The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1909-02-13
FRANK 3. lowe, Editof and Publisher
clementism Renasesn-.

The Rutland News. political enemy
Of Percival w. Clement, processes to
recognize an attempt on The part of
Clements paper, the Rutland Herald.
to revive Clementlsm, if lot Clement
himself Says the contemporary,
Watch it grow" Well, what of ito
There are but few people between
the Connecticut and Champlain who
would welcome the growth OF such
even if they had prev iMls-
ly hurled maledictions on the head of
the man who once had a desire 10 be
governor of Vermont, and who, TO all
reports has not entifeY lost the am
bition. There are lots OF men no
have been recently mentioned for goy-
ernOr of Vernon who w0udn stand
kneehigh to srasslOpaer IN cOmrar-
ison with this same Clement as far
as real abilities 20 70 "A cOnSid 'rGble
percentage of Vermonters, Clement
and Clementism have lost something
of their terrors in the pas Few years
and not the least contributing factor
toward that changed state of mind has
been the reckless extravaganza of the
present time. Insofar as Clement re-
presents retrenchment or a cuctailing
OF the avid and long-fugered act. he
is a welcome sight Aul If he hadn't
bucked the machine" so strcnuOnsly
in times past and had been a good
boy" there wouldn't be any need of
watching him now If the News fears
revival of Clementism, there is 10
actual cause for fear as far as cOnse-
quences are concerned; there could
not be fear in the light Of recent ~
ents.-Barre Times.
Clementism is dead beyond resur-
rection, not because Of the weakness
of the movement, but because Of the
weakness of the leader While Glen
ent has some good qualities he would
never have stood seven spot high, but
for the local option issue. because on
the other issues he is weaker than al
most anybody else in the state.
When the rank and file of the voters
of the state want champion they
will not knowingly choose mere
millionaire who made his fortune by
grinding down honest labor and in
railroad, bank and stock manipula-
ton and that seems to be the sum
total of Clements record. The only
time he was ever for the people was
when he wanted their votes
Even during the recent session OF
the legislature note the issues and
the side taken by Clements personal
organ. First and foremost the Gle
ment Herald has devoted itself to
strenuous effort to discredit Former
Governor Proctor and all those as
ISOLATED with him Next the Herald
made a violent attempt to prevent the
passage of the bill to prevent the
sale of adulterated paints, even after
1t had been shown that paints are be
ing sold labeled pure" that are made
up of sixty-nine per cent clay and
water and other adulterants. It was
stated at Montpelier that the Gle
ment family is interested in paint
manufacturing concern, but as to the
truth of this we are unable to state.
Another bill that Clements organ
strenuously objected to was the bill
to increase the taxation of railroads.
Under our present system of taxation
railroad property in this state-rail
roads pay taxes at the rate of $500 on
each thousand dollars of property
while the average rate of taxation on
other property is s16.70 per thousand
The House passed the bill but the
senate was more friendly to rail
roads and killed it. Perhaps Clement
and his paper will explain why rail
roads should be favored above other
people. It is certainly interesting
aud instructive to have a man taking
that position and at the same time
trying to pose as the champion of the
people.
Again there was the bill to compel
railroads doing business in Vermont
to sell mileage books good on all the
railroads in this state which have a
uniform rate Of two cents per mile.
The Herald was so opposed to this
bill that it wasted columns of valu-
able space in fighting it, though
the people would be distinctly bene-
fitted by such measure.
We might continue the list almost
indefinitely but it isn't necessary
The voters of Vermont are onto Glenn
ent and his organ. They are powerful
friends OF the people in theory but
when a corporate interest is touched
or something is done or undertaken in
the interest of the workingmen and
against capital then the ClementHer
aid outfit is the first to squat The
Heralds desperate attempt to revive
the corpse buried by the voters two
years ago last September is waste
of strength Clement aided by the
graft, debauchery, hypocrisy and
humbug of prohibition cut wide
swath, but without that issue he is
nothing more than any other greedy