The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1902-04-30
HE quits THE QUESTION"
AGAIN.

This time it is somewhat more sig
nificant than the ordinary bite of the
Pulex Irritans, so we print the body
of the deliverance, in default of space
for the head, tail and feet. We print,
not because the matter is of any i'm
portance-eXcept in the way of ter
rible example of depravity-but be-
cause it well illustrates its writer S
hypocrisy and his capacity for the
rottenest kind of can't,
The Phoenix editor writes from an
inside view of the practices he la
ments, from inside acquaintance with
the methods over which he sheds
floods of crocodile tears. The Phoenix
was, throughout their political ca
reer, the newspaper attorney of the
Grout politicians. Its editor support
ed them for public Office even against
candidates from Windham county or
the town Of the papers publication.
His knowledge of the political meth
DDS he describes-all of which he saw
and part of which he was, presum-
ably-was acquired in the service of
his clients. His eyes are so tinctured
with the .jaundiced hue of past expe-
riences, that to his vision the methods
of all other aspirants or candidates
for political office bear the same SAT
from complexion. Evil communica-
tions have corrupted both his manners
ever, past master in his knowledge
and experience of ways in, politics
that are dark and tricks that are vain,
or he has been a dull scholar. His
mistake in the pending canvass is in
proceeding on the assumption that all
candidates for office are in the class of
his late clients.
Very astounding, indeed, is the
PhoeniX's notion of the difference be-
tween the methods which it says are
now employed in political canvass
and those which have hitherto been
employed, and in which the Phoenix
has been engaged;
1.-The difference is that this is the
first time that millionaire-a man
who is several times a millionaire
has used these methods in Vermont,
and the result is proportionately cor
rupting.
Well, now, only newspaper editor
of peculiar moral twist, could de-
wise and elucidate this difference. +"
Money, not the man, is endowed with
moral principles. Money, be the sum
large or small, is dangerous or benef-
cent according to the character of the
man behind it. The Journal does not
know whether or not Gen. McCul-
Tough is millionaire or "several
times a millionaire. 1t hopes he is
BOTH A man who makes good use
of his wealth can hardly be too rich
not for the welfare of mankind.
If we mistake not the sentiment of
the great majority of the people of
Vermont, they would fear a hun
dred thousand dollars, more or less in
the hands of some men, a Josiah Grout,
for example, in political canvass in
which he was candidate for Governor
more than several millions in the pos
session of Gen. Mccullough, and this
impression is not weakened by recol-
lections of the events and incidents of
canvass for the governorship that
dates not far back into the recently
departed century. In one of its par
oxyisms of moral exaltation the Phoe-
nix likened Gen. Mccullough to
Copper King Clark of Montana. "
Copper was not entirely disconnected
from Vermont politics, not very long
ago, when one of the contemporary
former clients was candidate for
Office and Windham county man was
up against him. Possibly that old
business connection is responsible for
the PhoeniX's extreme infelicity of
characterization in the pending can
vass. Money" the Phoenix says,
is not paid for votes. l." Still, there
is yet an abiding belief, sustained by
strong circumstantial evidence, that
something besides moral suasion con-
verted majority for w. w. Stickney,
on the night before the assembling
of the convention of 1896, to a major