Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-08-03
FUSION FIRES FIRST GUN
CLEMENT AND PAPE OPEN Lo.
CAL CAMPAIGN WITH RALLY.
State Issues Discussed in Business-like
Manner by Candidates for Governor
and Lieutenant Govenor-M Machine
Methods Attacked.

and Lieutenant Govemor-Machine
Methods Attacked.
The fusion campaign was opened in
Brattleboro Monday evening with au
enthusiastic political rally in the au
ditorium, The First Regiment band
was in attendance 10 furnish music
and the Clement colured quartet rem
dercd several selections which were re-
ceived with great favor Percival W.
Clement, fusion candidate for govern
or, and G. Herbert Pape, candidate for
lieutenant-governor, were the speakers.
Several times they were interrupted by
applause, and their remarks were fol-
lowed closely. In spite of the rainy
weather the auditorium was comfort
ably filled when the speakers took their
seats and large crowd was in evil
dence ON the street. The majority Of
the crowd were voters but number Of
women and children were present.
After selections by the band and quar-
tet Col. c. A. Miles in few words in
troduced Mr.. Pape, who received an
ovation as ne arose to address the au-
dience. Mr.. Pape expressed his pleas
ure at seeing so many out in spite of
the bad weather. Referring to the sit
uation he said Vermont was in the
midst of the warmest political cam
paign in her history Two months be-
fore election, the republican state com
mittee had already convened and is'
ued an impassioned appeal to the
voters. The reason lay in the fact
that the independent and democratic
parties were united by new purpose,
a new courage, placing loyalty to prin'
ciple before party, and that the union
had sounded the death knell of ma
chine rule in Vermont.
The interest shown by the machine
press in democratic affairs had been
After advising the demo
rats not to fuse, they had turned
after the conventions in Bur
lington and said that fusion was just
what they wanted If this were so, 1t
is very strange to see that the state
committee had got such n hustle on.
The fact is, the machine press and the
machine committee are suffering from
the biggest scare in their history. EX'
ample A Proctor newspaper that adj
vises its readers to "keep cool and
don I bet. - Mr.. Pape said if the elee'
ton were held tomorrow, the fusion
candidates would certainly be elected
The manifesto of the machine com
mittee was mostly composed of per
sonal attacks on Mr.. Clement, whose
principal crime was that he had ex-
pressed his honest convictions con
trary to the will of the party. The
Might of the machine committee was
like that of the little boy with the
black eye, who, when the minister Of
fered TO pray for him, said: eco home
and pray for your own boy; he's got
two black eyes,
The abuse heaped on Mr.. Clement
was the same that fell to the lot of
Joseph w. Folk of Missouri and other
reformers.
Here Mr.. Pape took occasion to de-
lounce the article which appeared IN
The Phoenix July commenting on
he occupations of the fusion delegates
who went to Burlington June 2S to
nominate Mr.. Clement for governor,
,aving that according to the declara-
ion Of independence all men were born
'ree and equal and were allowed the
pursuit of happiness without hindrance.
The speaker said that only two /
,lanks upon state issues appeared in
he republican platform of 1902 The
.aucus law they promised never came
nto the general assembly until the
asst dav of the session and the local
,ption law was forced on the statute
looks of the state by Clement men and
As to reform in state ex-
lenses. an Indiana man said that |
,artv that was responsible for such an
Increase as Vermont showed in 20 years /
you'd be driven from power IN MS
tate at the next election.
Speaking Of the working man, Mr..
'ape said that the only way to help
man, trying to pay for home of his
wn. to escape double taxation was to
oin hands with the fusion party; the
nlv way to secure the return of true
neal option by making license commls-
ioners appointive by their own com
nunities was by defeating the ma
bine: the only platforms that prom
sed any help for the laboring class
7ere the fusion platforms, me ma
hine had given labor nothing but
bild labor law in 80 years. How long
,ould If take for labor to secure what
bev are looking for at present?
Mr.. Pape warned his hearers not to
a switched from state to national IS
ues and said speakers from outside the
fate would better mind their own
usiness. The paramount issue IN the
resent campaign was really whether
mrs shall be a government of the peo-
Ie bv the people and for the people,
, Government of the boss, by the
oss and for the benefit of the boss.
He called for a clean and honorable
, mnaion and said he would rather be
efeated than win by political trickery
nd corruption. He called on every vot-
TO constitute himself special com
,ittee of one and bespoke for the fu-
on ticket an unprecedented majority !
Pennington next September.
At the close of Mr.. Pape's speech
10 Quartet rendered two selections.
nd Col Miles then introduced Mr.. i
Jement who spoke of his inexperienee
conducting political campaigns and s
,e inexperience of the whole fusion {
artv. ssIn fact,n said Mr.. Clement,
there is not a politician in the party.
mr. forces are composed of black
niths, BARRIERS; farmers and common
eople.
Continuing, Mr.. Clement told how
IS great grandfather had come to the
,wn of Sherburne in pursuit of IN
ependence and argued that he had 5