The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1911-11-27
DE BoER's CANDIDACY
Called Too Idealistic and Hardly Likely
to Succeed, by Montpelier Journal.

The Journal has carefully noted the
progress Of events which has now result
ed in the declaration OF Mr.. DeBoer that
he is a candidate for nomination to the
office of governor by the Republican
party of Vermont.
II was matter of regret to us that
he did not make this fact clear in his
first published utterance ON the subject,
which some time ago appeared in the
form of a letter to our esteemed con-
temporary, the Barre Times.
Montpelier and Washington county
have plenty of men suitable to fill al
most any Office, and the addition of gov
ernor to the list of Offices its citizens
now hold would be welcome to us all,
and in addition would confer upon us an
honor we should be glad to receive.
Mr.. DeBoer, however, in his letter, and
also in his recent address at a meeting
called for the purpose OF listening to his
further views upon the subject has, II
seems to us, placed certain limitations
and conditions upon his candidacy, which
must be considered in determining how
his interests can be advanced by those
who would support him.
He declares that be will not make a
campaign for the nomination in the
sense required by the existing custom;
that he is opposed to the methods of
somewhat long standing by which the
Office of governor has been filed; and,
that he is interested in the selection of a
governor by the people under the guild
ance OF their knowledge of a man and his
work and with the assistance of the
press. He further says in effect that in
his opinion a man should come to the
Office free from obligation to the politi-
cal organization whose nominee he may
be, except so far as such organization
is dedicated to pure, honest, and gen
orally patriotic administration of affairs
of state.
Now there are essential conditions
upon which he can assume the Office
and the obligations under which, if
elected, he would enter upon the per-
Torrance of its duties.
Our purpose now il to consider Just
how this may be viewed as affects his
candidacy and the efforts of those who
would aid him in attaining at least one
step in his ambition.
Observing the line Of conduct he has
marked ont for himself, he cannot So
licit support, nor do we see how he can
countenance such action on the part of
his followers. The most that can be
done is TO set forth his qualifications for
the office and then let the people Judge.
Organization to promote his cause in any
other manner would seem to be unwel-
come to him.
This is contrary to the theory which
so far has generally obtained in respect
to all offices. both national and state.
Presidents, governors, senators, judges
and most of the minor offices bave usu-
ally been filled by candidates who have
openly sought the nomination, have So
licited support themselves and whose
admirers have organized for the purpose
of advancing their cause. The difference
between these methods and those for
which Mr. DeBoer stands seems to be
summed up by saying that in the one
the man seeks the office; in the other the
office seeks the man.
However Realistically superior the
latter may be to the former, we doubt
if it will ever be generally adopted or