St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1908-04-08
Plumley VS.. HaSkinS.
The COngreSsman'S Home Paper
States Some Facts which the
Voters of the Second Dis
trict Ought to Know.

as representative III OOHRIcSS HOlu lHis
district was announced by the Mortified
News this week in the following editorial:
The News is pleased to formally an
nounce the candidacy of Hon. Frank
Plumley for representative to Congress
from the Second Vermont district.
in 1900 Mr.. Plumley was candidate
for congressional honors. Hon. Porter
| H. Dale of Island Pond, Hon. Wendell 2.
| Stafford of St. Johnsbury and Hon. Kit
tredge Haskins of Brattleboro were his
opponents. the latter leading him by
very few votes.
"Mr. Plumley's support stood by him
with splendid loyalty ballot after ballot,
as did the supporters OF the other can
didates. A protracted nights struggle
confronted the convention with the
probable i'll blood natural to follow such
contest, to end as such contests usually
do with the defeat of the original con-
testants through dark horse" brought
forward as compromise.
1T was then that Mr.. Plumley, in the
spirit of party harmony. ioreseeing the
logical result, generously withdrew and
| Mr. Haskins' nomination Immediately
followed.
Two years ago there was a strong
demand that MIR. Plumley again be
candidate. Mr.. Haskins pleaded for
another term that he might serve to the
end of the Roosevelt administration.
This was recognized as a reasonable
ambition and this, with certain personal
reasons, decided Mr. Plumley to decline
to enter the canvass in 1906. Mr.. Has
kins was handsomely renominated for
what was generally understood To be
his last term in Congress.
with the completion of his present
term Col. Haskins will have been longer
in Congress than most of the representa-
tives sent from Vermont in the past, and
no one will claim that his services have
been more than Of average character.
MIR. Plumley, with a laudable ambi-
ton to serve his state in Congress, has
waited to announce his candidacy until
he was assured from every section OF the
district that there is hearty and enthu-
siastic support for him. Mr.. Plumley
needs no newspaper introduction. He is
universally and favorably known in his
own state and enjoys a wide acquain-
lance outside its borders. He is a pro-
gressive and active citizen, who has given
largely of his time and ability in every
good cause. He has been honored by his
state, and in turn has done honor to YER
mont.
MIR. Plumley has efficiently served in
| both branches of the state legislature
and is at present chief judge of the Court
of Claims. In larger affairs, he has held
the office of United States district attor.
ney and in 1903, through the influence OF
the late Senator Proctor, he was APP
pointed by President Roosevelt umpire
in tn mixed commissions for Great Brit
ain and Venezuela, and for Holland and
Venezuela. In this mission he spent six
months in the South American capital
That his exacting work in this RESPONSE
BILE and altogether unique position was
highly satisfactory, was evidenced i'll the
fact that he was later selected by the
governments of France and Venezuela as
an umpire in further disputes between
those two countries.
Mr.. Plumley is in middle life, a strong
man mentally with the health and cour-
age which comes from right living. If
the Republicans bestow upon him the
honor of representing Vermont in Con
gress, as the News believes they wish to
| do. Mr.. Plumley's services to both his
state and his country will be of supe-
rior character"
In this article there is the intimation
that Mr.. Plumley did not enter the field
two years ago largely in Difference to Mr..
Haskins's wishes to serve to the end of
the Roosevelt administration. When the
campaign of 1906 opened Mr.. Plumley
had suffered bereavement in the death
of his wife. He issued statement at
that time which showed that he kept
out of the field not from any consider
alton for MIR. Haskins, but simply for
the reason that he then had no heart for
political strife. To quote from his own
signed statement:
Reasons which are purely and wholly
personal compel me to state that shall
not enter the canvass this year.
my cherished ambition for political
preferment for the present is crushed and
dead and it is simply impossible for me
TO take any active part in political
campaign of this character"
The News says Mr.. Haskins pleaded
for another term" With whom did he
"plead?" He certainly never had any
correspondence or conversation with Mr..
Plumley about his candidacy prior to his
nomination two years ago. Neither Mr..
Haskins nor any one authorized to
speak for him said two years ago that
he would not again be a candidate.
The Phoenix happens to know some
thing about the appointment of Mr..
Plumley to the important post in Ven
ezuela. The position of umpire was first
offered to F. c. Partridge of Proctor.
He declined the appointment and SEN
atoT Proctor then came to Brattleboro
for a conference with Representative
Haskins. Hr. Haskns suggested Mr..
Plumley as the man for the place, and
acting upon this suggestion Senator
Proctor telephoned to Mr. Plumley ten
dering him the appointment, which Mr..
Plumley accepted, and Senator Proctor
then went from Brattleboro to Washing
ton to lay the matter before the Presi-
dent and Secretary of State Mr.. Plum.
ley's position as umpire was a highly
remunerative one, the net return to him
being more than a representative in Con-
gress could save from his salary in years
OF service in Washington. Mr.. Plumley
has been we'll used.
The statement that mo one will claim
that his Col. Haskins'] services have
been OF more than average character" is
open to challenge.
Col. Haskins is today one of the highly
influential members of Congress. His
appointment in the present Congress to
the important Craftsmanship of the war