The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-12-28
BENNINGTON, VT, DEC. IS, 1911
MR.. DE soER,s CANDIDACY


The Montpelier Journal devotes
TWO columns of editorial space to
on the candidacy Of its
townsman, Hon. Joseph A. De Boer,
for the governorship and arrives at
the following conclusions
1t seems to us If the facts have
warranted the comments of our bre-
thren of the press that this express
sion of opinion is justified, namely,
Mr.. De Boer has taken high moral
stand from which he cannot safely
depart, his followers have evidently
taken a position inconsistent there
with, and so both are badly handi-
capped.
In his speech at the De Boer Club
Mr.. De Boer iii substance criticized
the papers OF the State which he said
had in large measure assumed an
attitude to say the least strange
against his candidacy, yet in his first
speech in Montpelier he said that 1t
was his conclusion that the people
under the guidance of their newspap-
ers should themselves decide upon
their candidates for office 1t might
be pertinent to inquire why he
should now take exception to what
he has already recognized as the
right and duty of the newspapers to
do, namely. to pass their own opin-
ion upon candidate or his plat
form?
We fear it is obvious that the
press and the people do not take Mr..
De Boer exactly at his word and be-
lieve that Notwithstanding his oft re-
peated declarations that the office
must seek the man, they believe that
he has now descended to the plane
OF the man seeking the office. OF
course it is not so, but the trouble is
will Mr. De Boer be able to make
them believe 1t?
II appears to The Banner that both
the supporters and the opponents OF
Mr.. De Boer are misconstruing the
issues that he has brought into the
campaign. AS The Banner under
stands the situation. Mr. De Boer is
not a candidate for the goyernorship
in the sense that Mr.. Fletcher is or
in the sense that men ordinarily seek
public office.
Mr. De Boer is business man
of special training and great ability
who through his own merit and tai
ent and without special advantage
won his way when he was scarce 40
years old to the head of one Of the
| great financial institutions of the
country and this institution has
grown and prospered amazingly un
der his direction. At the same time
he is politician in the sense thai
all good citizens who desire political
progress and the betterme~t of soc
| ial conditions are politicians. The
state and the nation would be In 9
mighty bad way If 1t were not for
the presence of politicians OF this
type. even though they always suffer
from being misunderstood and from
the petty nagging of men of small
caliber. OF selfish minds, who fail I,
understand and appreciate that the!
are not mere place hunters. but arr
seeking to the best OF their abilit!
the upward and forward movemen
OF humanity
AS a politician of this higher typ
Mr. De Boer has certain ideals
just as all men with an,
good in them have ideals. but Mr.. d
Boer from his ability, his experienc
and his standing has attracted NOR
attention to some of the ideals whic
he holds than do most men. Some G
these ideals have to do with the col
duct of party politics, candidacy fo
office. state policies and state lssue
essentials of Vermont progress, an
others of more or less Importance.
Mr.. De Boer is not a candidate fC
the governorship. He is, howeve
the exponent of certain ideas an
ideals and he says TO his friends an
supporters In this campaign that
to promote the ideas and idea
which he advocates, II seems to the
best or desirable to make him Il
standard bearer of their cause, the
have his consent, He is willing
90 about the state, not to advoca
his election to the goyernorship, b
to promote theories which he u
holds and would like to see put
effect The goyernorship is but I
incident OF the movement.
II seems to The Banner that q
line of demarcation is plain al
ought to be apparent TO any citiz'
OF average understanding. Taxi
this attitude. we do not see how
can he criticised for the activity