Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1906-08-31
What Will Tuesday Bring Forth7

Inc most strcnuOuS pOlltical CAM
paign in the history of Vermont poll
ties, a campaign in which the republi
can machine has been rudely aroused
from its complacent lethargy, will be
brought to close next Tuesday. On
that day the people Of Vermont will
say whether they are content with the
existing condition of affairs such as in
creased expenses, unequal and unfair
taxation, Anticipated management in
the various departments and the dom.
nance of the Proctor machine. All
sorts of predictions are being made on
the result of the people s verdict. Thad
NJ. Chapman, chairman of the republi-
can state committee, calmly announces
that ga conservative estimate places
Proctor s majority in the neighborhood
of 100000" while word comes from
Fusion headquarters that Clement will
surely get small majority throughout
the state. Small reliance can be
placed on the canvass of either side for
the reason that the balance of power
| lies in the hands of the "silent vot
ers, the people who refuse to line up
on either side because of their belief
in the secrecy of the ballot In Brat
tleboro, however, there are many men
who have never voted anything but the
straight republican ticket who will east
their ballots in behalf of Fusion next
Tuesday These men are not prating
of their change of heart on the street
corners, but they have made up their
minds carefully and will be turned by
no amount of campaign oratory. As
man expressed it the other day: "Brat-
tleboro is usually strongly republican
but if the occasion demands it can be
very, very independent. " There is no
reason to believe that this town is diff
ferent from other towns of the state in
this respect, and for that reason the
outcome of next Tuesdays election is
likely to be an immense surprise.
No one expected in 1902 that Mr..
Clement would poll over $4,000 votes,
and yet he did poll 2S,201 and threw
the election into the legislature. Mr..
Clement may have lost considerable
strength by reason of the settlement of
the license-local option issue but he
has gained on other issues. In addition
it is conceded that he will have the
entire support of the democrats
throughout the state, and Vermont s
democracy is worth figuring on at a
time like this. Four years ago Mr..
Clement secured 1877 votes in Wind
ham county although Putney and Som
erset We're the only towns which gave
him a majority. But in Brattleboro,
Grafton, Guilford Jamaica, Rocking
ham, Stratton and Nottingham his
vote coupled with that of McGettrick
prevented the regular republican nomi
nee from getting majority, and Nc
Cullough failed by 32 votes to get a
in the county. just what can
be expected from Windham county this
year is considerable of question. 1t
has been claimed all along as "solid
for Proctor" and yet the bulwarks are
likely to present a shattered appear
ance in several places. Dover, Grafton,
Londonderry, Rockingham,
Vernon and Nottingham are likely to
give a majority for the Fusion ticket
and the same is true in Brattleboro. In
this town Clement sentiment is increas-
ing every day, manufactured reports of
slump" to the contrary notwithstand
ing. In Dummerston, according to a
eading republican, the sentiment is de-
:idedly "mixedo and this may also
be said to be true in Townshend, Hall
lax and Wilmington, the candidacy of
Eli III. Porter for town representative
giving much strength to the Fusion
,ause in the last-named town. Jamaica,
which was a Clement stronghold four
ears ago, is reported by machine lead
rs as buttoned-up" for Proctor.