The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-08

can be no escape from the very OBJ |
vious logic of this situation.
We either have a Republican party |
or we do not
If we have a Republican party It
must stand for something definite in
the way of party policies, or else 1t is
no party at al.
If it is a party and does stand for
definite party policies, there must be
some recognized official manner of
formulating those policies and declar
ing them.
Once these policies are formulated
and officially declared to be what the
Republican party in Vermont stands
for, ii is hard to understand how any
man can consistently accept a Repub-
lican nomination and stand for some
thing else If he can, then a Repub
lican nomination doesn't mean any
thing and he might as well have been
nominated by anything or anybody
with all kinds Of principles or without
any principles at all.
But the argument is advanced that
the Republican platform as made up
at the state convention for these many
years past has been more or less gen
orally regarded ASA perfunctory thing,
something like a rhetorical formality,
merely, to which only comparatively
few of the more serious.minded OF
the delegates gave any very close at
tention and which most of the dele
gates gave no attention at all.
j
Then the fault is with the delegates
not with the platform The delegates
were sent TO the state convention to
make a platform. They all knew be-
fore they left home that that was part
of their duties. They cannot claim
the privileges of representation in the
party organization and still avoid re-
isponsibility for Sinking a part OF
their errand.
And the candidate that accepts q
Republican nomination, showing that
the party has declared itself for GER
tain state policies, must know that, #
those platform declarations were hon
est, somebody must carry them into
effect, and that somebody" must be
the men put into the legislature by
the party that promised what such a
legislature would do The lawmaker
has it in his power to make his par
ltys promises good or make his party
out liar.
In this connection it is of interest
to read what the editor of the Morris
Vile News and Citizen, himself one
of the most useful members Of the
senate. says in this issue of his paper
about this very thing.
mo party ever had better oppor
tunity to keep It's promises and n,
legislature more completely ignoret
them than the one whose work is JUS
closed. Why was it? We do moi
: know unless IL was n don't care Z
darn for platforms, which was the ex
precision of many--many who would
, not have had a seat in the legislator,
had they so declared themselves be
fore election last September. Again
! would you believe it?) many legisla
J tors. not a few of them senators, ex
/ pressed ignorance as to what the plat
r form was, and openly admitted tina
they had never read it. And Yet the.
were elected on a platform that full.
endorsed the state and national plat
forms. We venture that az our mex
I election candidates for representative
or senator-especially the latter, vii
find the sleddin mighty hard If the
say they will ignore party platforms,
] Think of il, voters and taxpayers
e men in the senate, say nothing OF tn
house OF representatives, that had ne
even read the party platform upo
Z which they were elected did not eve
}, know the nature Of the promises thei
{ acceptance Of the nomination ha
4 pledged their good faith to redeem
Is it not about time we began {
make some change in this business
Is Republican administration of tn
government OF Vermont to contiuu
4 to be such an absurdly irresponsible
catch.as-catch.can shiftlessness thi
. will tolerate the making of laws yea
It after year by men that actually do ~
If know what they We're sent to Mon
p pelier to do?
Does our party stand for anythir
> at all and is it honest enough to keC
Il its promises; or is 1t simply the spo
'e and caprice OF many happenstan'
ID office seekers who can get elected Z
Il, most anywhere, not because thu
~ ought to be- but because the existen'
n of an Overwhelming Republican m
We lority for generations has accustol
y. ed men to vote through blind force
=, habit for almosl any man that can g
his name on a Republican ticket?
IS II is not a pleasant thing to So
III but II is a truth that must get hon
10. to the minds of the rank and file
49, the voters In Vermont before We q
" hope for much improyeWent-that
al too many prominent and inii1ent
&c men in this state use the Republic
IN. psrty as II It were simply an orga
., cation for putting themselves 81
W their friends into Office rather than
OF organized endeavor of public spirit
is men to maintain and improve 80
ly government.
No It is the law we live under not {
~ governor.
an The republican party must have pr
I'D ciples of government That the heol
he will approve and then must keep iai
he with the people In enactipg them II
y, lay-or I. VIII not elect any moro -
ut ernors-St. Adams Messenger
RI -
OF Perhaps.
Pearl-n the first chapter of q
novel It states that the heroine !
hazel eyes and in another chapter
by alludes TO her LIQUID eyes.