St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-01-26
PRESS COMMENT.
DO the People Want This.

Do the People Want This.
IAN array of influential men who
have the interest of the Republican
party of the state at heart were in
attendance at the Dairymen's Associa-
ton meeting at Burlington last week.
In fact, this class nearly outnumbered
the men who are actually engaged in
the dairyine business. The governor
ship contest certainly did not warrant
so large an attendance of politicians.
However, they were there, and did sufh-
Gent talking to earn good pay."-[ Wat
erbury Record.
''Some of the politicians who attended
the dairyrnen's meeting did not get up in
time to attend to the dairy Burling-
ton Free Press.
ut seems too bad that peaceable, law
abiding citizens, interested in maple
sugar making and dairying, cannot get
together and discuss their business with
out being almost over ridden by politi-
clans and their paid henchmen. That
seems to have been the case to quite an
extent in Burlington last week. III North
field News.
eff all the reports concerning the
presence of politicians at-the annual con-
vention of the Vermont dairymen in Bur
lington last week are true that old
question of Who paid the freight?' may
be revived. There are certainly evidences
of a returning popularity of the barrel
churn' in some sections OF Vermont -
Est. Johnsburv CALIFORNIAN.
1.-The worst of this is, men and brethren,
that it is all true but only hints at half
the truth. One candidate, at least,
swooped down upon this meeting with
small army of retainers, established
headquarters, and may be said to have
almost literally turned the gathering in
to political rally in his own behalf.
Has any man right to do this under
the law?
Yes. he has. But does that justify it?
Is such performance as that at Burling
ton consistent with our Vermont ideals
of the prophecies, is it consistent with
the dignity and self respect of the state,
is it consistent with the exalted estate
and attributes of the office that is the
ambition of this desperate endeavor?
Without regard to the personality of
any of the men that are known or ex-
pected to be candidates for the governor
ship this year, land The Messenger has
not espoused the cause of any one of
them), this paper will suggest to the
men of Vermont the very simple and
elemental principle of common-sense that
tells us that any men that are not suffi-
GENTLY we'll known to the rank and file
campaign on their public record, and let
that record tell its own story or be told
by others in a legitimate way, do not
deserve to be governor of the state.
And this is written in the understanding
that some men thought to be politically
ambitious just now, were at this meet
ing (as was natural enough, perhaps,)
and yet were not censured for any I'M
seemly candidating practices because
they did not put any forward
Isn't it simply absurd to choose for
the very highest office in the state any
man that the people do not know
much about and have never given much
thought to or formed any opinion about
until paid agents or expectant friends
make buttonho1e canvass to introduce
him and his merits to the voters?
There are occasions, rare enough,
though, when men contending against
one another for high office represent in
their personalities or policies opposing
principles. for the ascendency of which in
all good faith and public spirit they are
prepared to fight by the heaviest and
most active political organizations they
can respectively muster. With this the
public is usually content, because there is
principle and not merely personal am
bition involved in the result.
What principle is involved in the
present canvass for the nomination for
governor in this state that demands the
employment of a band of feudal retainers
and mercenaries?
How far are we going with this thing?
Does the governorship belong to the
people to bestow upon the object of their
intelligent discrimination and choice. or
is it a mere plaything to be scrambled
for in this fashion while the people
whose great office it is simply hold the
prize to give to the battered winner?
list. Adams Messenger.