Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1910-06-10

The Burlington News reveals the 20
sition of Lieutenant-Gov Mead in
regard to his attitude concerning the
use of money in promoting his campaign
for the governorship in language which
certainly shows a definite conviction as
to the necessity of obeying the law,
when it says:
Men have gone up and down the
State for months in the interest of the
Mead candidacy. What is the matter
with that? If men went up and down
the State in Mead interest we have no
doubt he paid their expenses If he did
not, probably they would not have gone,
unless they were rich. And then the
case would look suspicious. If these
men are working in the interest of
Mead, there is no reason why they
should not be paid. y
Well, why not? Why should not
these men, who are working in the in
terest of Northumberland Mead
spend all the money they deem neces-
sary to carry their point?
There is only one reason, as far as we
know, that has been disclosed up to the
present time, and that is very plainly
set forth in the following statute, which
we have printed before and will print
again, in order that there may be no
question as to the intent and purpose of
the 1902 Legislature to prohibit and
make impossible such condition as we
are now facing. The law says:
"No person shall in order to aid or
promote his own nomination, or the
nomination of another person, as a can
didate for public office, by caucus, con-
vention or nomination paper, directly
or indirectly, himself or through an
other person, or by or through COM
mittee, give, pay, eXpend or contribute
any money or other valuable thing, eX-
cept for personal expenses as provided
in the following section.
ANY person may incur and pay in
order to promote his own nomination or
the nomination of another person, as a
candidate for public office, his own per-
sonal expenses for travelling, for writing,
printing and preparing for transmission
any letter, circular or other publication
not issued at regular intervals, whereby
he may state his position or views or the
position or views of another person, up
on public or other questions; for sta
tionery and postage, for telegraph, tele-
phone and other regular messenger
service, and for other petty personal eX-
penses; but all such expenses shall be
limited to those which are directly in
Cured and paid by him."
From the very beginning DIR. Mead
and his supporters have treated this
whole qeestion of the corrupt use OF
money with indifference and contempt,
and it is perfectly patent from all sur
face indications that they intend to pur.
sue this course TO the end.
So the natural question that will sug.
gest itself to all serious minded anC
law-abiding Vermonters is how this oper
defiance of the law can be prevented
There is only one way, and that is fol
the patriotic impulse of the people to as
sert itself and demand that the State of.
fetal, whose duty it is to enforce the
laws, namely the attorney-general, pro
coed to act, and that law and order
leagues be formed in each county foi
the express purpose of detecting anC
Furnishing violators of the law.
Such action will be taken in Franklin
county and reward offered for inform
alton of any violation of the law that
can be proven beyond doubt, 1t is high
time that the people of Vermont deter
mine whether we are law-abiding peo
pie or not and whether a candidate fol-
the highest Office in the gift of the VIC,
tiers can conduct a campaign in open anC
fragrant violation of the law.