Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1910-03-25
DANGEROUS Ground.

Another candidate for governor, Hon. !
Charles p Smith of Burlington, has en-
tered the arena. Mr.. Smith is banker
and probably has money to light the
fires of publicity and attempt to corral
the voters. Will money win against
ability and eminent fitness for office
Must Vermont stand the stigma of their
claim that the first qualification of a
candidate for governor is that he must
he rich, has money to buy the good will
and franchise of the voter? If this is
so, then Vermonters have lost their
hoasted honesty and sense of fair play.
Groton Times.
Commenting on the foregoing the
Burlington Clipper says How lightly
these charges of the improper use OF
money in the politics of Vermont are
made. 1t doesn't seem to matter what
a mans past life has been, what his in
clinations are, what his reputation is or
what his desires may be. AS soon as his
name is mentioned in connection with
an office, if he is known to have more
than moderate competence, he is as
sailed and insulted and openly charged
with wicked desire to buy his way in
to place and power, over the heads OF
more worthy men, who are pathetically
pictured as being destined to have their
lights hidden under bushel, because of
their poverty.
Isn't this thing going little too far ?
This cry was introduced into the pres
ent campaign by the "interests" OPP
posed to the nomination. of DR.. Mead
for governor-''interests' so bitterly OPP
posed to him that, according to Que of
its foremost newspaper champions, otis
anything almost to accomplish his de-
feat. But isn't there danger that this
cry is going to do more real damage
to the state than it is to DR.. Mead
Outside of the state it may be believed
that Vermont is sink of political cor
ruption-that these charges of quitting
voters on the block" to be soId-buying
political influence right and left are
really true and not adopted in this cam
paign only, because no more substantial
ammunition can be obtaiued to stop the
advance of one man, who, for some rea-
son or other, certain "interests" do not
want TO see in the governors chair.
Standing at the top of a high hill a
child's strength may be sufficient to
start heavy ball rolling down it Once
started however he cannot call it back
and, as it gathers momentum the
strength of regiment of men might be
unavaiing against it. The case of e.
+. Smith is in point. A man of the
highest responsibility, a fnancier of re.
nowi, banker who com .nands the re-
spect of the whole state, modest, re-
tirinseman, in no sense an office seeker
is dragged into this campaign, admit
eddy without his consent, by the Burling
ton Free Press, in pursuance of the al
ready declared plan of "anything to bea
Mead" and how is he treated
Waiting only to learn that he is {
banker and rich, the charges are rung OF
the fact and the questions are blatant.
asked; "Will money win against abilit,
and eminent fitness?" "Must Vernon
stand the stigma of the claim that tn
first qualification of candidate fo
governor is that he must be rich-hav
money to buy the good will and frar
chise of the voter ?" and SO on to tn
disgusting end.
1t is dangerous practice and thos