Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1908-06-19
The Coming Caucuses.
Rutland Herald, June 49,

The officers of the state of Vermont
for the coming two years will largely
be decided at the caucuses held in the
towns of the state today. There are
but two candidates for governor, unless
the steady clamor of Proctor third-term
unexpectedly bears fruit, but two
candidates for ieutenant-governor, and
two candidates for secretary of state.
In all human probability, the instructions
to delegates will not extend generally to
the secondary offices, but it should be
possible, from tonight's dispatches, to
predict with some certainty the choice
of the republicans of Vermont for the
first place on the ticket.
Two candidates for governor are sub
mitted at the primaries of the state,
George H. Prouty, lieutenant-governor,
and Zed S. Stanton, citizen. Their
campaigns reach an official end today.
| Mr.. Stanton has made a simple
manly appeal to the voters upon his
record. He has visited as many towns
in the state as he could and told his
friends why he desired to be governor.
He has employed no paid workers, has
contracted no political debts and has
merely striven, as a poor man might,
to enlist as many of his friends as
possible in the canvass. His candidacy
has made a strong appeal to the quiet
people of the state, but cannot be said
to have developed any very remarkable
features.
"Honest Zed" has been applied with
some truthfulness to Mr.. Stanton. His
public life has been singularly free from
the ignoble entanglements of machine
politics. Never brilliant, not spectacular
or theatric, he has generally achieved the
confidence of his associates by steady
devotion to the work in hand rather than
by strokes of dazzling genius. He is at
best reliable, industrious and rather
methodical public servant. In these sem
sational times, Mr.. Stanton's private char
acter and public poise have created for
him considerable measure of party con-
fidence.
Mr.. Prouty comes before republicans
as the Great Echo. He made pleasant
impression upon the legislators of the
state as lieutenant governor, and just so
long as he followed his leading strings,
got himself and the administration into
no serious trouble. On one or two occas-
ions when he attempted independent
thought, he reached situation of such
painful hazard that his sponsors were
constrained to hale him back into safe
ways and require him to adventure no
more.
His legislative record has been almost
colorless, but several things are recalled
that indicate his unfitness for the leader
ship demanded blythe head of the great
party.
Prouty originated nothing.
He alienated the farmers by leading
the anti-Bell fight of 1904.
He insulted the druggists before one of
his own committees in 1905.
He aided in emasculatIng the telephone
bill, afterwards organizing a branch of
the Bell telephone company, against
whom the bill was aimed.
He has steadily advertised himself as
the heir Of the Proctor policies, all of
which have been consummated, advanc-
ing absolutely no reason why he him
self should be promoted.
He has untruthfully attacked two State
corporations, accusing them Of being
lawbreakers, when the exact opposite is
the case.
He has sought to bring himself into
public favor by series of cunningly con-
cealed advertisements, Disgusting their
characteri so that they might appear as
the opinions of some one else.
4 He is endeavoring, by the brutal force
of municipalities, to overcome and over
whelm a candidate who is unable to