The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-06-30
twenty in Washington, Windham and


Our canvass was completed to that
degree as soon as possible during the
week of the caucuses for the news
value it would have, and that It was
impartial is indicated by the fact that
it satisfied the friends of neither
Mead nor Fleetwood In other words
it was made to bolster up the claims
of no man as to the number of dele
gates he had to support him for the
Governorship.
About the time we completed our
canvass DR.. Mead claimed he would
go into the Convention with 400 dele
gates, but since that time he has mod
I flied his claims materially. Mr.. Fleet
wood sent out blanks to the town cont
mittees who ara not always prompt,
but are usually careful and he now
declares that he has the assurance of
925 delegates, the number required to
nominate being $50, Ryegate having
elected its delegates, making the total
69S
Ryegate's three candidates are for
Fleetwood and he has also developed
additional strength in Washington and
Windham counties, but we did not at
tempt to carry our regular canvass
beyond caucus week.
| Mr.. Mead claims he will have Rut-
land county solid, and if differences"
in that county were different, this
might be the case, but we are assured
he will lose about 40 delegates in his
own county. That alone would make
a big difference with his total.
Sometimes convention represents
almost the exact division of strength
shown by a preliminary canvass.
Sometimes trades are made which
completely change the situation,
knocking figures to the winds.
The outlook for changes in the pre-
sent case, however, is not promising,
although one can never tell what may
happen at the last moment When a
change is to be made in the entire list
of State offices the opportunity for
trading is far greater than in the
present contest involving prospective
,changes in only the Governorship and
Lieutenant-Governorship.
TO all appearances there have been
no combinations thus far in the
struggle as indicated by the figures
Bennington and Windham counties us
ually go together to large degree and
it will not be strange if Senator Glib
son has practically the solid support
of those two counties We recall in
this connection that Williston in this
county reported two delegates for
Gibson, and he also had scattering
votes elsewhere. Outside of Senator
GibsoRs case geographical consdera.
tons have counted for little as re-
CARDS second place.
Mr.. Slack of st. Johnsbury has hat
strong newspaper support, and II
our survey of the situation we have
run across more strength for him thar
for any other. On general principles
we should say that he would have
more votes on the first ballot thar
either Mr.. Gibson or Mr.. Leland Of
Springfield, though both of these geu-
tlemen will have good strength in tn
convention. We shall not be surpris.
ed if the fight for second place nearly
equals in interest the struggle Over
the Governorship.
If an attempt is made to form com.
binations between candidates for first
and second places interesting things
may happen, but it is significant that
in the counties of Windham and
Windsor, each of which has a candi-
date for Governor, tbs
delegates have been elected with a
strong leaning toward a candidate fol
Governor, Windsor being largely for
Fleetwood and solid for Leland and
Windham strongly for Batchelder
While solid for Gibson.
Caledonia county, the home of Mr.
Slack, on the other hand, has stood for
him first and for candidates for
the Governorship second, our canvass
having shown that county to be more
evenly divided on the Governorship
than either of the others having can
didates for second place.
We have heard of men running
here and there about the State, inter-
viewing delegates elected to the State
Convention and seeking to tie them
up, but if they remain as they were
when canvassed with no man having
a majority it will not surprise us to
see the result on the Governorship de-
termined in part by the strength
which the ultimate leading candidate
for second place is able to muster.
Londonderry Sifter.)
ln1