Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1910-02-16


The call for Mr.. Gates does not
come from the political leaders of the
state but from men prominent in
business and civil life who feel that
it is time for the people themselves
to choose their governor rather then
simply acQuiesce in the personal ambi-
tions of an aspirant. To many peo-
pie the idea of winning the governor
ship with money is obnoxious and
they feel that some one with more
popular strength than either of the
announced candidates must come into
the field in order to effectively rebuke
the use of money in politics. To them
Mr.. Gates appears to be the logical
candidate.
Being thrifty and industrious he
has acquired moderate competence
as a country merchant. So he does
not belong to the immensely rich
class nor is he hostile to the legiti-
mate undertakings of wealth. Prob
ably there is not another man in YER
mont who has kept in closer touch
with the lawmaking bodies the past
decade or understood more clearly
their purpose than Mr.. Gates. In this
way he has been cognizant of and an
active participant in the legislative
progress of this period.
Until Mr.. Gates was appointed
highway commissioner the position
had been used as political plum for
personal friend of the governor
and no real progress had been made.
When Mr.. Gates was chosen by the
late Gov. Bell it was for the purpose
of inaugurating real advancement in
highway construction in Vermont.
1t has been slow work because public
sentiment to support state system
of highway work had to be created.
Conscious that he could go no faster
than the people were willing Go up
hold him Mr.. Gates has labored to
make highway policy Independent of
! politics. So firm has he been to this pur-
pose that despite the several changes
in the governorship he has been
reappointed to the position and each
term he has held the Office he has &C.
complished improvements.
His consent to allow the use of his
name will place an obligation on all
who have expressed their dislike of
seeing politics controlled by money.
to labor for man who has the cour-
age to stand for higher principles.
His friends are handicapped by the
/ lateness of the consent of Mr.. Gates
|
organic alton on their part now will
WIN and raise Vermont politics and
honor to a higher standard.
Johnsbury CALIFORNIAN.
Mead, Men and Methods.
A half dozen of ou- exchanges, in.
Guiding the Barre Times. Waterbury
Record. Mortified News. st. Johns
bury CALIFORNIAN, Burlington Free
Press and St. Adams Messenger, com
plain most bitterly at the presence of
so many of Lieutenant Governor
Mead's friends at the recent meeting
of the state dairymen. Some 90 so far
as to criticise Doctor Mead for having
been in attendance and are sorelv ag-
grieved that amongst those present
were so many friends of this candi.
date.
The Mortified News feels called
upon to say cit seems too bad that
! peaceable law-abiding citizens inter
: ested in maple sugar making anc
. dairying cannot get together and dis
cuss their business without being al
E most over-ridden by politicians"
The St. Adams Messenger alst
thinks it "too bad that the occasion
seemed like political rally" in DR.
Mead's behalf.
The Waterbury Record also think,
it "too bad that there should hav,
: been such an array of influential mel
: who have the interests of the Repub
lican party of the state at heart,
q present.
e All this, for reasons that will here
: matter appear, reminds US of the oil
saw:
: "When the devil got sick the davi
: monk would be,
s "When the devil got we'll the dew
e monk was he"
The present editor of the Reporte
4 is somewhat new in active newspape
II work, but not so new that he is alto
/ gether unfamiliar with the inner his
: tory of modern Vermont politics who's
u bubbles have occasionally reached tn
y surface through columns of severe
Il of the Reporters esteemed contempol
aries, now apparently. jealousy an
- wildly fearful that DR.. Mead and hi
$: friends are about to lasso, bind an
- ad captive the people of Vernon
u When insin ions an
~ =. charges are made sue
IL as are now being loosely thrown OIL
touching DIR. Mead's candidacy ar
- the method of conducting it. it is we
~ enough to consider carefully tt
le source whence they come to determir
.e the motives for their being made. ar
- also to inquire whether the lines
I'll those making them have alwa!
- squared with their present profe
~ ~ sions so that the people may iuGf
% - how much weight to give them. tt
g better to illustrate our meaning |
= us recur to little history not so vel
-, ancient either.
~ For instance. in 1908, the Bar
> Times, the st. Adams Messenger al
., the Free Press were among the lea
al ing papers in the state whose colum
y were devoted to expressing the wi
"a enthusiasm and imperative demand
=, the people for the promotion of t
ne then acknowledgements. This
VI mand. however, was not firmly fix
:. as to render it absolutely certain tn
Is our contemporaries were not to e
We pericnce the chagrin of seeing the
n -