The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-02

The Real Issue
There are platforms and platforms
But the real issue to be decided in
the canvass for the governorship now
opening in Vermont is whether the
rank and file of the voters are going
to choose their own governor, them
selves and choose him because
He has made public record of
usefulness to his town, his county
and his state that commends him to
the good opinion of thoughtful citi-
zens as a man deserving high Office
for the reason that he is equal to its
responsibilities as a conscientious and
capable public servant and for the
reason that it is instructive in hum
an nature to reward the laudable am
billions of men that have been thus
conspicuously useful.
And because
He has made private record that
commends his personality to them as
a likeabe man whom it would be a
pleasure to advance to this great dig
nifty out of that sheer good will and
spontaneous popular favor that any
public character worthy to be COVER
nor ought to have behind his ambit-
ion.
Or whether
They are going to permit some man
however clean in private life however
successful in making his private for
tune out of his private. business fcI
his own private ends.
tNo matter if he has never been
identified in the popular mind as one
devoting the best of his energy and
brains and good intentions and all
proper opportunity to help lead in the
work of promoting the public welfare
and serving his state and fellow mem
To suddenly wake up TO the fact
that he wants to be governor.
Andto organize a small army of po-
litical workers for the deliberate pur-
pose of capturing the delegates to
the nominating convention by all the
arts of political manipulation and Sc
cure nomination on which is equiv
alent to an election and that will
make him governor
over a people that never would
have thought of him for the Office and
do not at heart desire to give it to
him.
Politics is politics. 1t is possible
in our little state with its overwhelm-
ingly one-sided political affiliations,
for man with money and organiza-
ton to pick up enough delegates from
246 cities and towns TO walk into a
convention supposed to represent the
whole party and walk out again with
the highest prize in the party's pow
er to bestow-when that convention
actually does not represent the best
intentions Of the whole party be-
cause the rank and file of the party
have been asleep and did not elect
the delegates themselves.
Platforms of candidates make in
teresting reading just now, of course,
but the sober fact is that no vital
public policies affecting the admins
| tration of state affairs are seriously
| dividing the citizens of Vermont to-
day and any candidate for the COVER
norship at this time is rather hard
put to 1t to find a plank for his plat-
form that can attract much more
than academic interest from the elec
torate Platforms are still as impor-
tant as ever in the sense that the
campaign should be waged for prin-
ciples as well as for men, but men
are not likely to differ very much
about the principles this year.
The real issue, after all is whether
the people Of Vermont are going to
give the goyernorship to the man
they want to have 1t or whether Il is
simply COINS to be taken by the man
that spends the most money to get IL
because he wants it.-St Adams Mes
senger.