Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1904-08-26
For Representative--M. ]. Moran.

resentatiye from BrattleDofo snouiu NC
purely on local issues and the person
nj qualifications of the candidates, the
Reformer will consistently urge ana
further the election of Michael j. Mo-
ran. Not being a party organ we nave
heretofore refrained from attempting
to bring to the attention of the readers
of this paper arguments in favor of or
against any particular candidate TOT
this office, simply publishing what the
political leaders of each faction nave
reported. Our determination TO urge
tho alection of Mr.. Moran is made
with the full understanding that he Is
the nominee of the minority psaty ana
that his election in a presidential year
will be at least unusual, and Is baseo
on the following reasons:
Mr. Moran is business man. we
believe that public office is not the
exclusive prerogative of the legal pro-
fession. We believe that more busl-
ness men-good business men-in the
house and fewer lawyers, Will mean
money saved to the state, better laws
and simpler methods of legislation
Mr. Moran is a local option man.
This does not mean that he is rum
nv. Even his opponents will admit
that his character and principles are
above ranroach, and that if he believes
in local option it is because he THINKS
it is the reasonable method OF regu-
lating the liquor traffic to the end OF
securing the greatest degree Oh tenn
perance. The town of Brattleboro ana
every other town, ought, if possible TO
ba represented in this legislature by
one who stands for what the voters Oh
the town stand for, not by one VINO Is
willing to forego his own convictions
for the sake of party loyalty we be-
lieye the law should be amended as
far as possible by men who believe III
it. not by its inherent enemies
Mr.. Moran is independent While he
has always been democrat IN poh-
ties, his position is such that ne can
NOT be coerced by appeals to party /
feeling or party power into taxing any
action that is not likely to be benenclal
IA his town and county and his state.
: The danger in electing men OF the
dominant party is that the dominance
of that party is too well established,
and there is no fear of political pun
ishment for any office-holder VINO
obeys the dictates of the ring the
ring cannot influence Mr.. Moran, be-
cause he is under no obligation to the
ring.
Mr.. Moran has the public confidence. Il
The nominee of the republican party, {
Mr.. Fits, was chosen by a plurality of
twenty votes; there We're 5S1 votes +
against him in his own party to 31S I
for him; Mr.. Moran was the unani- z
NOUS choice of his party, and this "
in spite of the fact that he endeav-
4ored to avoid being nominated up to :
the very minute of the convention, and y
asked to be excused after he was !
nominated. We believe that, political &
considerations aside land they should
have no weight in this matter), Mr. =
Moran would receive a large number "
of the ISL republican votes that were
cast against Mr.. Fits and that ne
will receive all the democratic votes
in town. Mr.. Fits has once been
beaten by a democrat and once fore I
ed to withdraw in favor of stronger b
man in his own party. Be the facts as J
they may, this does not show that he
has the confidence of the voters. n
Mr. Moran is public spirited We do t
not believe in dragging into politics a
ouestion on which there is such 4
a unanimity of opinion as that t
of damming the Connecticut. If II
this can be accomplished, s
every man in town wants to "
see it done. If Mr.. Fits has done
more than another, it is because his S
opportunities have been greater and .
if the project succeeds he will not fail
of his reward. In this as in other I
public matters, Mr.. Moran has done as !
much as the circumstances would +
permit and what he has done he has h
done without hope of pecuniary or
political reward. The money to carry
on the work was raised by individual r
subscription from men of all political +
parties, and no man has the right to |
ask that his service to the public in .
such matter be made the basis for a
political preferment. If the prospects t
for carrying out the plans made are '
not definite enough to warrant the
suitable compensation of the lawyer, II
they are not worth the further expen- 4
diture of his time. We have not had n
called to our attention the generosity !
of any of local lawyers. even those f
who have held public office constantly, p
in the litigation which resulted over a
the Thompson will. We assume that
when the negotiations are completed !
are successful, it win be quite time to q
talk about paying for them, and that
the pay will undoubtedly be forthcom- I
ing. directly or indirectly. We do not ?
l.