Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1906-08-10
The Party and the Candidate.

The Party and the Sahuiua'e'
The appeal ri the Fusionis'S Is
10 the di-tru~l. the discomfort. ana
the pcesiui~m of the people OF Yer
mont. Their contention Is that
Vermont ior a quarter OF a century |
has been a boss ridden state; that
the Republicans have been and are
under the aggressive domination
oi a sci oi selfish and unScrupulons
politicians who constitute the ring'
whose sole object i, the perpetual
ton oi lhyir OWN political power
and the enjoyment al the SPoilS oil
oie,c. They denoumcc, they pro
test against the misrule, the eNtrav-
agaucc. and the graft ol the
republican machine, the latter
word a substitute for party. ms
sort of talk. this sad refrain OF pee
wish re-SimiSm. which charges ev-
crv alleged unsatisfactory condi-
ton. from our inherited representa-
tive system. To the execution OF
! Mary Rogers, against the admins
tration. has a familiar sound.
Prcsuming upon the fact that
cities contain a larger per cent OF
democratic NotcrS than the smaller
towns. and sometimes elect demo
Gratis To the Legislature. their plat
form contains a fervid denunciation
of the republican party for tolerat'
inc our representative system called
the "rotten borough" system. The
allusion is peculiarly unfortunate
for vote buying, the peculiar vice
of the rotten borough, is much les
frequent in the small towns. ON
p system is modelled after the nation
- al system, reversing the order, on
senators being chosen according
to population, corresponding to tn
, national house.
| The republican party by its plat
4 form and by its candidates is spe
# officially pledged to accomplish sue
t reforms as public sentiment dc
mands. In view OF the personnt
of the candidates, their records an
X character and following, whic
y party will be most likely to secur
y the practical results of reform, tn
e republicans or the fusionists Thi
.e is the vital question for the voter
1t of Vermont.
II Mr.. Clement poses as the apostI
Is of legislative and administrative
IS reform. He thereby forces til
/ question Of his own cousistenC
III with his proteSsed principles an
w motives. We must Judge of h,
Is future by his past. He was electe
mayor OF his city, representative
and senator by republican vote
- In these capacities did he sho
. ~, conspicuous devotion to the int
- est OF the people, In 1902 /
, sought the governorship as ii
:. representative of local option, an
although the republican ticket al
platform stood for that princi pit
ID he put up spectacular mlnStr
.r campaign as a boiling candidate
.r In 1904 he became so far reconcile
:. to the alleged nisrule of the repu'
o. liCan party that he subscribed
in its campaign fund and took Il
le stump in behalf of its candidate
III In 1906, realizing that he cou
not prevent the spontaneous non
nation of his personal and polite
Ist rival, NJ. Proctor, the Benningt,
of idea was evolved, a veneer INIT
or ton of a demand for his indepen
We ent nomination, and the captu
We of the democratic nomination w
is planned and secured. Is the nj
W who attempts to turn biennial sol
D. ersaults into the governors cha
ar the genuine exponent of reform
lot Is he not rather the opportunist
I'M politics, the Ben Butler of We
Int mont, whose real policy is IAN
h -? thing to win
sh Nermonters will answer til
as question i'll September.
mt interrogatories for p. v
it? Clement.