Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1908-01-30


of presidential succession to which
there is no visible limit. For exam
pie "a man favored by one president
| would in turn become the party leader
and be entitled to the same right to
claim members of the party could
not oppose the candidate he favored
crcant to his policies, and so on ad
infnitum If not to be for Mr.. Taft
| is to be against Roosevelt, and not
to be for Tafts choice of his success
sor Is to be against taft and so on,
where will the rank and file OF the
party land in the decades to come,
taking 1t for granted that the people
would continue to submit to such an
Interpretation and criterion of party
| loyalty and endorse it at the polls?
That the attempts of some people
to hold that but ono man can be ex-
| pccted TO carry out the Roosevelt
policies in the party sense, are fatu
Gus Is indicated by the experience OF
two wcll-known Vermontcrs who recent
| ly talked with a number Of New York
bankers on the presidential situation.
One of the ftnancicrs was asked
whether he would feel safer with
Taft or Hughes and after thinking "A
moment he replied that he would feel
safer with Taft. In explaining his
position he said: Hughes is more
radical than Roosevelt even. but nc
does not keep talking about it. He
simply goes ahead and docs things"
So far as we have been able to learn
from different authorities. including
Vermont men who are familiar WITH
the situation in the New York finan-
cial district this correctly expresses
the feeling of not a few of the Wall
Street crowd.
And yet there are some people who
| profess to fear that Hughes would
be "rcactionary," measured by re-
publican progressive policies.
The trouble in not few States is
that some people are in reality more
anxious to make a fight for control
of party organization or the privilege
OF representing the party in the ma =
tional convention than they are to see
any particular man nominated for the
presidency, but it is convenient to
use the name of some candidate as n
cloak This has been the trouble in
New York as well as in some other
states, but it is gratifying to note
that the situation is clearing and that
people are beginning to see things
and conditions as they actually exist.
We have said before ana we say
again that we believe either Taft or
Hughes would make an excellent
President Of the United States. We do
not expect a walkovcr in any event.
not improve radically before the com
ing summer closes.
Under the circumstan the chief
question will be- which will make the
strongest candidate at the polls.
Hughes or Taft or some other man.
If the Vermont republicans in
structed their delegation for Hughes
and the delegates found upon com
pairing notes with representatives
from othor States at the convention
that TAFT could carry more States
than Hughes. would VIC want them 10
persist in voting for Hughes? Blu,
they must, If instructed for Hughes
On the other hand. If the Vermont
delegation were instructed for TAT,
and Developments at Chicago showed
Hughes could win it and at the same
time hold other States that Taft could
carry, would we want our representa-
tives to stick to Taft? They must il
instructed for Taft.
The Vermont delegates to the ma
tional convention in 1892 felt that de
| VelOpnentS AZ MlNncaHOIIS SnOWeC
Harrison could not be elected IL nom.
mated, and the result indicated the.l
position. although a host of people a
home. of whom we were which,
thought they were wrong.
Senator Proctor had been able 4
pick a winner in Ben min Harrison It
1858, being on the ground as a dele
gate. but so far-seeing politica
general as our senior United State
Senator could not understand from hi
temporary location in New York cit.
in 1892 the changed conditions whicl
confronted the Vermont delegation II
Minneapolis. showing that the mos
important developments may TAX
place at the last moment in connection
with a national convention.
t DO we want to tie up our delegation
2 weeks in advance OF the national con
r at Chicago in 1908 to help repeat tn
mistake made at Minneapolis in 1892
We may have our presidential pref
, erences, but we are willing to b.
taught in the light of experience an,
= help pave the way for the nomina
tyop of a candidate Who can win o,-o,