The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1910-06-09
PRESS COMMENT
What the Newspapers Of Vermont
and Other States Are Saping
About Topics of Interest TO
Journal Readers.
IAN OPPORTUNITY"
burlington Clipper.)

Ihere is one very important fact !
that the newspapers opposed to DR..
Mead fail or refuse to see-he is going
into the high office of Governor free
from entagling alliances resulting from !
political promises given in return for
support. This is very unusual in mod
ern politics. 1t means a good deal to
the common, every day citizen who is
not politician. 1t is common know
ledge that when a candidate is backed |
by the machine he is in no way indie !
pendent He does not have to work I
for the nomination, it is given to min.
10 ccturn for the gift he is supposed
to take his orders from the machine
and he does
The interests of the people do not j
with the interests of the powers that
control the machine. The machine
gets what it wants, when it wants it.
There have been more Governors elect
ed in this way throughout the United
States than in any other. To large
extent that is what is the matter with
our political conditions. Once in
awhile strong man like Governor
Hughes of New York goes right to the
people direct and is nominated in
spite of the opposition of the leaders
who are supposed to control the party.
Such an event always marks an era
of Improvement, a clearing of the air
: and the people have a chance to learn
what is really going on.
The conditions are not often such
that a Governor can be elected along
these lines When they are it is an
opportunity that the people should
not neglect We believe such a con-
dition exists in Vermont today. Dr.
Mead is not the candidate of the ma
chine. He is making his own fight. He
is going direct to the people and ask
J ing them to make him their standard
bearer. The desperate opposition
that he is encountering proves con-
Iclusively that the interests that usually
control things are not favorable to
his success. They don't want him be
cause they know that they cannot use
him.
That is the reason there is such a
hue and cry about DR. Mead's methods.
IF he were machine candidate he
would not have to ask the people for
their support. The canvass would be
remarkably quiet. The righteous jour
II nails which are shouting about Doctot
Meads methods would be pleasant to
the point of dizziness. But the meth
DDS would be much worse for they
would not stop at anything necessary
to secure results. But they would be
gum-shoe methods about which the
people would know nothing,
. DR.. Mead is making a direct appeal
to the people. He could not do it in
any other way than that which he is
employing. He will go into office as
result of the favors which they
: 1.-THE people-confer upon him. The
= political debts that he will have to
pay in return for support will be to
the people There will be no middle
men in the form of leaders to step in
between and divide up the spoils am
ong themselves.
Is this not a condition worth tax
ing advantage of? Should not the peo-
pie be glad to embrace and make the
! most OF it? DR., Mead is just the kind
of a man to make an efficient SER
s want in the best interests of the peo-
, lple. He has had the necessary eX-
= perience; he is not LOOKING for further
= advancement; he is too big to be used
S by those who make business OF com
e trolling legislation. His one aim will
S be to give the State the very best adj
. ministration of its affairs possible. His
- sole ambition will be TO so serve the
peope that when his term is ended
d he may point with pride to his record
and may hear from all parts OF the
t State, the honestly expressed verdict
= of a gratified constituency, We'll
/ done"
t Again we say, the people have an
opportunity OF putting in the executive
= chair man who will be their Gov
t ernor, first, last and all the time 1t
I will be their loss if they miss it.