The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1908-08-28
CAMPAIGN WHOLLY
IN LIGHT OF DAY
So Claim Supporters Of Moran
For Representative.
STATEMENT FROM l. Z. HOLDEN
Participant in Republican Caucus De.
mics That Methods Used by All
Three Candidates Were Identical
Qualifications for Voters.

With the calling 10 order Of the fre,
men 5 meeting in Festival hall al
o clock next Tuesday morning will b,
gin the finish of one Of the hotties
campaigns for town representative
that has ever been wagcd In Bratile
boTo. The battle Of ballots will con
tinue until 3 o clock in the afternoon
aud by that time IL is safe to predic
that an unusually heavy vote will hav,
been polled. Voting for state ant
county officers will continue two hour,
longer but there is little Likelihood
that many citizens who do not TAX,
part in the representative contest will
trouble themselves 10 vote on the 9th
er tickets. In 1904 Brattlcboro east
gjs votes for the republican candidate
for governor. That this number will
be increased next week there is little
doubt.
In view Of the nearness of election
il may be well 10 call 10 the attention
of people in general the laws relative
10 the qualification of voters. To be
entitled TO vote at the September elee.
ton the voter must have been a resi-.
dent of the state year and of the
town three months. Moreover he must
have been born in the United States or
have taken out naturalization papers.
Under the present statute the candi.
date for naturalization must appear
before the United States court and
take out preliminary papers and ii
will be two years before final natural.
ization papers can be taken out. This
preeludes any possibility of anyone S
becoming naturalized before the elec-
tion if he has not already taken steps
in the matter. There are more than
so men in the town who would be legal
voters if they were naturalizcd and
some have taken part in the caucuses
this year. They will not be allowed to
vote in the September election. An
other provision of the statute regard
ing elections which might fittingly be
called to mind is that it is illegal for
any man TO use influence over voters
after they are in the building where
he voting is going on. This would do |
away with much of the work which |
nall at the caucus. Other provisions |
which will be enforced are those re-
,arding giving intoxicating liquor to a |
voter either as an indueement or a re-
ward, punishable by fine of 5000 for
zach offence. and using bribery, threat
" undue influence over voters, for
which there is a similar penalty
During the past week the Moran
have been waging siren
Ious campaign of billboard advertis
ng. setting forth in large posters the
rguments in favor of their candidate.
heir reason for adopting this method
$ twofold: First. they believe that
resenting the issues of the campaign
n a straightforward manner like this
ives their opponents fair chance to
lake answer if they have any; sec
nd. they think that billboards as a
ledium of publicity are cheaper than
n army of paid heelers whose bust
ess it is to disseminate information
egarding the campaign.
1t can be said in all fairness that
he Moran campaign thus far has been
Dnducted absolutely in the open and
hat the arguments which its adherents
ave set forth have in no way been ,
nswered. In reply to the charge of ,
in the caucus Barber work
rs state that the same methods have I
cen in force for the past 40 years !
nd that now is a pretty poor time to
AXE any change. Granting even, that 6
lis statement were true it would be !,
-etty poor defence; but it is not true. 9
who went to the recent re- =
lblican caucus knows that tactics :,
;ed there were more reprehensible I
ian anything ever seen in this town. :
+. Holden, who was one of the par !
cipants in the caucus. makes some i
,rtinent comments relative to these !,
ethods in the following letter: n