The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-05-19
@trmont MMrlmtan.
"ARTIFICIAL SUPPORT.~

that III, JOnn a. mead uOeS not meas
ure up to the standard of the require
ments for the office of Governor, We
do not believe that he posses the quail
ifications or political stature ncces-
sary at this time. 1t cannot be said
that the thoughts of the voters natur-
ally turn to him as a suitable can
didate when the Governorship is the
subject of disinterested discussion
His support is artificial, not natural
promoted, not spontaneous. Mont
pelier Morning Journal
eve are loath to believe that the
Journal intends to be deliberately I'M
fair. Our reading of the Journal has
given us the belief that it has non
esty of purpose that it is careful and
Considerate in its statements and that
it. desires to be fair to all interests.
The above paragraph, however, does
not seem to be just exactly fair to
DIR Mead. The Journal has perfect
right to oppose the candidacy OF Dr.
Mead but it should be careful not
TO convey to it's readers, who may be
of open mind on the question of the
Governorship, impressions that are
erroneous.
"The Journal says 1t is of the opin-
ion that DR.. Mead does not measure
up to the standard of the require
ments for the office of Governor The
Journal has a perfect right to state
its beliefs and we give the editor
credit for honesty in his beliefs al
though we think he is mistaken. We
believe exactly the opposite. We be-
lieve that DR.. Mead is entirely quail
fled TO be Governor We believe that
ne does measure up to the require
ments and we have had substantial
proofs that a large number of voters
of the State agree with us and dis
agree with the Journal
when the Journal states that Dr..
Meads support is artificial, not nat
ural promoted. not spontaneous we
believe that it is disseminating a
wrong impression. That is the i'm
preston that the anti-Mead papers
have been trying to establish. They
have gone to any lengths almost-to
get this impression thoroughly fixed
in the minds of the voters of the
State.
"The truth is the support of DR..
Mead is not one bit more artificial
than that accorded TO any other can
didate 1t is just as spontaneous as
that given to any of his opponents.
The opposition have made several at
tempts to produce a candidate whose
support would be spontaneous but
wherein does it differe from the sup
port that is being given to DR.. Mead?
1t was heartily believed that c. P.
Smith would be the man to bring the
voters of the State to their feet, shout
ing Was there any spontaneity to
tie support accorded to the Burling-
ton man? If there was none of his
friends have been able to locate it.
Mr. Fleetwood is busy going up and
down the State talking wherever he
is asked to talk. He is writing letters
to practical politicians-those who
are supposed to have influence in their
respective communication ask
ing their support. Is the support that
he is winning by these methods 'spon-
taneous?' Is there nothing 'artifi-
cial' in it?
1T is quite apparent that the at
tempt to establish the artificial char
acter of DR.. Meads candidacy is being
overplayed. The impression has been
given out that DR.. Mead's emissar-
les have been going up and down the
State morning, noon and night, theil
pockets bullying with dollars, seeking
to buy influence and support wher-
ever it could be found. The news
papers who are gathered under the
banner of anything to beat Mead have
been reiterating the idea from day tC
day and from week to week. 1t is
reasonable to suppose that if this were
really the fact that some specific in
staices of the buying and the buyers
would not be rooted out?
at is supposable that these great
luminaries would be content to rehasf
over and over again the same old in
nuendoes, the same indefinite, hazy
suspicious if they had anything tan
gible and solid to feed to their read
ers? The people are too intelligent
to be misled by any such transpar-
ent tactics. DR.. Mead is going along
in a perfectly legitimate way, gather
ing support in all parts of the State
His friends are giving him spontan
eous,' loyal and effective aid. There
is but one hope left to those who
seek to encompass ms defeat-to pu
enough stool pigeon candidates in thu
field to tie up majority of the dele
gates. Observe how quickly the ma.
jority of those newspapers which have
been calling for convention of un-
pledged delegates ask for pledges
when there is chance to get pledges
for any other candidate than DR.
Mead, Huntington Clipper.
The Journal can find no good rea
son for changing its opinion regard
ing the nature of Doctor Mead's can
didacy. AS to his qualifications fol
the office, of course, that subject il
largely a matter of opinion. Tn
Journal does not believe that his rec
ord as member of the Legislature ant
Lieutenant Governor has established
his fitness for the high office h
seeks. The Clipper evidently believes
that that record does qualify him ant
we do not question the sincerity o
our contemporary views.
l..ls 4.