The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1908-06-03
APPEAL TO PREJUDICE
unwIse Attempt Made In Behalf Of
Stanton.

1.-THE st. Johnsbury Caledonian will
publish the following as Its leading
editorial this week:)
A letter bearing the signature oil
John l.. Barstow Of Shelburne, an ex
governor OF Vermont, commending
the candidacy OF Zed Stanton for the
governorship nomination, has been
quite generally published In the state
papers. In that letter, the venerable
ex-governor, makes emphatic a part
taken by Mr.. Stanton when the latter
was a state senator, In support of a
bill designed to Increase corporation
taxes. II seems that the Hon. p. w.
Clement was member OF the senate
the same year and assumed leader
ship In that body In opposition to the
bill and, with the support that came
to him, succeeded In defeating II. In
reference to Stanton's attitude to.
ward the bill. Ex-Governor Barstow
concludes his letter with this para
graph:
1T seems to be good logic to say
that now we should vote for the man
who faced Mr.. Clement and did his
best to secure the passage OF the
bill"
II there is one point in this utter
ance upon which the entire argument
hangs. 1t Is that which declares that
Stanton faced Mr.. Clement" Wheth.
er the bill had sufficient merit to
make its passage wise legislation or
not, or whether Stanton's support Of
II was justified by its merits or not,
ex-Gov. Barstow does not say. The
alleged fact that the Roxbury man
chronic, persistent and perennial sit
ter beneath the political apple tree
that he is, faced Mr.. Clement seems
to have been enough for the purposes
OF the letter writer.
Logically. OF course. II there was
any facing. as Stanton favored the
bill and Clement opposed It, Clement
faced Stanton and its other supper
tiers, Clements part being defensive
rather than offensive. II the act was
In any sense an example OF heroism.
then the credit for heroic accomplish
ment rather belongs TO Clement than
TO Stanton. That is, so far as ex-Gov
That Mr.. Clements name should be
brought into the present contest, even
through the medium above noted Is a
peculiar strategic movement. But
any attempt to trade upon the pref
udice that may still exist among Yer
mont Republicans against the Hon.
+. w. Clement. cannot be looked up
on otherwise than as ill-timed and
not directed toward the complete par
ty harmony that should characterize
a presidential election year. Mr..
Clement is not factor In this years
campaigning but his friends are still
numerous and they properly may take
exception to the laudation of Stanton
as having faced" Mr.. Clement. II
that assertion becomes responsible
for some measure of detection ON the
part OF Clement sympathizers from a
possible support Of Stanton's candi-
dacy, 1t will not be surprising.
In this connection 1t is pleasing to
note that Lieutenant Governor Pr0uty
in his campaign for the governorship
nomination is making no appeal to
any prejudice within the party that
has become history and which should
be allowed to remain unmolested his
tory In this presidential year. A uni
ted, progressive and aggressive Re-
publicanism is what he stands for and
what he Is part of and whoever 9TH
ers have faced" he faces directly
ahead and invites every element Of
the party to look with him in that
same direction advertisement.