The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-07-15
A Prayer for Republicans

SOME Oh luOst SSudlolS WIZ arc
being mentioned for lieutenant COVER
nor now wish they hadn't ignored par
ty platforms during the recent SEES
sion. Like Banquos ghost it will not
down. "-MoIrisville News and Clti-
zen.
All true enough. The pledge of a
political party Should be as solemn
and binding in honor as the promise
of an individual. No amount OF soph-
istry can dodge that plain truth OF
political ethics. And every man that
accepts a nomination to public oiflce
on his party's platform, unequivocally
and without declared reservation or
amendment as a condition precedent
TO his nomination, is just as much
bound IN honor to do his part tow
ard fulfilling those platform promises
as if he were the whole party himself
and responsible to the voters that
elected MIN as the only man that
could turn these promises into law
and fact. political party is not an
intangible something that can father
all the mistakes while its individual
members reap all the purely selfish
benefits procured under it's name and
power The good faith of a political
party is no better than the good faith
of the individual men that compose it.
And every man that goes to tae legis-
lature at Montpelier elected on the
Republican ticket as a Republican
candidate by Republican voters is as
much the custodian of the honor and
sponsor for the good faith of that
partv as if he were the head of the
ticket himself.
When this plain, old fashioned
truth comes home to the people of
Vermont in all its significance we
shall have better laws and better gov
eminent And we shall hear less
about threatened political revolutions
and all that kind of thing that in late
years inject their biennial disturbing
factor into our state politics and so
often prejudice if not altogether side
track the chances of well deserving
ambitious Republicans because the
rank and file of people distract the
promises of the party they represent.
We are hearing a great deal in
these days about unrest" and dis
content" pervading the ranks OF the
Republican party of Vermont. We
are being told that the people distrust
! the overtures of some men that of old
! have represented that party in the
| public mind, and that there is stong
/ probability that this. that. and the
/ other combination will be resorted to
/ in order to bring about change in
! the influences that are popularity sup
posed to have long dominated our in
| ternal affairs. There is much talk of
| machine rule" of ring domination"
and OF similar wicked and fearful
1 things that have long been employed
/ as bugaboos to be regularly trotted
out from the dark corners TO scare the
! timid voter whose faltering human ma
ture too often inclines him TO believe
mischievous things about strong men
that rise to public influence rather
than to believe the truth
BY and by perhaps, we shall come
to understand that the worst ring
that dominates Vermont politics is
not the passing struggle of strong men
OF decent minds for occasional place
and power but the shiftless indiffer-
ence and ignorance and downright OBJ
stinate selfshness of the multitude of
little men that those strong men must
depend upon to make the laws of the
government when they do come into
place and power
Search the history of Vermont pol
itics through with the most skeptical
and scrutinous vision over a period
covering the transactions Of the pres
ent generation, and no conspicuous in
stance can be found in which the so
called leaders OF public thought and
the Republican party organization in
this state have individually betrayed
the promises upon which they tnem-
selves were elected to office. The re-
cord stands as it was made and is
open to all men. Instances of treach-
cry to the people in important public
station in this little state of ours are
practically unknown. Let us look at
the truth and tell the truth as we find
ii. But search that same record over
again and then confess the melan-
cnoly story of sessions of the legisla-
ture during which these same leaders,
these same strong men elected into
office have wrestled in vain with the
rank and file of their own party in
/ both houses Of the Legislature in the
| endeavor to keep them true and stead
| fast to the partys campaign promises
and to inspire them 10 a broad gagged
perception of the great and responsib-
| lie duty that rested upon them as the
! lawmakers of the commonwealth to
/ Justify the public confidence in the
/ promises that had won their election
! and their seats for them.
Vermont's worst political ring her
| most tyrannical and despotic mach
/ inc" is that headless, Needless. shape
/ less. shiftless, irresponsible conglom-
Grafton of individuals that thirgt for
minor and transitory power in the
shaping Of the government, that turn
small towns and large towns upside
down once every two years in few
erish ambition to crafty a petty sell
/ fish vanity &C the ballot box that some
times plunge a community into a rid
! iculous and expensive two or three
days battle of the ballots to win
seat in the legislature-and then go to
Montpelier as Republicans only to. de-
! liberately, obstinately, and shameless
I ~ make a mockery and a laughing
stock of the Republican party prom
! ises that helped them TO their cleo
ton.
A revolution in Vermont politics is
needed. Yes. And it should begin
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