The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1906-05-24
P. W. CLEMENT
AGREES TO RUN
INDEPENDENTLY
Announced His Decision To
Followers Today.
HAS lRSUED A LETTER
Says That He Will Obey the Ear.
nest Demands Of Ills
Supporters


ent today acceeded to the request of
his followers and announced that lie
will run as an 10 lepsn lent candid ite
for governor His response is embod-
led in letter TO the voters OF Yer
mont in general and the signers OF the
Clement petitions in particular,
The petitions containing names Of
some ten thousand voters were present
ed Mr. Clement together with evidence
that these petitions represent only
small part of the strength he can
count on at the polls.
Mr. Clements letter is as follows;-
To Edward J, Hall, George H. Dew
ey. L. S Knight, S b Hutchins, s.
j. Beatty, L. II. Lombard, w. II. II.
Blow, Frank Wilcox, H. c. Soper, f..
A. Walker, c. L. Hathaway, G. Y.
Shanks, f. b. Maxhan, VIM A. Eaton
and others, Independent Voters Of
Vermont:
am in r ceipt of your request to me
to run as an independent candidate for
governor of the state, more extensive.
ly signed, you tell me, than any re-
quest OF similar character ever be.
fore in the state of Vermont
In the campaign OF 1902 the license
local option party demanded caucus
law. The legislature which was elect
ed that year failed to pass one, but the
legislature of 1904 enacted cunningly
devised law which put IN operation
now for the first time, seems to operate
in way calculated to perpetuate the
power of tine Republican machine in
definitely.
will not at this time discuss the
merits of that law or attempt to give
the reasons for its failure. The fact
that it is distrusted and ignored by a
large majority of the voters 10 all
parts of the state is sufficient reason
for your action aud for mine In no
part OF the state. so far as know, has
majority of the voters registered,
and in some towns the proportion OF
voters declaring their party atiliation
is only one quarter OF the total vote,
Under these conditions it is apparent
that the nominations made through
such caucus action will not represent
the great majority OF the voters in
Vermont
believe that every mans vote
should have its full weight and value
in making nominations for Office as it
does in electing candidates to office.
Yet under present conditions this can
not be and as | understand il, it is for
the purpose of enabling every Yer
monter to record his judgment upon
the questions which have attracted Sc
much public attention during the last
few months that you have asked me to
stand as an independent candidate foi
the Office of governor of the state.
So understanding the motive which
prompts your actions accept thehigh
commission you tender me, and will
make my best efforts to accomplish
/ the changes in State government sc
earnestly hoped for.
,ot g., u,L,n 1 annAupoaI L., NH
lie letter my determination to contest
the republican nomination in republi-
can caucuses it was not supposed that
the caucus law would be repudiated by
the people the way it has been That
fact has completely changed the con.
ditions while the demand for some ac-
tion looking toward Improvement in
state government is greater aud more
insiStent that ever in view these facts
cannot consent to have my name
presented in the republican State Con
vention and we cannot look TO the ma
chine which is now IN control fol
Improvement. ltotfers no change bu
the change from bad to worse which
always comes with maladministra-
tion Of public affairs, while men who ar,
in control OF political power, stand
pat" and say to the voter, "whOt are
you going to do about it?"
They claim to represent a magorit.
of the republican party. You and
do not believe II. We know the re-
publican party believes in an honest
and economical administration ant
that as mujority through M
chine methods has been denied fail
expression of its wish. We know tina
10 towns oftentimes republican ma
jority has put democrats in office when
it was understood that such democrats
we're better fitted to administer the aft
: airs of that Office than the repubica
candidate for the Office and vica versa
i, Democrats DO not hesitate to sup
, port men of other political parties
3 they believe it for the interest of goo
government,
The best republican and the hes