The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-09-03
AS OTHERS SEE US.

The Boston Journal editorially sums
up the political outlook in Yer
mont in terse and sensible manner,
and gives wholesome advice which
should meet with due consideration
from the voters of this State The
Journal says:
Secretary Wilson of the department
of agriculture now joins the Republi-
can forces in Vermont. Secretary
Shaw of the treasury department has
been speaking there. There is Re-
publican disposition to make unusual
effort in this campaign
1t is plainly needed. Whatever the
causes, large shrinkage of the usual
Republican majority i'll Vermont this
year will be eXultantly welcomed by
the Democracy, and will be made the
most of for effect upon the general
elections in November. The mere fact
that the majority falls off will be
enough The Democratic press and
politicians will not look very far be-
meath the surface. They will not ac-
knowledge that the shrinkage in the
Republican vote was due t. no a's-o'-
isfaction with general hepuu.ICaI
principles. If Mr. Clement succeeds
in drawing off few thousand Of his
fellow Republicans after him, and
subtracts them from the majority of
Gen. Mccullough, the nature of his
campaign will be speedily forgotten
by the Democratic newspapers, Those
Clement Republicans will be describ-
ed as free traders, or free silver men,
or anti-imperialists, according to
the peculiar brand of Democracy
which each Democratic organ happens
to represent. 1t will be declared that
Vermont has registered a protest
against the national administration.
OF course, all this is humbug. But
there are great many people in this
country-there are some of them right
here in Boston-who get almost all
their public information from Demo
cratic newspapers They will not
know the truth about Vermont be-
cause they will not be permitted to
know it. 1t is the height Of folly. for
Vermont Republicans to play into
the hands of the Democratic yellow
journalism of Boston and New York,
of Philadelphia. Chicago and the 9TH
er great cities of the United States.
If the Vermont Republicans stood
solidly together, the huge size of the
usual Republican majority could not
be misinterpreted. But this divis' on
which Mr.. Clement leads, even though
it be not a very serious division,
makes it certain that Vermont Re-
publicanism will be misrepresented to
the injury of Republicanism through
out the nation.
This is all the more unfortunate
because Mr.. Clement and his followers
have absolutely no excuse They went
into the campaign demanding chance
to vote for liquor license law, in
place of the present policy of prohibi-
ton. The Republican State conven-
ton frankly granted their request. 1t
adopted plank declaring for the sub
mission of license policy to the peo-
pie. But now the Clement faction
processes to be dissatisfied. 1t insists
that license system should be estab-
lished by the Legislature before the
people have chance to vote upon it.
This is not good faith. 1t is not a
good Republican way of doing things.
1t sets the sympathy of Republicans
of other States squarely against Mr..
Clement and his people. He and his
followers have made a mistake. Yer.
mont Republicans who vote with
them will be doing a very foolish
thing. They will be injuring the
general Republican cause throughout
the country, and they will be doing il
without any possible hope of advan
tage in Vermont politics or legislation
for the regular Vermont Republican
platform promises the advocates O.
license all that men could reasonably
ask