The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-11-16
BIG De BOER MASS
MEETING HELD
At MONTPELIER
To Launch His Candidacy For
GovernOrship
SPEECH BY Mr.. De B0ER
He Goes on Record in Favor Of Pri-
mary Elections, Tax Reform
and Progress

Montpelier Nov. i5.-The candi-
dacy of ]. A. De Boer for governor
was launched here tonight and the
7Oo enthusiastic men who gathered
In the city hall auditorium TO give
the Launching" start are nearly all
of a mind that there will be some
thing doing" in the political arena
from now on.
The meeting was presided over by
DIR. f. e. Steele A committee con
sisting of Fred e. Gleason, W. u. J
Cotton and Frank NJ. Cory drew up |
a set of resolutions stating that IL
was the wish OF the meeting and the
citizens in general that Mr.. De Boer
should be candidate for the highest
office in the state. The resolutions
we're presented to the meeting py
Fred l.. Laird and were seconded by
George l.. Blanchard, ii. d. Hopkins,
Loren Friend and j. M. Boutwell,. Mr..
De Boer was then escorted to the
platform and delivered an address
which was enthusiastically received
He said among other things:
"'For long while | have been ask
ed by all sorts and conditions OF men
through the state to work, as they
nut II, for the nomination OF govern
or. on the republican ticket, of course
decided that | could not observe
the custom which exists or has exist
ed in Vermont of making a personal
canvass from town TO town, that is
of seeing certain few men in eacn
town. or Of setting up a bureau OF cor
respondence. II was my conclusion,
after noting and studying political
conditions in this state for quarter
of a century, that our people under
the guidance of their newspapers
should themselves decide more near
" their candidates for state Office
upon the grounds that existing meth
DDS deprive them OF their really self
governing interest Besides, to speak
plainly, could not involve myself
in the expense necessary TO keep up
a practice, which, IL continued, res
tricts the Office of governor to high
ly segregated class. II is also true
that am a man without special prop
erty and under obligation to dis
charge the trust duties of the office
with which | am connected. While
am earnest in the wish to discharge
every duty of citizenship and will do
so, ! do not think 1t incumbent upon
me to discard the duties for which |
am paid In order to seek public office
At the same time ! wish 1t to be I'M
derstood that | can conceive OF no
greater honor for any citizen of this
| state than to be elected to the Office
of governor and, further, that, with.
out regard to what the sacrifice
might be, any man elected to that Of
flee should gladly and boldly accept
Therefore l appreciate from the
heart roots up the suggestions which
have been made from so many
sources that / stand for the nomina
ton in the party to which | have
given strict allegiance since coming
to my majority.
at the same time, without wish
ing to make or even to imply criti
cism of any man living or dead, / an
obliged to say that In my judgmen
the interests of the state require II
the Office OF governor man who will
come to 1t approved by his life ant
work in the state, supported by tn
people and free from every pledge o
circumstance of connection tina
might in the slightest degree inter
fere with the due discharge of hi
duty in behalf of all the people, | an
opposed to the old idea that the onl
way in which we can do our polite
is by boss, machine or class. Tina
idea was once all right perhaps bu
to say the least is now somewhat ou
worn. We have come TO times whe
our self-interests, our homes, GU
state and our political well-being cal
for a greater interest in and person
al selection OF men and means on tn
part OF every citizen. That In wor
signifies definitely progressive r,
: publlcanism, even In Vermont wher
|. the ticket of our party has won 4
every election since the party wa
formed. In my address to the stat
convention of 1910 pointed to thes
facts and | have not changed m
, views upon the general subject 4
' any degree
In the existing situation | wish [
a correct certain mismpressions b
: saying simply that would consIde
: II the greatest possible honor to b
n elected governor that | should b
: pleased. II nominated, to make
campaign for the utmost success {
the ticket and that my use OF the o
u fee would be in the service OF III
state without limitation upon eth,
h my energy or time. have sal
that ! had not made and woul
4 not make campaign for the nomin
!. ton in the sense required by the Q
. istl-g custom. That word | will kee
but that did not mean that won
not be pleased to participate in an
convention politics or to discuss
= opportunity affords issues OF sta
v politics particularly and, 20 far
l. needed. national politics as well. n
position Is opposed to the methods
: somewhat long standing by viii,
the Office was filled and ! will a,
that. when the system IL change
very many men OF entire capacity
serve the state will be found and 4
y that reason have not particular
" expected that the judgment OF q
l. people would fall on me. | am int
/ oafad nrfnna rf1ty A., A. ..t.-tt---.