Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1906-07-14
Why Not Proper Dose Of Reform
for Vermont?

The Springfield Republican says
The promptness with which organic
newspapers in Vermont invoke the
name of President Roosevelt in be-
half of the candidacy for governor Of
young Mr.. Proctor, and labor to make
the campaign there turn upon ma,
tional issues, is suggestive of scare
Every citizen Of Vermont who is
capable of going in when it rains
ought to understand that the election
of Mr.. Clement, who is pushing for
needed state reforms, would in no
degree imperil the republican party
of the nation, while it would promise
greatly to serve the state.
Vermont has fallen into a state of
dry rot in her public business owing
to the long dominance of one polite
al party. If evidence in detail of
this should be needed by any loyal
son of that state, let him turn to the
late Investigations into the conduct
of state institutions. The Green
Mountain state stands in great need
of a political shaking up such as the
election of Mr.. Clement wonld give
it. More than that, there is a crying
occasion for a searching and indie
pendent inquiry into the conduct of
the states business. What little has
been done in this direction goes back
to the initiative of Mr.. Clement, who
is now the candidate of independent
republicans and the state democracy.
This union of forces can be made
effective for the good of the state if
the average citizen can be aroused to
-s.-.s,-...e--of lrio- puUIIC uuIy.
Long has ring rule in Vermont
continued. A republican of that
state lately said that the old Smith
ring had been succeeded by the Proc
tor ring, and that it is now proposed
to hand the reins of power from
father to son. Ifso, why not from son
to son, and so on in an enduring line
of personally conducted domination?
This man declared with emphasis
that it was time to smash the stand
ing order in Vermont politics. That
was a sensible individual conclusion,
and if the same line of thought can
be made to extend through the
state, there will be a political revolu-
ton at the coming election. Such
happening would be in line with
the political unrest that has been
commanding reform all over the
country. 1t would be in line with
the impulse which President Roose-
welt has been giving in national af-
fairs, and would be so recognized
everywhere. Not harm, but good,
would come to the republican party
in Vermont through the election of
Mr.. Clement.
Some Of the republicans cherish the
idea that Mr.. Clements activity in
politics has been dictated solely by
selfish ambition. This does not ap-
pear to us to be reasonable supposi-
ton. He has already accomplished
real good for his state by what seem
ed to be the hopeless challenging of
intrenched power. 1t would be a
fine thing for plain citizens to make
his cause their own, and so contri-
butte powerfully to the deeper prob
ing Of the states business that is
manifestly needed. The men of YER
mont have always been slow to I'M
loose their partisanship and exercise
the freedom of action which that
gives. 1t would seem, however, as
if the present provocation had been
great enough to invite political re-
volution, even there. Mr.. Clement
is much more after the type of
Theodore Roosevelt than is the re-
publican nominee, Mr.. Proctor.