St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-07-06
MEAD AND SLACK.
Leighton p Slack.
Continued from Page II

fession. Mr. Slack was born in Wood
stock June IS, 1867, and was educated
at Black River academy. Ludlow. Mr..
Slack was states attorney of Gale
donia county from 1898 to 1900, has
been town agent of st. Johnsbury for
many years and was president of the
village in 1904. Mr.. Slack repre-
sented his county in the senate of
1904 and is a Congregationalist.
Speech of Acceptance.
In his speech to the convention. ac-
cepting the nomination, DR.. Mead
said:-
Mr.. Chairman and gentlemen of
the convention: I thank you most
heartily for the honor you have here
conferred upon me upon this occa-
sion.
Fifty-four years ago the citizens
of Vermont, nominated to the govern
orship of our beloved state, the first
candidate who may be classified as
a republican as we understand the
term, and during this long period the
nominees of republican conventions In
this state, without a single exception,
have been elected to the governor
ship of Vermont. In view of this re-
markable history, the honor now con-
ferred upon me is most significant.
Party History.
In no other state of the Union has
republicanism been so continuous, so
consistent, SO meaningful, so unvary-
1nSly Tel1dDle. AS the pOlllIcdl DdFOHl-
eter of the nation, the rise and fall
of the republican, majority in Yer
mont has been generally prophetic.
Vermonters are thinking and con-
sentative men; therefore, their con-
illusions bear the merit accorded
them During the past 54 years here,
no sectionalism, no political malprac-
tice, no disintergrating forces such
as have threatened and overthrown
republicanism in the states, have en-
Ill <r1
the domination of principles inherent
in and eXemplified by the highest type
of republicaniSm. The strength and
control of the republican party has
not been seriously shaken. Our con-
tests have been between men for the
selection of those most thoroughly
equipped by nature and experience
for the duties to be performed.
1t was ParsOn Brownlow who said
that Vermont is the lone star that
has never disappeared. it being the
only state in our Union that. since
the organization of the republican
party, has never had a democratic
representative nor senator in congress
nor a democratic governor.
The list of governors of Vermont
numbers 20. With the exception of
two, all were nominated to the high
office in the same manner that you
have honored me today. 1t is surely
Christian names, as a rule, bear the
true ring of Vermont antecedentS.
running far back in VermOnt's his
tory. If at this hour one thing ap-
peals to my pride more than most
any other, it is thatVermOnt has been
my home and that of my forefathers
from the early history of our state.
and l hope and trust that am quail
fed in other respects to have my
name added, as you have written it,
to the honor list gone before.
Republicans on Trial.
AS the standard bearer of repub-
licanism in Vermont, take this
early opportunity to remind Vermont
republicans through you as their
delegates, that unless all signs are
misleading, republicanism in the ma
ton is perhaps facing the greatest
were responsible for the foundation
of republicanism are all past. Dur
ing the half century and more, that
passed since The organization CT the
republican party, great and remark
able changes have taken place in our
nation. Our population has increased
about sixty millions, or to about three
times what it was in 1856, and much
of that increase is made up of ele-
ments slow to be assimilated. Social
conditions have changed radically in
all centers of population, and, in
short, everywhere throughout our
land. The scale Of living with every
body is far different from what # used
to be. Elements of unrest have al
ways been with us, but never before
were they so menacing a quantity as
they are today. Let us remember
that the Vermont election still comes
two months before the general cleo
ton throughout the country, and that
VermOnt's barometer, whatever it
may be worth, is quite much
a needed influence in the coming
September as it ever has been in the
history of the republican party. If
our election next September shall
result in a large republican majority
such as we may reasonably hope for.
it will serve notice upon our sister
states that Vermont is still true, still
loyal to republican principles there
is not the least doubt of it's service
value upon the stability, consistency
and continued nomination of repub-
ican principles through our nation.
Such a majority would be notice to
the country that NermOnters, who
think out their politics with the same
care they give to each item of bust
ness. still repOSe confidence nationally
on lines served by such VermOnters as
Edmunds Poland, Morrill, and Proc
tor of the past, by Lincoln and all
of the men of 81 by the states
present delegation in Congress, by
our present governor, George H.
Prouty, by Theodore Roosevelt, the
most popular, and 1 might say, the
most powerful of living Americans,
and by President William Howard
Taft, himself a VermOnter, only once
removed.
The New Vermont.
Further than this, L would remind
Vermont republicans at this time,
that we are on the threshold of that
new dispensatiOn which has been en-
titled, The New Vermont" We are
hoping, PRAYING and striving for those
betterments which have been care
fully considered during the last few
years, most of which are being de-
veloped slowly along lines of pro-
gress with benefits so soon being felt,
although there is still very much more
which should be accomplished. l am
pleased to note that most of these
improvements have been referred to
by your committee on resolutions
One of the proceedings of this con-
VenuOn today has been happily at
variance with