Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-09-06
VERMONT FAILS TO ELECT A
GOVERNOR; LEGISLATURE MUST
Democrats Roll Up Big Vote;
May Reach 10000.

/ No Candidate Receives Required Ma
/ jority But Republicans VIII Control
Legislature and Put Fletcher In
The Granite State Gradually Slip
ping From the Republican Party.
White River Junction, VT, Sept. A.
/ The latest returns from yesterdays
election shows loss Of fortythree per
cent in the Republican vote since 1898
Their failure TO elect a governor for
the first time in the States history in
a presidential year has thrown Repub-
lican leaders into a panic
The Democrats made the best show
ing they have in twenty-five years.
their candidate being only six thou
sand votes behind Fletcher. the Repub-
lican nominee. Feltcher's plurality Is
slightly over six thousand, and the
legislature, which is Republican, viii
have to elect the governor.
The next legislature win be com.
posed of 9s Republicans. SO Democrats
and Is Progressives. This lnsures
Fleteher's election.
These Congressman were elected;
First District Frank L. Greene. OF
st. Adams Republican.
Second District--F Frank Plumley, of
Mortified. Republican.
What 1t Means In November.
The strength of the new Progressive
party in its first lineup against the
older parties and the disappearance of
the Republican majority for the first
time In ten years and the first time
in the history of the State in a Presi-.
Dental year, were the outstanding fea-
lures of the election. 1t was apparent
early last evening that there had been
no election by the people, although
sufficient number of Republican rep
resenMtiyes were successful to seem
to ensure the choice of Mr. Fletcher
by the Legislature.
For many years political students
have pointed out that any decrease
in the Republican majority in Vermont
in September below normal of $4,000
has been followed invariably by the
party defeat In the Presidential fight
in November, These majorities, which
averaged close to 10000 in all the
State election in Vermont in Pres-
Dental years since 1892, were repre-
sented yesterday by bare plurality
The Republican loss apparently went
in great degree to the Progressiyes
and to a somewhat lesser extent to
the Democrats.
Disaffection Limited.
The falling off in the Republican
vote began with the first returns while
the Progressives gained all along the
line, in some cases carrying towns
which had heretofore been regarded as
strongly Republican. Yet the disaf-
lection from the Republican ranks did
not extend very far beyond the head of
the ticket Many towns that showed
strong Progressive tendencies sent Re
publican representatives to the legis-
lature so that the party leaders were
early assured of a substantial major
tty in joint ballot for governor
The Progressive leaders were great
lily pleased with the result. 1t was
pointed out that the party had gone
into the fight with an organization
that was new to the political game and
was forced to make up with notable
orators, what 1t lacked in party man
agement, with Col Roosevelt leading
the charge.
Some of the Democrats figured, on
the basis of returns from half the
State, that the total Democratic vote
would reach 10000 or the largest In
a State election in Presidential year
since 1880 The vote for the Prohi-
bition and Socialist parties did not
vary materially from former years.