Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1902-09-05
ANALYSIS OF THIS COUNTY.


Some Unexpected Features Revealed Mil
takes in Count Already Developed =
at Newfane-Bare Possibility Yet Tha
Davenport Is Elected Belief That Majorit
at Most Is Under 1O0-Result May Turn o
Twice Marked Ballots.
An analysis of the county return
contains some features that are fairl
lneXplicable. Davenport leads the res
of the county ticket 10y from 300 to 40
votes which must have been substan
TALLY all Republican votes, as certain
ly no Democrat would have selected
him alone to vote for: some local op
tionists very likely did SO because
senator would have part in Legislation
and because of the silly cry the Re
| publicans raised of trick in films
local option nomination papers for tn,
! full Democratic ticket. This CAREFUL,
blinked the fact that Mr.. Lawrence
the regular Republican nominee fol
senator. was included in the tickle
thus filed, but it may have had some
effect in fooling those that wanted to
be fooled.
But it is known that good many
men. especially in Brattleboro, voteo
for Davenport while they voted moth
ing else Democratic. If of his whole
lead over the rest of the ticket, 30C
votes were of this kind, it would mean
that 623 local optionists cut him, for
his total vote falls 1913 behind the com
bined Clement and McGettrick vote
This would mean that nearly a third
of the local optionists, either inten-
tionally, or by neglect to vote anything
more than the head of the ticket. or by
compounding with their consciences
with a Clement vote and all the rest Re
publican, avoided him and the rest of
the Democratic county ticket. The To-
cal option leaders say that while occa-
sionally man did this, it is impos-
sible that there should have been any
such numbers of them.
What makes it all the more puzzling
is the fact that Mr.. Spencer, the Re-
publican nominee opposed to Daven-
port, came within IS of the vote for
in the county. He had
the aid of some prohibition votes and
doubtless of some Clement men who
would not go any further against regu
lar tickets. so that he actually led the
state ticket in eight differ
ent towns; but this would be supposed
% be offset by losses from prohibition
lists, dissatisfied that he, a strong be-
lever in prohibition. should be run
ling on local-option- referendum
platform and from the West river
owns on the county buildings issue.
Either, therefore, the regular Repub
leans were much more careful than
Democrats and Local Optionists to
'ote the full ticket--or there are some /
,ad mistakes in the count
1t is known that there was such a
mistake in Newfane, in emitting to /
,ount anything but the state ticket in .
he Clement column and ii is believed /
hat there was a large error in Brattle- .
Doro. 1t is also known that there were /
many ballots where the same names .
we're marked on both the Democratic .
nd Local Option tickets, which in
ONE towns were counted and in others
we're thrown out. The Democratic
ouuty committee have therefore called
n the boards Of civil authority in the
itferent towns for "A recount and
tatenent Of facts about rejected votes
or the Legislature to pass on.
In the senatorial vote Lawrence, who
'as on all tickets. runs APT behind the
1tal vote.
The big Democratic disappointment
) in the seven West river towns-New-
ane, Brookline, Townshend. Wards
orc, Jamaica, Londonderry and Do
er, which were SO loudly grateful To
ne county Democracy for coming to
heir rescue against the organized
;heme of the Republicans, which con
rolled the Republican county conyen-
ion. to move the county buildings
his was the second time the Demo
rats have done it, for in 1892 when it
as attempted before, it was the dec
ration of the Democratic county con
ention and the efficient work in the
,gislature of the Democrat, Porter, Of
'ilmington. backed 10y Brown of
that blocked the scheme.
nd yet these seven towns give Spen-
n Gl7 votes to $50 for Davenport or
b out of 239 majority. If they had
zen done as well by him as the other
towns of the county where he faced
is To champion their cause, he would
ave been elected So. too, would
art at least of the rest of the ticket
sainSt which these towns have cast an
'erage majority of 32j.
Naturally the Democratic expression
disgust is very emphatic, and while
e result does not alter the right or
rong of the question, with human ma
re as it is. there is little chance that
awfane and these other towns can get
help on this issue again
ID as the Republican politicians of the
unity are pretty nearly unit in the
to make the change.
ewfane's loss is practically certain,
oner or later-yery likely two years
nee under cover of the presidential Y
sction. X
The reason for this slump in these |
WINS is that in the last few DAYS the r
publican leaders went through them L
aiding the riot act and giving them
tice if they went back on the old
rty," the county buildings should
rely 90. 1t is not surprising that Y
ch threats were potent, though it
lily meant that these people should
AGATE enemies, who they knew could
t be placated, by the sacrifice of the
ly friends they had in an organized
litical way. NeWfane's chance was
or enough at best against the ability,
ivity and persistence of the politi-
ms and she and her allied towns
We apparently chosen TO throw that
ay. Their only hope was to cast 50 M
vote in rebuke as to scare the pol NJ
clans in the future. Instead they ~
re plainly told the politicians not to
WILMINGTON,