
intoxicants as public evil aud urged
that changes be made only after care
tut investigation by the people. After
thus putting on record its own disap-
proval of local option. it squarely
veered about in the very next sentence
and proposed the passage of a local
option act, to become operative when
ratified by the people.
The Clement platform, on the other
hand, squarely denounced prohibition
as a principle. and having done that
was consistent in urging the adoption
of such a local option law as the peo-
pie would approve at The polls. To
the voter who above party or all else
wished to bring about the repeal OF
prohibition, it was not hard task to
decide which platform suited him the
better. While the Republican declara.
ton offered him the privileges of a
court, wherein he might meet his pro-
hibitionist opponent and possibly over
come him, the Clement platform was
his advocate, and a living force in the
direction that he wanted. Itwas poll
tics versus principle. The Republican
platform was intended to take in both
prohibitionists and local optionists. but
to afford comfort to neither The
bolters sought only the support of be-
levers in license. and promised then
what they desired. To Republican
who cared more for local option thar
he did for party success, and who dis
trusted the cold, judicial wording Of
the Republican declaration, there was
reason enough for becoming a bolter
The Montpelier platform was a con,
eession to Clement, made, as all knew,
grudgingly, unwillingly, to keep him in
Il