Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-10-03

DAYS campaign pOlled WITHIN DUO votes
Of majority, and outran in votes the
Democratic party that had been organic
cd nearly 100 years"
The vote at our September election was
approximately
Fletcher republican ................. 2G.259
Howe, democrat NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.. 20 $50
Metzger. progressive ............... Is 800
Smith, prohibitionst ................. 1.443
Suitor socialist Observation-Disclosures. 1,ls1
s5,O33
Any pupil In our public schools knows
that 1t takes more than half OF num-
Der to make a majority Of it, and in this
instance that 32,5l7 is the smallest pos
sible majority Of Vermont's total vote
In the recent election.
Mr.. White. however. says In large type
that the Progressive party polled within
5000 votes of a majority. the truth is they
lacked 1917 of a majority.
Mr.. White says that the Progressive
party outran the votes of the Democratic
party. the truth is that the progressives
had 1850 less votes than the Democratic
party
The quotation from Mr.. Whites article
above given, is his text for a column
| article ana the article is precisely what
one would anticipate from such a text.
Mr.. White grasses the Republican party
from the national blackboard. and makes
the Democratic party the tail to a high
| flying progressive kite.
I do not recollect that have ever seen
80 much untruth pressed into so narrow
quarters rs is found In the above quota
ton from Mr.. Whites article. Nor have
ever seen statement promulgated by
any newspaper so we'll calculated to de-
celve. because nowhere in the article does
he mention the number of votes received
| by any candidate or party in the Vermont
election.
| 1 was not a little surprised that my
home town gave Mr.. Metzger. the Pro-
gressive Party candidate l16 votes But
II my fellow townspeople have depended
on the Boston Journal and kindred
papers for political information, and have
relied on William Allen White and kin
dred writer's for political succor, and the
Information and succor was cut from the
same loaf as the slice above quoted, a
much larger vote for Mr.. Metzger would
have been less surprising.
The 116 voters for Mr.. Metzgcr in my
home town were made up from demo-
INIdts anu TepuDICdnS, WIFI great EN-
phasis on the latter.
| At any rate I know the men who COM
pose this Progressive party of 49, they
are my townspeople and the most Of
them former associates in the Republican
party and whether republicans or
Democrats, are as true and loyal citizens
as we who are standing by the old par
ties.
~
home town of Newbury applies with equal
force to PAS other Vermont towns.
| Nermonters are not inventors of gross
deception. or hucksters in political fabrics
whose warp. wool and filling are It's
sue of finely designed lies. Vermont
newspapers are not dispensers of rotten
politics. nor are Vermont newspaper men
political grafters. II perchance there
should be an exception to this general
rule, 1t would be rare enough to attract
uncomfortable attention.
1t is observed that Mr. Whites arti-
Gle was not written for the journal read
ers the morning following election. when
returns are incomplete and rumors are
rife, but eighteen days after election
when the returns are all In.
1t Is little wonder that n newspaper,
with an old time record for honesty and
political probity. If 1t chooses to become
a vehicle Of clean cut lies. should deceive
Its readers, and lead them astray.
Honesty. loyalty and true patriotism
may not be an estoppel against the IN
road Of an arch deceiver
So far as the Progressive party in Yer.
mont Is concerned. the principal benefi.
ciary of this kind of campaigning Is Mr.
IMptZRpr.