The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-11-10
rAFr's PERSONALITY
Congressman Foster Says It Was
Valuable Asset in the Campaign.

congressman roster says u was
Valuable Asset in the Campaign.
The Burlington Free Press of Fri
day published the following enterview
with Congressman Foster:
Congressman ID. j. Foster returned
home Wednesday evening from his
work IN the presidential campaign af-
ter being detained in New York for
several days. with am attack of The
grip 10 % representative of the Free
Press Mr. Foster said that he cam
paimed back and forth through Ohio,
Indiana Illinois, Wisconsin and Mis-
souri, and that on his way back to
NaW York, whittier a large number Of
speakers we're sent for the last week,
ne spoke In Pittsburg and Harrisburg,
Pa, and Camden, N. J. During the
last week he was in and around New
York Mr.. Foster said that the trip had
been a very laborious one, as it in
volved many hundreds Of miles Of
travel On the other hand the expert
ence was one never to be forgotten
TO member Of the House of Repre-
sentatives It is always advantageous
to get in touch with large members Of
people in different parts of the coun-
try and so TO learn how they were
looking at the different problems be
fore the country
The Free Press representative
asked the congressman whether he
could name two elements in the cam
paign that contributed most to repub-
lican success Mr.. Foster replied that
with all the difficulties the party had
TO contend with this year it had two
assets OF very great value. First, its
candidate Mr., Taft. At the start the
American people knew what kind of
q man Judge Taft was But it never
ceased to grow upon them till the
morning of election that he was the
right man for the White House at
this time Heretofore republican
candidates for the presidency have
sometimes injured themselves by cam
paigning But the more Mr.. Taft
went about. the more he gave the
people an opportunity to see him and
to hear him the stronger he became
He met all the issues squarely just as
he has been meeting them all these
years
Then too as a general rule, the
! farmers throughout the country are
! fairly prosperous and could see no rea
son for a change. This meant much
nc q time when we had to contend
against thp panic OF 1907 and the wide
| spread industrial depression The
western farmers condition was wei
illustrated by am incident related by
| q merchant In Illinois. He said thai
"a farmer came in a few days before
and selected a buggy which he de
I sired % purchase. The price was sos
/ The farmer protested saying that in
| 500 be- bought the same kind OF Z
/ wagon for $50, that he was constant
customer and ought not to be asked
more than $50 for the buggy in ques
/ ton The merchant replied that he
/ remembered the transaction of 1896
You had no money with which to pa!
me and you could not sell your corn L
get the cash for me Accordingly yol
brought me 400 bushels of corn, fo
which ] allowed YOU the market price
| 10 cents. per bushel. and / gave yol
| the buggy in exchange. Now If yol
/ bring me 400 bushels of corn / vii
give YOU the wagon viii hitch be
hind Sc a harvester worth Sl25. vii
put under the seat a pair OF harness
worth S35 and @ saddle and bride
worth SIS
From every standpoint the cam
paign has been very satisfactory.
has indicated. as no campaign in the
past has shown. that the people are
doing their own thinking They rea'
much during the campaign The
turned out in large numbers to lister
To- the discussion of the issues. AnC
! then they decided for themselves the
way they should vote
SO man 300 the campaign has grow
more rapidly than Governor Hughes
His campaign through the West wal
most effective and lbs effect upon the
people of New York was very whole
some They saw that 10 would neye
do TO have it said that the people o
/ lhe great Empire State turned thei
/ back upon the men who had won the
/ esteem of the people Of the othe
/ States.
/ Mr. Foster expects to be in Burling
ton for about two weeks, after which
he win leave for Wa hington 10 be h
attendance at the coming session o