Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-08-29
COLONEL BENION'S BOOM
Former Vermontcr Candidate for Cow
ernOr of Massachusetts and Fol-
lowers Alive and Confident.

Col. Everett G. Benton Of Belmont
who is contesting with former Speaker
Joseph Walker of Brookline for the re-
publican gubernatorial nomination, may
we'll feel highly encouraged by the boom
which his candidacy had at Youngs
Hotel. Fully 100 enthusiastic adherents
of the colonel gathered in room u. in re-
Spouse to the invitation of the Benton
campaign committee, to hear the candi-
date and to discuss plans for the cam
paign. Young and middle-aged men were
out in full force. especially the former
Middle-aged men who remembered the
coloners hard and efficient work for the
party years ago, as a member and official
of the State committee. responded to the
call to arms.
Militant, aggressive and confident" now
aptly describes the spirit Of all the
speeches. The atmosphere" is fifty epit-
omized in this sentence from Colonel
Benton's own speech: II am going to
win the nomination and defeat the demo-
cratic candidate in the election" This in
spring prediction was heartily applauded.
No attack upon Walker or Frothing-
ham, last years candidates. were heard.
although there was some talk against the
rotation or succession policy in the past.
But the keynote OF several speeches was:
HE Is a business man, and we must nut
business man against him. We want a
fighter for candidate. We want a man
who can win. Colonel Benton meets all
these conditions"
Representative James F. Cavanagh Of
Everett, who is Colonel Bentons cam
paign manager. presided The colonels
speech was literally punctuated with APP
plause. which was renewed al its close.
Colonel Benton said: my first thought
Is to thank you gentlemen for the assist
ence which you have given me In my
campaign AS the nomination papers
have daily flooded across my desk bear
Ing the names OF old friends and new ones
who have thus shown confidence in me,
VIII confess that the very size of that
demonstration has almost checked my
own confidence in myself
Just word as to the origin of my
candidacy. When the suggestion was
made to me to enter, said that | felt
the nomination belonged to Louis A..
rockingham. who has been my friend
for years. and that II he was a candidate
/ would not consider It.
L.
rockingham returned from his vacation
l called on him In his office In Pemberton
square and told him thought II was the
time for him to run again.
"'Mr. Frothingham, l said, Won made
an exceedingly good run last year. you
| are the logical candidate this year. Some
| friends OF mine have done me the honor
to take out some papers In my favor. but
want to say now that II you will say
you care to enter, l will withdraw my
papers to-day.
" i will also hold myself ready to either
stump for you or do anything else in my
power to assist you In your fight l am
not man In the habit OF saying things
do not mean. and ! entered Mr.. Froth-
ingham's office with every hope OF bring
Ing him to enter the field a second time.
but as you all know OF course, he elect
| ed otherwise.
"Once that situation became clear to
me l became an ouulSht candidate.