The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1910-03-19
Anything to Beat Mead"


This peculiar sentiment is used at
the beginning and the end of an at
tack made by the Randolph Herald
and News upon the candidacy for the
governorship OF Dr John A Mead Of
Rutland.
In the course of its attempt to in
/ dict the candidacy Of Dr. Mead the
I Herald and News arranges its attack
under eight counts. The first i'm
/ preston following a slogan so unusu-
al in politics, not only in Vermont,
/ but in any commonwealth that makes
/ pretention TO ever having had good
/ government. is that either good gov
/ eminent is menaced OF that such a
/ slogan has basis only in rank and
pretentiOus misrCpre sentatiOn
If good government in this state is
menaced by the candidacy of Dr.
! Mead to he first ONCE in the state
why then, anything to beat it should
have a hearing. II, on the contrary,
no such danger exists and the senti-
ment uttered by the Herald and News
is a false alarm, the good name and
fair fame Of Vermont is at stake from
the fact that vicious attack is made
upon its official of second rank who
holds his Office by virtue of the peo-
pl S choice.
The Herald and News alleges Dr.
Mead's age as a reason why any
thing should be used to beat him. If
he is too old for public service, then
both of Nermont's United States sen
ators are too old; ex-senator John w.
Stewart was too old for his last dis
tinguished public service the late
Senator Justin S Morrill, was too old
during the last Is years of his pub
Tic life; several of the judges of the
superior and supreme courts are too
old and hundreds of the leading men
of Vermont are too old for public ser
vice of any kind. Does anybody be.
lieye this? DR.. Mead is one of the
most active men in Vermont The
man, however younger he may be-
who can follow him day in and day
out week by week, through the de
mands upon him of business of in
ternational proportions, financial re
lations of sufficient magnitude to alb
. sOrb the entire attention of most
other men, and obligations fraternal
social and those connected with the
state Office he now holds, will FIND
his time more closely occupied than
he is accustomed to have it, Let us
be fair! Is there anything so exact
ing about the government of Vermont
that a perfectly preserved man, In
possession of all his mental and ply
. steal powers, at the age of the Rut
land man, cannot fulfill the part An,
and all argument to the contrary is
indefensible.
The Herald and News further al
leges that DR.. Mead mas no mand:
on the republican party for its sup
port at this time Why are not his
demands as good as any other mans
He has been a lifelong republican, ha.
served the party untlinchingly. AL
of his political preferment has com,
at the hands of the republican part,
and If the party had not recognized
IN him ability and loyalty in past ser
vice, would it have advanced him Il
the second Office in the gift of tn,
state? If the party found him wor
thy for advancement TO the office h,
snow holds, with all the possiblitie.
always belonging to the lieutenant
goyernorship as related TO the on,
Office higher, has anything transpireC
since then that makes him less wor
thy?
The Herald and News declares tha
Dr. Mead has no constructive idea,
for lettering the state. When did
Vermont legislature ever go to a gov
ernor for constructive ideas. Wha
laws are there now on Vermont stat
ute books from which state better
ment has been derived. that wer,
placed there as having originate,
with a Vermont governor? The Her
y aid and News will perform a publ,
service by pointing these uncertain
Il ties out The influence of Vernon
q governors upon legislation has eve
4 been very uncertain quantity
4 careful reading of the Mead platform
. Will show that he is in the forefron
\ Of progress as it is now understoo,
q in this state What more can can
y didate favor, that is safely progress
n i've, than the issues named in the an
4 nouncement of the Mead candidacy
A 3riehy-and there is nothing in hi
81 record Inconsistent with his position
81 now-he supports business method
q of administration, practical school,
i tax reform. arbitrament of labor tror
n bles, forest conservation. better fam
Il ing, less expensive legal procedure
y the development Of Vermont industr
ally to the limit, and the advertiser
Y of the attractiveness of Vermont t
N the world, DR.. Mead did not origir
N ate these ideas, of course. becaus
n they have all been growths. He ia,
ors them and all his influence is ia
4 them What more is 6eeded?
d The Herald and News further d,
clares that Dr. Mead has not demon
strated claims to promotion while III
n ing the office he now holds. Barrin
q the death OF governor, how coul
a lieutenant governor do more? IN
p principal duty Of a lieutenantgove
3 nor is TO preside over the dellber
II tons OF the senate. Was this dut
n ever performed with more fairne.
y or with greater courtesy than Lieu
y Gov Mead performed it in last year
long drawn legislative session? If
the Herald and News should point
- out AS to the promotion" ide
4 that has nothing TO do with the que
ton. The state has nothing
4 .