Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-09-19
THE STATE ELECTION.
randolph Herald and News


err Hill were reported to Lord North,
that staunch supporter of King George,
said in his distress. Another such vic
DRY and the colonies will be lost"
1t was about such a Pyrrhian triumph
that the Republicans of Vermont gained
last week. The scale tipped their way
by a narrow margin and Clement the
bolter, failed in his ambition to become
governor, but the result is not such as
to bring joy to the hard-andfast mem
bers of the dominant party in Vermont,
especially those who only consider the
winning of Victories by phenomenal ma
jorities the chief goal
There is in the outcome of the recent
contest, food for much sober reflection
In the face of the staggering, and we'll
nigh overpowering. blow that the Repub-
lican party received last week Tuesday
II behooves all who profess loyalty to
that party to study the situation and the
conditions that threatened It with disrup-
ton and defeat and, If possible. to draw
lessons that may serve to future profit
from the recent experience.
An analysis of the vote shows that
about 30 per cent of the normal Republi-
can strength was thrown to Clement, the
bolter. What was the cause, or what
were the causes. of this formidable de-
lection? Vermont Republicans have al
most ever been loyal and constant in
their following of the party standard
Indeed. their answering devotion has
frequently been cited by unfriendly crit
les as unthinkng Bourbonism. Obvious
ly, this large number of Republicans
must have been actuated by new and
strange impulses, by strong Influences
to lead them into actual open conflict
with the old party. What were these i'm
pulses and influences?
Without doubt the primary cause of the
detection was the widespread dissatis-
faction with the prohibtory law, and the
determination on the part of thousands
of voters to take the strongest and most
direct method of expressing themselves.
Though there was little difference be-
tween the Republican and boilers plat
forms in actual meaning, both demand
ing 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 a difference. and to
many an important one.
The Republican platform declaration
was elf-contradictory. 1t squinted to-
toward prohibition as a principle when 1t
condemned the unrestricted traffic in in
toXicants a public evil and urged that
changes be made only after careful in
vestigation by the people. After thus
putting on record its own disapproval of
local-option 1t squarely veered round 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
local-optlon law as the people would
approve at the polls To the voter who
above party or all else wished to bring
about the repeal OF prohibition. II was
not hard task to decide which platform
suited him the better While the Re-
publican declaration offered him the
privileges of court. wherein he might
meet his prohibtlonist opponent and pos
sibly overcome him. the Clement plat
form was his advocate. and living force
in the direction that he wanted 1t was
politics versus principle. The Republi-
can platform was intended to take in
both prohibitionists and local -optlonists,
but TO AFFORD comfort to neither. The
boilers sought only the support of be-
levers in license, and promised them
what they desired To Republican who
cared more for local-option than he did
for party success. and who distrusted the
cold judicial wording of the Republican
declaration, there was reason enough for
becoming a bolter
The Montpelier platform was a conces-
sion TO Clement, made, as all knew
grudgingly. unwillihgly. to keep him in
line and the party united. 1t reminded
one of those national Democratic plat
forms of ante-bellum times, intended to
satisfy the pro-slavery section OF the
South and the free sellers of the North
Ii said nothing and meant less. so far
as principle was concerned. 1t didn't
take long for a great number of local
optionists to discover that any platform
that was satisfactory to the prohibition
lists couldn't possibly suit them. And
even the prohibtionists were hardly sat
isfied with the two faced thing. though
nd ha
lar ticket. as the most effective way of
beating Clement and outright license
Another strong impulse that actuated
the boiling Republicans was n liking for
the personality of Mr.. Clement 1t APP
peared to many that. having compelled
the Republican party against it's will to
write his plank in its platform, he should
have been the nominee rather than Nc
Cullough. who stood for nothing positive
and whose attitude on the question re-
mains to this day unknown. Vermont
ers like fighter. and such Clement is
In this campaign he has DEVELOPED a
strength among the people that few men
of the state have ever enjoyed He had
the confidence of his followers who
knew that with him In the governors
chair there would be no half -heartedness
In the direction of more liberal liquor
legislation And they wanted TO see
him rewarded for his hard toll in the
cause he had espoused.
Still another influence that tended to
swell the ranks of the disaffected was
the disgust felt for ring politics 1t was
apparent to many that that vague some
thing known as the ring was on the
side of Mccullough. Practically all the
leaders in state, county and town poll
tics. the men who commonly run things
were for the regular ticket. But 1t is
not so easy to parcel out the fat things
and deliver the goods as it was once
Voters are becoming interested more and
more each year, and are constantly on
the watch to break up states and combi-
nations. The Clement movement gave
them good opportunity, which in many
cases was improved. to down the reputed
leaders.
Among other causes for the falling off
in the Republican vote might be mem
TONED the weakness of Mccullough per-
sonally as a candidate. Estimable man
that he is, he did not show the marked
ability before the people in this campaign
that was ascribed to him. His speeches
were short and lacking in force. He
worked as hard as his advanced years
would permit. and doubtless shortened
his days by his strenuous efforts to win.
He aroused little enthusiasm as a public
speaker. The faint of his pre-convention
canvass followed him to the end. BY
far the most effective work for the ticket
was done by Senator Dillingham;, with
Martin, Haskins, Plumley, Archibald and
others some distance ahead of the can
didate himself.
The Republican party has been given a
bad scare, but the experience may do II
good. 1t has seen that II must act hon