The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1907-06-07
SOME POLITICAL HISTORY.
Montpelier Journal Relates Scheme to
Choose Senator Proctors Successor.

Inc NtNlult anu i.ApI'HH anu ''NoHu"iN
is highly indignant at the occasional
friendly references of this newspaper TO
Lieutenant-Govemo Prouty, The word
friendly" is used advisedly and the Jour
nal freely processes a personal liking and
respect for the present second IN com
mand. Indeed, there are some conditions
under which it might support Mr.. Prouty
for the goyernorship. If he took the
Journals readers into his confidence and
told them freely why he desires promo.
ton and shook himself finally and EN-
phatically free from entangling alliances, a
great many things might happen
But the Newport contemporary erects
itself into a pedestal of wrath because tne
journal accused Mr.. Prouty OF having a
press agent who procured the insertion
of Mr.. Prouty's urbane lineaments IN a
Boston paper together with a recital OF
his various deeds. In order to prove how
false the charge is, the neighbor declares
that he did the deed. And the licuten-
ant.govemor didn't ask him to- either.
This must relieve the situation consid.
erably The crime of being or procuring
a press agent is not, however, as heinous
as the contemporary seems to think.
Certainly it was far from the intention OF
this paper TO accuse Mr.. Prouty and in
cidentaly, the Express and Standard
man, Of anything improper.
The serious part of the editorial comes
in his warmth OF indignation at what h,
is pleased to call the "insinuatiohs" o.
this paper. He is certainly illadvised in
displaying anger and he does the journal
wrong by intimating that, in any i'm
proper or underhanded way, this paper
/ 4 at.4tT
Perhaps the fire of wrath has generated
smoke enough to disguise the real princi
ple involved but the Express and Stand
ard. the st. Adams Messenger, the Wa
terbury Record and other state papers
that have condemned the journal for
asking questions and demanding eXplana-
lions may as well bear in mind the fact
that this paper does not propose TO sub
nit tamely to aspersiun. \ demand Tor
time. place and names having been made.
they are hereby produced:
In the fall Of 1905, A. Maurice Low,
Washington correspondent of the Boston
Globe. published an authoritative story,
0. KID BY Senator Proctor, announcing
the broken state of the senator's health
and his intention of resigning before his
term of office expired. At the request OF
several alarmed politicians, he afterwards
recalled the letter of resignation, which
was actually written.
Shortly afterwards, /. NJ. Hays, anoth'
er correspondent of the Globe and after
wards chief publicity agent In the Proc
tor campaign, published in detail the
story OF deal that was in progress.
This was nothing less than an arrange
ment whereby Mr.. Prouty should become
a candidate for heutenant-goyenor and,
- ,a,oIts 10 aHnpIpt
Fletcher, the son, when the senator re-
signed.
The journal does not know where the
Globe man got his information, but it
was substantially correct and was never
denied.
During the campaign Of 1906 the writer
of this article took occasion to give this
deal" extended publicity in the state
press. 1t became "A matter OF such con
Germ that the present governor was
obliged to assure his supporters that he
would not consent to being appointed
senator during his prospective term OF OF
flee. In fact. written statement to that
effect was prepared but. on advice OF
friends, was never published.
Now that Mr.. Prouty is himself a can
lidate for governor, have those same
friends of the administration not right
to demand further assurance, TINS time
from Mr.. Prouty? Has every voter not
a right to know the actual facts? The
Journal assumes that they have and that, !
before he secures any considerable follow
ing in this state. Mr.. Prouty will be
compelled to give his friends a full and /
guarantee that no such appoint /
ment will take place.
Whether these three newspapers in, /
end to support Mr.. Prouty or not, and |
whether the season is early or untimely. |
hey can depend upon it that no candl- |
lacy in this state will succeed hereafter |
without taking the voters into full and /
ready confidence.
He may do it once through the columns
If the press or he may do it man to man,
600 times, but he will have to do it, !
ooner or later, That is as certain as the .
act that program politics in this state
ire no longer regarded as supreme and
,xcite superstitous awe in the hearts OF
either voter or editor.
If this be hint and innuendo,' "hurl-
ng insinuaton' or any such capital crime,
he three newspapers aforesaid are invlt'
ID to make the worst of it.