The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-08-13
THE VERMONT SITUATION
Burke and Donnelly Predict Falling
off In Republican Majority.

| OH w nSPupHCdn MAJORITY
Boston, Aug. 13.-Alexander Troup,
Of New Haven, Conn, presided at a
meeting of the New England Demo
cratic League, held at the Quincy
house Tuesday afternoon. Colonel
Troup welcomed those present and
announced the objects of the league.
James Il. Burke of Burlington, VT,
mayor ofsthat city for four years and
now the Democratic candidate for
governor described the situation in the
Green Mountain state. Il do not
mean to be so foolish" he said, las to
! predict that the Democrats will carry
Vermont, but we will do much better
than before. We are not however,
receiving any help from the national
committee. The state election is very
early-September /. There have been
no rallies outside of what / have held.
We ought to have speakers of ma
tional reputation. Inasmuch as Yer
mont fires the first gun and is always
considered a barometer which re-
fleets the general sentiment, It is i'm
portant that we should not be ne
elected in Vermont.
The Republicans have changed
their attitude In a way that is ex.
tremely significant They did not in
tend TO have rally. but to do what
ever they did through the press. The
leaders have found many of the rank
and file saying that they did not care
much II Bryan was elected. This
| luBewarmness has frightened them so
| fhat fhnts -
speakers of national reputation so as
TO get out as large vote as possible
We also find The Burlington Free
Press saying: Why should the result
in Vermont be considered a barome-
ter? There is nothing to the cry
The. Vermont Republicans are afraid
that they are not going to get out
their usual majority. And, whether
or not we Democrats secure any out
side speakers, the Republicans will
not get the majority they usually get
in presidential years.
"A Republican friend of mine with
whom / have often had confidential
talks has been over to New York. He
says he finds everything quiet there
general apathy, with nothing doing
He came in contract with some Repuh
leans from the West. They told him
that, while they we're Republicans, the
West was all for Bryan. | spoke OF
mistakes which the Republican man
ayers were making, and he replied
Yes, 1t looks as II our campaign was
being managed by lot OF little boys.
Vermont had no liking for Taft
Hughes was their idol, the man they
wanted. If they vote for Taft, II will
be simply because they want TO stay
with their party; but there are 9
whole lot of Vermont Republicans
that are not going to vote for Taft.
THE situation is different this year
On every single plank of the Demo
cratic national platform we can make
an appeal to the people We are mo-
on the defensive. We can>put up al
aggressive fight II should be a cam
paign OF education. Our planks are
vote getters. Taft was not satisfied
with the Republican platform. II,
had to amend II by stealing three Of
four of our planks that appeal to the
people
Jshn II. Donnelly, of Vergennes
correlated Burke's statement from
his personal experiences. He told o
man named Taft, living in Ferris
burg, VT, whose grandfather anC
Judge Taft's grandfather were broth
ers, who were going to vote for Bryan
This man had said that when the Re
publicans turned down the La Follet
part Of the platform II settled him
and that he was even going to vot,
the Democratic state ticket becaus,
that was the way to help Bryan.
Donnelly declared that Burke woul,
get large vote for governor outsid,
of the regular Democratic vote be
cause he was popular with the labor
ing men and the farmers The Re
publicans had nominated the wronl
man. stanton was their logical can
didate, but he had no money and n,
automobile to go about the state II
II he had, he would have been nomil
ated, The other fellow had money an,
he simply went out and bought tn,
nomination openly"