Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1902-04-10
Mr.. CLEMENTS CANDIDACY.

Mr.. CLEMENTS CANDIDACY.
SO Mr. Clement is to be a candidate
for governor after all. His pronounce
ment appears elsewhere. His plat
form is high license-local option, and
if nominated he will seek the over
throw Of the present prohibitory law.
Mr. Clement has long been the
leading opponent Of prohibition in
Vermont. Like all the other candi-
dates, past and present, he is a man Of
ability and wealth. lie is also we'll
known for energy and earnestness,
and now that he has taken off his coat
he will leave no stone unturned to
win.
But he cannot win. He enters the
field too late, and his motives are
bound to be questioned. There was
the same reason for his becoming a
candidate before Fletcher ID. Proctor
went in as there is now, yet he did
not enter, and unquestionably would
not, had not his friend, Webb, gone
out, and his enemy, Proctor, gone in.
lie cannot hope to succeed; he win be
satisfied if he is the means of beating
Proctor He hopes, by taking adyan-
tage of the license sentiment in Rut-
land county, to divide its vote, and to
secure strength enough from other
localities that would naturally be for
Proctor to accomplish his defeat
Mr.. Clements candidacy will add
interest to a canvass already very
spirited. Whether it win achieve its
object remains for the Republican
voters to say. We do not believe ii
will. We believe that the desire Of
the people is so pronounced for a good,
clean, able and upright man like
Fletcher d. Proctor-withal real
Vermonter-and its detestation of
such tricks as this is so strong that the
scheme will not carry. Many who are
now inclined to favor Mccullough will |
not care to be parties to Mr.. Clements |
plot and will rebuke him by coming !
forward with Proctor votes in their |
hands. If it is part OF the Benning- |
ton candidates plans to get Clement
into the contest, hoping to land the
Office himself, the hope will fall short
of realization. Such trick will not
work.
Mr.. Clements paper, the Rutland |
Herald, has been paving the way for
this move by a series of uncalled-for
digs at Proctor. 1t has said nothing
about Mccullough. The purpose is
clear. Clement is willing to sacrifice
himself if he can only prevent Proctor
from winning. Are Republican voters
going to crafty Clements personal
spite? We think not.
Mr.. Clement might get a respectable
vote as a high license candidate under
other circumstances. He win discred-
it his cause and himself for the whole
long future by this move He will not
begin to poll the license strength in
his party, and the exhibition viii re-
suit in a setback TO that movement.
4 great number who would like to see
a change in the liquor laws will resent
Clements action now, seeing its prim-
AIRY purpose. Even were he nominat-
ed and elected-an unthinkable
thing-it would accomplish nothing
toward bringing about local option.
for the governor has no part whatever
in law-making. and cannot even inter-
pose an effective veto This makes
the motive the more apparent.
Gen. Mccullough is said to be not in
with the prohibitory law.
We do not know how tar he goes in
this direction. but it has been stated
that the New York idea" has made i
some impression on him. Fletcher ID. :,
Proctor's record in the legislature |
shows that he has voted for prohibit
ton. and he is known as q consistent
man.
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