The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-12-29
WON'T TAKE OFFICE.
Theodore N Vail Would Not Go to Re-
publican National Convention.

In letter to Editor Southwick of the
Burlington Free Press, which was pub
lished to-day, Theodore n Vail, writing
from "Speedwell Farms" Lyndon, an
nounces that he will not be candidate
for delegate from Vermont to the Re-
publican national convention, a position
in connection with which his name has
been mentioned. His letter reads as
follows:
"Speedwell Farms.
Lyndon, Vt, Dec. 26, 1911.
-. L. Southwick, Esq.
Editor Burlington Free Press,
burlington, VT.
Dear Mr. Southwick:
1T is well known end generally accept.
ed that ! have no political aspirations.
and do not seek any public office or
political preferment, honorable as ii
might be, from the state of Vermont
This was not because | did not es.
TEEN myself a Vermonter in the broad
est sense of the word, or because ] did
not appreciate at its full value such
preferment, but because | wanted to be
free to act in many matters, free from
any misconstruction as to my motive.
II am a Nermonter from individual
choice, not from accident or the choice
of others. If over thirty years of land
occupation and connection with the state
twenty-one years of citizenship in the
state, and during all this time a practical
participation in many measures for the
advancement of the interests and ma
terial development of the community in
which | live and of the state, do not
bring one in touch with the state, its
interests, its wants and it's people. il
would be difficult to define what would.
when it was suggested that | might
be selected as a delegate to the national
convention, it did not at once occur
to me that this would be regarded as
political office, but merely a delegate
to express the voice of the public in its
choice of candidate already settled.
barring unforeseen and improbable hap
penings.
CAS- to the making of the platform,
that also may be regarded as settled
on its broad lines There are not likely
to be any radical changes. The principal
work viii be to express the accepted and
well-defned tenets of Republcanism in
such way as will be understandable,
effective and workable and appeal to the
sober common sense of the public, while
avoiding sensationalism, everything that
would be disturbing and impracticable,
and appeal only to ignorance, prejudice
and passion
CAS- to the reference to my wealth
or supposed wealth, / desire no credit
or even thanks for what / may have
done or may do, as all is done for my
own selfish qualification in assisting to
upbuild what has been my home.
CAS- Vermonter in the most compre-
hensive sense, claim the right, if / 90
desire, to be candidate for, or to ae-
cept any position within the gift Of the
people. and recognize that any such
position would reflect credit upon any
one. no matter what his position.
"In view of the fact that to be dele
gate to the national convention would
be looked upon as political preferment
and has already been subject to much
misconstruction and misstatement, and
in view of my previously announced
position, / take this opportunity to state
through you that / will not be a can
didate for nor would ! accept the posi-
ton.
Thanking my friends for their kind
and generous expression, ] am,
Sincerely yours,
"Theo n. Vail"