Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-09-05

progressive platform. on the contrary,
boldly grapples with these Issues. Re-
member that loyalty to name often
means the most dreadful disloyalty to the
principle for which that name once stood.
In 1850 loyalty to the parties Of Jefferson.
Jackson and Henry Clay could find ex-
preston only by repudiating the
parties that still bore the names OF those
great men and joining the new Repubi-
can party so in our day we can be loyal
to the repub!icansm of Lincoln by scorn-
fully tossing aside the republicanism that
dances in letters of corruption under the
whips of Penrose. Barnes and Guggen-
helm. The Progressive party is the only
party Of to-day which in any shape or
way represents the Republican party Of
Lincoln's time, and in reality 1t Is a
continuation Of Lincolns party.
VERMONT CAMPAIGN HITCHED
WITH NATIONAL CAMPAIGN.
Now here In Vermont remember that
your State campaign Is hitched with the
national campaign This Is so In the
first place because our opponents, repre-
senting both the old machines. are doing
everything they can to elect their respec-
tive candidates here with the avowed
purpose Of thereby Influencing the effect
III other states. 1t is so In the next place
because our progressive platform deals
with great reforms which must be largely
accomplished through State action no less
than through national action. No man
has a right to call himself a progressive
at all If he Is supporting either Of the
old parties. whether in the nation or In
t1,a tn&a r.lt .,f tIae1 A.
parties has shown the slightest under
| standing OF the need for social and eco
nomic reform. Whoever supports either
of them here in Vermont. whether in the
national election or in the State election
| is turning his back on the future and Is
setting his eyes to the past. Nor can any
| candidate claim to be really progressive
| candidate unless he repudiates the ma
tonal platforms OF both the old parties
and supports us and our platform. Oul
candidate for governor in Vermont. MIR
! Metzger. is a man who Is with us and Is
leader among us because he possesses
| the vision clearlyto see both the evils thai
| aflicts us and the need for graphing
| with theses evils and because he possesses
also the high purpose and intelligent abil
ity necessary If those evils are really t.
| he met and abated. If YOU elect him anc
make your state government progressive
you will put Vermont in the lead of the
new movement. If YOU fail to do so vol
J will not stop the movement. but YOU vii
put Vermont in the position of beins
dragged on by 1t instead of heading it
We shall win in this fight And my plea
to YOU is that Vermont, the Green Noun
tain state, which has always stood arigh
in every great movement of the past
shall take the lead in standing right il
this great movement of the present.
APPEAL TO FARMERS
II make an especial appeal to the farm
els of Vermont. Our platform alone o
the three platforms shows an intelligen
purpose to deal fundamentally with th'
causes that are at work to harm American
agriculture and to diminish the full value
of life in the open country. We arr
ready to grapple both with the immediate
evils susceptible of remedy and with TIT
deeper rooted ones which need long an'
careful work in the way both of eXami
nation and of action on examination. Thu
problem is of vital Importance. No wa
could damage this nation to the exten
that it would be damaged by even small
degree Of soil exhaustion; and large de
gree of soil exhaustion would work rui
such as no arts of peace could avert.
I'VE are for the immediate repeal o
the reciprocity treaty Many of us orig
inally supported that treaty. | did my
self. under the impression that II wa
honestly entered into for the benefit o
all oui people and to favor the reciproca
good relations between Canada and thu
United States A full examination ha
convinced US that the treaty was i'm
proper that II would not do what 1t pur
ported to do, and that it would ser
iously damage our farmers wthou
bringing any adequate compensation t.
any other body of our fellow citizens. l
remains on the statute books In suci
form that il at any time Canada chos
to accept II It would become law. TIT
progre ssive proposal Is to repeal IT, ans
once for all to put an end to all possible
threat Of damage which IL would brinl
to our farm people. We are for the i'm
mediate recreation of the country III
commission. the abandonment of whicl
has represented a thoroughly retro
grade step by our government. Man,
different forces must be used for III
betterment of economic and social con
di,ions in the open country The farme
must himself. of course, take the leat
in this movement; but II Is the duty o
all the rest Of us and of our government
tai agents to aid him in his work. Tn
problem affects all of us. for one mali
reason for the high cost OF living 10 tn
failure to get the most possible out O
our soil and especially the failure t.
use the best business methods in mar
keting the products at the soil. Alto
gether too much Is absorbed by III
miidleman. Not only can the farm
productveness be increased, but by wis
cooperation the products Of the farm
can he brought with much less intervcn
ton by mddlemen than at present di
rectly TO the consumer. The result woul,
be that while the farmer would ge
more for his products the consume
would pay less,
DEMOCRATS WOULD DAMAGE
FARMERS.
III the democratic platform on tn
tar'n Is sincere, the first step that til
Democratic party would take If II cam
back to power would be to pass a tarif
law which would work the utmos
possible damage to the farmer. and We
which would firmly believe do practical
ly nothing whatever for the consumer
In reality. the tariff changes propose'
by the Democratic party. while the
would cause utter ruin both to our agri
lcultural and industrial community woul,
have almost no effect In helping tn
producer.