The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-03-26
ARTHUR ROPES, General Editor.
POUNDING THE AIR. "

The foregoing is the title of the lead
ing editorial article in the last issue of
the Randolph Herald and News on cur
rent State politics. 1t is the pilot to
the EDITORS denial that the contempor-
ry, and his coadjutors of the Proctor
press, are insisting that the Governor
shall be "to the manner born" The
contemporary is frank. 1t was well
understood that his preachment in
recent issue, with "For Governor-a
Vermonter" as his text, was all wind,
but it was not expected that he would
so soon rush to make the confession
that is good for the soul. Wind has
sometimes to be pounded, and the
stuffing knocked out of false issues,
lest some ill-advised and unthinking
people mistake bubble for cyclone
or a man of straw for the real thing.
For example, the oleomargarine claims
of a candidate for the Senate of the
United States, two years ago, were
wind which is defined as air in mo-
ton the figure oleo cut in that cam
paign was a man of straw but the air
had to be pounded, the bubble pricked,
the stuffing beaten out of the straw
man because certain citizens were TAX
ing the whole Grout oleo exhibit seri-
ously. By frankly admitting that its
cry, "For Governor-a Vermonter, "
was wind man of straw, terms
somewhat mixed, like the notions of
the "manner born" fellows in gen.
eral-the Herald and News has pass
ed beyond the radius of discussion on
this phase of the pending canvass.
1t is proper to say that the Journals
editorial article, from which the Her
aid and News quotes the opening par
agraph and to which it addresses
itself, was written in the main in re-
ply to communication of an old and
highly esteemed correspondent, but
took in, also, general view of SINH
lar expressions narrower, more clan
nish and more uncompromising in the
demand for native born Vermonter
for the office of Governor. In respect
of its own position and that of its
sympathizers the Herald and News
says Nobody insists that the Gov
ernor shall be native born. ~ Then
what does the contemporary cam
paign Cry For Governor-a Vermont
err mean? His intent was illus
trated by the man he selected for his
standard bearer-a man born in Yer
mont. In any other sense his slogan
and original demand for "a real Yer
monter'' for leader was senseless,
his argument without meaning or
force.
AS to the nobody else that is insist
born, the general form of expression
by the Proctor press is for a candidate
to the manner born,' which means
native of the soil, if it means any
thing at all The Windsor Journal S
demand is even stronger. It's voice
is for "a straight out, thoroughgo-
ing, every day in the-year Vermont
err sentiment which the contem-
dorse. Now this condition would ex-
clude Fletcher Proctor. He is not
glued to the soil. Sometimes he slips
his halter and runs down to New
York A veracious report recently
located him there at the Waldorf
Astoria, in conference with Yorker
multi millionaires and Vermont poll
ticians putting up job on the voters
of Vermont, having previously mott
fed his friends that he would not en-
ter the pending canvass. The Yorker
millionaire then hied him to Califor-
mia, and report further saith that the
document proclaiming his withdrawal
reposed in pigeon hole in Vermont
newspaper Office till the time was
ripe for springing it on the Vermont
public. Premonitions of the denoue-
ment of the compact at the Waldorf
Astoria came in the Simultaneous call
from certain patriotic newspaper edi-
tors for native of the soil, to wit,
Fletcher ID. Proctor, to become the
Moses of the people of this State and
lead them up out of their bondage to
Egyptian railroad magnates and New
York millionaires Then appeared
the announcement of the withdrawal
of DR.. Webb and the assurance that
Speaker Proctor's candidacy was a
fixed fact. 1t was all very pretty
scheme, but does it commend itself,
in all its insidious ramifcations, to the
people of this State.
Really, the only man who satisfies
the demand of the editorial coterie
for a straight-out, thorough going,
everyday in-the- year Vermonter, "