The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1903-04-02
IDE FOR GOTERNOR.

st. Johnsbury, April Some of
the east side politicians who are al
ready Selling up available timber for
the Republican gubernatorinl nomina-
tion in 1904 have suggested that the
Hon. Henry Clay Ide of the Philip
pine commission would make an ideal
candidate, and for several days the
matter has been more or les, discussed
Newport. Judge Ide is now in this
country, having arrived in San Fran
cisco last week, but just when he
will reach his home in st. Johnsbury
is not known, for in writing to
friends here he has said he would
not come until every trace of winter
was gone. Just what Judge Ide's
| future plans are and whether he could
or would accept nomination for the
governorship is not known. His rel
| atives here believe that at present he
is very sick man and that the re
covery of health is his only reason
for leaving the Philippines.
When Paul S. Garter, Judge (de's
private secretary, came home last fall
he stated that the judge was in ex-
tremely poor health and it is known
that since there he has spent some
time in Japan but did not entirely
recover.
When asked if he thought Judge
Ide would consider gubernatorial
proposition a near relative replied
that he hardly believed he would.
Tie judge has been invited to deliver
the address in this village on Memo
rial Day but his friends doubt if he
will feel equal to the task.
1t is limited, and not without some
excuse. that the mention of Judge
Ide's name in connection with the
governorship is part of plan to
maintain the old mountain rule and
bring the Office to the east side next
year. There is a growing feeling
here that Percival w. Clement of
Rutland will be doomed as the regular
Republican nominee in 1904 and
might prove a very formidable COM
petitor unless an exceptionally strong
east side candidate can be presented
against him. 1t is believed that in
order to defeat Mr. Clement. should
he be candidate, some one who has
nos been prominently associated with
the political lite of the State during
the past two years must be found to
oppose him.
In Judge [de some of the leaders
believe that sort of candidate has
been discovered. His ability is I'M
questioned, and the fact that his rep
uatation has outgrown the bounds of
the State and country and has become
almost world wide naturally gener-
ates the feeling that he would honor
his native State by accepting the gov
ernorship. Judge Ide has been prom
inenJ in Vermont politics in former
years., He was a member of the Sen
ate from Caledonia county in 1882 and
1884, presided over the Republican
State convention in 1884 and was a
delegate to the national convention
of 1888 which nominated Benjamin
Harri son. His political career has
not been without its reverses, how
ever, for in 1892 he was defeated for
town representative by Wendell P.
Stafford.
Judge Ides governmental service
began with his appointment to the
Samoan commission by President Har-
rison He resigned from thi position
in 1891 and two years later was
chosen by the the three governments
of the Samoan protectorate, England,
Germany and the United States, as
chief justice of the islands. His
work of disposing of the complicated
land claim cases in Samoa during
his term as chief justice gave him q
wide reputation and when President
Mckinley was making up the Philli-
pine commission he offered a place on
the board to Judge Ide, who accepted
and has honored Vermont and the
nation by his distinguished service il
establishing American rules in the
| Il