The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-08-21

didate, but as man whose nomination
has been brought about by methods that
are unquestonable and whose election
I would show the political leaders of the
town that the people as a whole still be.
heve in clean politics. II has been argued
by some republicans who dislike the eau
Gus methods which have come in vogue
| but DISLIKE also to vote for anyone except
a republican, that a rebuke to such meth
DDS should not be given at time when
the benefit will go to democrat The
answer which the Moran republicans
make to this Is that such a time is Just
| the proper time, Tor the reason that II
will demonstrate that Brattleboro people
would rather send democrat to Mont
pelier than a republican whose nomina.
tion came about as the result of corrupt
tactics For that matter people are com
ing to realize more and more that the
question OF party Is of comparatively little
importance in matter of this kind, the
important consideration being the per
sonal fitness of the candidates.
Since Mr.. Moran received the nomina-
tion of the democrats last Saturday even
ing his supporters in both parties have
been putting up hustllng campaign in
his behalf. Headquarters have been es-
tablished in room y on the third floor OF
the American building, and large sign
proclaiming this fact has been swung from
the top of the block Posters bearing
arguments in behalf of the election of Mr..
Moran have been put up on the billboards
about town, and these are being changed
from day to day. A surprising feature of
the Moran campaign is the large number |
of farmers in the outlying districts who |
have promised him their support Various |
reasons are given by those who enlist un-
der the Moran banner; some attribute |
their stand to what they saw at and |
previous to the republican caucus, Others
say they are only too glad to support a
candidate who is not
lawyer, while still Others base their de-
cision on the fact that Mr.. Moran has
always worked in the interest of the
town.
One of the chief arguments which the
Barber supporters are using may be cpl
tomized in the one word, "bolter." They
refer invariably to all Moran republicans
as "bolters," and characterize the signers
of the citizens petition as a bunch Of
''soreheads." 1t would have been much
better for Mr.. Moran, they claim, if he
had run as straight democrat, instead
Of as candidate on two tickets. As to
The clean politics argument which the
Moran sympathizers advance the Barber
workers say that this is all bluff-that
,hese methods have been in effect for sew
,ral years and that the caucus of Aug. s
vas no worse than any of its predeces-
ors As one of them put it, "you can't
'un successful campaign on wind and
water nowadays" During the fight be-
ore the caucus one of the most frequently
lsed slogans of the Barber men was that
he fight was not between Barber and
3acon, but between Barber and Fits.
his undoubtedly brought Mr.. Barber a
lumber of votes, but since Mr. Fits came
ut actively in support of the caucus NOM
nee the argument has lost some OF its
orce and the Barber men have been kept
usy explaining. or trying to explain, why
Ir. Fits is on their side.
Some of the people who heard Mr.. Bar
er's anti-corporation speech at the rally
sst Saturday evening have recalled the
Iontpelier in the interests of a private
for whom Mr.. Fits was
hief counsel.