The river press., 1904-10-19
WHAT IT MEANS.
The Significance of the Vermont
. Victnrv ...

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Victory. @
While it would be the sheerest foil,
for Republican managers to accept til,
Vermont victory as certain augury q
koosevelt's election next November, or
to relax in their efforts to insure tha
result, it cannot be denied that the 81,
OoO plurality is a most reassuring ant
significant fact. That this is so is no,
because succession Of statistical cein
cldences where shrinkage Of the Re
publican plurality in Vermont in Sen
tcmber has presaged a national Demo
crat'c el victory IN November. but hecaus,
the influences IT ,. affecting the lndividua
/ units in one State in this election are
national in their nature and are effective
throughout the republic
n the issue il the November election
We're Confined to the tariff question it
would be impossible to infer from Ver-
mont's $4,000 Republican plurality
what would be the drift in New York,
Connecticut Or Indiana. because the vo.
ters of these three States study the
tariff question through very different
spectaces from those of the farmers of
Vermont. From the 0>,y in 1861 when
her late Senator Justin S. Morrill, in
troduced the war revenue tariff measure,
winch bore his name in the House OF
Representatives, Vermont has never way-
cred IN her support of the Republican
pollcy OF protection. Other States have
wobbled, as the politicians have played
upon the oredulity Of their Industrial
CLASSES, but Vermont has stood as firm
as her own everlasting hills.
But in the present campaign the
democracy has chosen to thrust it's tra-
dltlonal clamor for free trade into the
background and has arrayed itself
against the American spirit of ugrres
slve, progressive expansions. Of which
1heotore Roosevelt is the living EN-.
bodiment
To-day the Republicans stand for@na-
tional action, advancement and life: the
Democrats for national innction, retro
grcsSion and death. The issue is between
DOING and DON'T.
such am issue appeals to voters in
Vermont precisely as it appeals to those
OF Oregon or Arkansas The restricted
local view and interest is swallowed nm
III the broader prospect, and men vote,
as Americans and not as citizens Of tl,iS
or that State. -,
~ s''''' OlVSpl HSJ- .Dule re-
SDonded Go allead"' and Vermont mere
~ echoes back across the continent Go
ahead" -
Even Arkansas shows signs of waking
from the lotns-eating dream of Demo-
cracy that nation can advance with
out eNertion and force by marking-time
III front Of the marble eftigies of Jctfer-
son and Jackson, who il they were alive
would bc marching in the ranks of action
ana progress. sA
This. then, is the significance OF the |
Vermont election, that on the issue con-
ainrd in the word Forward" persona !
cd. If our opponents will have it so,
n Theodore Roosevelt. represented in
,very line OF financial industrial and
diplomatic achievement, demanding in
creased expenditures for the army. the
navy. the postal service and every de-
Of government care of the
peoples nterests-Vermont represents
he onward trend of American thought,
This. and not the mere fact that Yer
mont went Republican by $4,000 votes,
'ives IN assurance OF great Repubi-
am victory next November