Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1902-05-30
CLEMENT TICKET WON
Proctor Beaten asa to 45l with
Mccullough a Poor Third.


81 Received Certificates and Re.
turned to Vote-some Amusing In
cidents Of the Day.
Clement 454.
Proctor ASH.
Mccullough 1853.
That is the way the figures stood
when the hottest battle of ballots Brat
tlebOro has ever known ended Satur-
day night and the l0cal-option-hig Chilli
cense ticket finished in front by an ex-
ceedingiy narrow margin.
The announcement of the result was
received with a deafening cheer. but
that ended the celebration. The
Clement leaders had wisely passed
around word to their followers to pre-
serve their self-control and to avoid
boisterous eXultation. and the request
was needed. The big crowd filed rap
idly out of the town hall. but groups
gathered on street corners, in stores,
homes. club rooms and other resorts
to review the result and recount Incl
dents Of the day until a late hour.
The little imaginative mottos which
fioated around in the brains of rep
resentatives Of the three factions
when they sought repose late at
night might have read like
this: Clement men. 1t was a famous
victory Proctor men. we have met
the enemy and We are theirs" McCul-
Tough men, We stood by our colors 10
the end
The Phpnix has no desire to con-
stitute itself returning board or an
expert on caucus analysis. The plain
bald fact was that the Clement ticket
won by three votes. There is no use
in discussing the why's and wherefores.
or attempting to make explanations or
autopsies-least Of all in making profit
less accusations. While the result is
deeply TO be regretted from the stand
point of The Phoenix ii must be &C
cepted with the best face possible
Both the Clement and Proctor fac
tons worked for all they were worth
and the town had been carefully and
Systematically canvassed. 4 degree
Of zeal which was not commendable
was shown in some cases. and some
voters undoubtedly exercised the right
Of suffrage in the caucus who would
have been more al home in a Demo
cratic primary. The Clement ticket
was helped TO some extent by the gold
Democrat voters OF two years ago. who
then voted for Mckinley in preference
70 Bryan. but who had previously raj
lied around the Democratic standard
These (heretofore) strangers 10 a Re
publican caucus had no difficulty in
passing the examining board. In fact
some very doubtful cases were taken
in tow and given such instruction on
their way from the hall that they were
enabled TO answer satisfactorily when
they were questioned
About 200 voters were present in the
hall at o'clock, when R. E Gordon
chairman Of the Republican town com
mittee. raped to order and read the
call. George ". Hooker was chosen
chairman and II. B. Chamberlain sec
rotary by viva vOce vote. Charles R
Crosby read the following rules for the
caucus. which were adopted without
opposition upon motion of James F.
Hooker:
Ffrst-Au voting shall be by check
list Every person presenting his bal
lot at the box shall call his fun name
and give fair opportunity for challenge
before his ballot is deposited II chal-
lenged, he shall step one side before
voting and appear forthwith before the
joint committee on challenge II passed
by said committee without appeal he
shall receive a certificate thereof and re-
turn TO the ballot box with his certi-
ficate and vote
Second--The joint committee OF chal-
lenge shall consist of one representative
each OF Proctor. Mccullough and
Clement. each selected by the respec-
tive parties. They shah hear all ques-
tons OF challenge and determine the
same. In case Of any disagreement in
said committee. any one member thereof
may appeal to the chairman whose decis-
ion thereon shall be final.
Third--A person who voted for the
Republican candidate for Governor two
years ago, and who intends to support
the nominees and platform OF the Re
publican State Convention this year. and
persons who by reason Of residence.
nationality. OF age were not voters at
the last election. but who will be voters
at the coming state election. and who
are Republicans and intend to support
the nominees and platform Of the Re
publican State Convention this year,
shall be voters In the caucus.
The chairman named f. L. Water
man. A. F. Schwenk and c. R Crosby
committee TO whom a voter should re-
fer in case he was challenged at the
polls. r. E. Gordon. H f. Taylor and
F. H. Spaulding. members OF the Re
publican town committee. were ap-
pointed to receive the votes. The
chairman named James F. Hooker and
c. F. R Jenne on behalf ofthe Proctor
ticket, L. D. Taylor and H G. Barber
for the Mccullough ticket, and c. A.
Harris and c. W. Richardson. Clement
ticket, tellers to count the ballot. The
voting was by check list, and every
name was recorded.
Representatives of the three factions
were near the polls at all times
throughout the afternoon and evening.
and probably $50 men who attempted
TO vote were challenged. Some were
believed TO be Democrats, others pro-
hibitionists, and a few were not con.
sidered OF age or had not been resi-
dents of the town for a length of time
that gave them citizenship Sixty
seven men who were challenged
received a certificate and later re-
turned to the polls to vote. Only a
dozen or Is were turned down and de-
clared ineligible by the committee.
Probably 10 or 20 more who were
challenged. and who realized that they
had no right TO vote, did not appear
before the board. A few Of these
were Democrats whose minds were ap-
parently in muddled condition. and
who labored under the misapprehen-
sion that this was an election and not
a caucus.
The colloquies which took place