The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-10-14
The eovernOrshIp Of 1910

But few newspapers in the state
have as yet committed themselves to
thesupport of a candidate for the gov
the support of a candidate for the gov
County Monitor has openly espoused
the cause of Lieutenant-G Governor
Mead and closes a lengthy editorial as
follows:
Without discounting the qualities
of Fleetwood, or any of the other
talked offs the Monitor would re-
spectfully ask: Why Doctor Mead is
not better qualified for governor? Has
he not had more legislative expert
ence? Is he too old? Is his career
dishonorable? Is his army record
against him? What are his disqualifi-
cations? Fleetwood is young There
are other campaigns coming Mead
! fought in the war suffered injuries
that have famed him for life but has
never asked a pension Is there any
reason why ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Mead
should not be governor? Why should
he be turned down?
The Monitor is frank Will any
one tell us frankly why?'
Let us combine the first two ques-
tons. 1t is difficult for the Caledon-
ian to discover that Doctor Mead is
better qualified for the governorship
than Mr.. Fleetwood or highway com.
missioner Gates tthe only other talk
ed of who may become a dangerous
competitor to Doctor Mead.) There
has been a vast amount of progress
sive legislation in Vermont during the
last decade A state system OF road
building and enlarged state control
in educational matters, a closer sys-
TEN OF inspecting state Institutions, a
modern and effective system of aud
iting state accounts have been Install
ed and in many other ways has &c
| complished improvements that called
for active identification of political
leaders i'm their enactment and sue
cessful execution. Not in any OF
these things has the name OF Mead
been connected because he has had no
active part in their accomplishment.
On the other hand both of the otheT
men have been actively identified
with this progress and are more con
versant with Vermont sentiment than
Doctor Mead and that is why he is
not better qualified for governor He
may have spent more time as a mem
Der Of the Legislature than some OF
the men mentioned but he has never
been recognized as legislative lead
err and his legislative experience does
not entitle him to further promotion
In the last session when the need OF
a leader was so sorely felt. Doctor
Mead did not show himself in any
sense a leader.
rs he too old?" Yes. No man who
has passed his seventeen birthday is
competent to fill the position OF gov
ernor of Vermont with its strenuous
requirements. The improvements in
state affairs have been the work OF
young men in the prime of life and
they were possible only by men in the
full possession of their strength. They
cannot be left TO a man who has pass
ed his zenith
rs his career dishonorable? This
question is answered no, but where
ever you find confidence that Doctor
Mead will win the nomination for the
governorship you will find the expec-
tation that he will win it with his
money. But few believe or claim he
can win the governorship any other
way or that he can do II that way
with honor.
rs his army record against him?
No Nor should it help him to po-
sition he is disqualified by age to fill
He is entitled to honor for his service
in the war but not entitled to a pos
ition that is too difficult for a veteran
of the war to fill at this time.
The last two questions asked by the
Monitor may have been answered
above It should not be argued that
Doctor Mead is not a good business
man, that he does not have many adj
mirers and supporters. or that he
lacks many good qualities; but his re-
cord does not show that he is quail
fed to assume the position of leader
in constructive legislation, that he is
physically qualified to assume the po-
sition an the wide spread belief that
if he wins, he will win by his money
handicaps him in an honorable aspi-
ration for the place-St. Johnsbury