St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1910-08-10
THE POLITICAL FIGHT.
Voter Glad to See Some Signs of Political Conscience
Papers Call For Meals Statement.

nave been reading Newspaper
Campaign Talk in The Caledonian
of August 3rd, and though not
given to campaign controversy, l
| cannot hold my peace and read SUCH
inconsistency as is put before the vot-
ing public by some very loyal news
| papers. In these days when our boys
in the primary schools of the fifth
and sixth grades are required to com
nit to memory the 'freemanS oath,
| the VermOnter'' and American boy,
is 1t not pure Inconsistency to try to
lead us voters of the state of Vermont
with its history for independent &C
| ton as regards principle and right to
| vote for a chief executive, who has
won the nomination to that office in
a questionable manner (and none can
deny but that manner IS being ques-
tioned) We believe that the voter
| of this state of Vermont has right
to inquire of a candidate to any office
as to whether he has done what he
| is openly accused, which is OF its self
not only wrong in principle put Ior-
| hidden by law. If the republican party
| leaders who lead by force" refuse US
| the right to act according to con-
| science after the candidate has lg-
nored honest inquiry as to his acts,
as has the present nominee, DR.. John
| A. Mead, we are glad to see that the
ring has pulled out of the nose OF
! a few of those whom they are trying
| to lead, even though they run
Wild enough to vote for the demo-
cratic ticket We must believe state
ments as facts till they are disproved,
especially when they coincide with
| observations in campaign as the re
| cent one has been conducted, when
we know personally the parties at
work and their open admission OF
| the fact that they were using money
| and we honor the newspapers which
| have the courage of their convictions
even though they should be With the
| minority after the battle and II
The CALIFORNIAN accomplshes nothing
more in these prediction days 1t Will
| cause a few of those who think they
! have the ring in the nose to look
round" and wonder where the calf
| has gone.
VOTER WITH A SORE NOSE.
Be Sure of the Charges.
The charges made by the anti-Mead
| press as to the unlawful use OF money
| were either true or malicious mlsrep-
| reservations. If they were true, the
| republican press assumes serious re-
| sponsibility in endorsing these meth
| DDS because if DR.. Mead was a law
yiolator before the convention, he is
| none the less one after that date.
| This is from the Enosburg standard
| and sounds like sound argument, yet
| many who used this sort OF argument
| before the convention are now eating
their words and saying Mead should
u.
of a grave nature ought not to be
made except on conclusive evidence.
1.-THE Bellows Falls Times
Campaign Expenses.
AS published in the news columns
of this paper last week, two of the un-
successful republican candidates for
the nomination for governor, Messrs.
Fleetwood and Hapgood, have made
statements of their preconVentlon eX-
penses, the latter making oath to his
account.
This is directly in keeping with the
party platform which recommends
such legislation as shall compel can
didates for party nominations ana po-
litical offices to make public an Item
lied account of their campaign eX-
penses' The successful candidate for
the nomination for governor, John
Abner Mead, while processing 10
heartily endorse the republican plat
form remains silent on the question
of his own campaign expenses, ignor-
ing numerous suggestions and de-
mands both before and since the con-
ventiOn, that he give the public
detailed statement of the same. He
has even stood the accusation OF haV-
ing spent money unlaWfully to pro-
mote his candidacy, without a pro-
test.
If DR.. Mead is sincere in his en-
dorsement of that plank in the repub-
lican platform, quoted above, and II
he really cares anything about his
party, further than to use it for his
own ACKNOWLEDGMENT, why does he not
answer the demands of a large num-
Der of loyal republicans, and tell the
public in detail the cost Of his pre-
convention canvass?
1t is a matter which many repub1-
cans wish to know about, as evidenced
by the resolution adopted in the con-
vention that nominated DR.. Mead.
1t is a matter that vitality concerns the
party and which the public has a right
to know about. But DR.. Mead remains
silent and no one but he can give the
required information. He feels con-
fident of securing the coveted election
as goVernOr-and "the public be
d."
The situation which confronts the
republicans who wish to support the
whole of their state ticket is that they
must vote for a candidate for govern
or who will not comply in his own
case with a declaration of the plat
form under which he was nominated
and to which he processes allegi-
ance.
This is certainly a pretty serious
situation for loyal republicans to
face and the dissatisfaction over DR..
Mead's silence in this matter seems
to be increasing, rather than lessen
ing since the state convention.
There is only one construction to be
put on DR.. Mead's continual refusal,
and that is that his expenses were so
heavy or of such character, or both,
that he dares not tell the voters all
about it Mortified News.
DepIores Use of Money.
Measured by results, the Rutland
News says, Mr.. Hapgood's expendi-
ture per delegate was somewhat high.
This does not convey the idea that he
bought any delegates or tried to do
so but his expenses were S10376, as
shown by his own statement and as
he had two votes in the convention,
the cost was $51.88 per delegate. It
ought to be possible for a candidate |
for the republican nomination to be
named at no greater cost than Charles
Douglas Watson paid, which was not |
even one postage stamp Vermonter
and Enterprise.
There is need of an awakening in
the republican ranks of the state. It |