St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-07-10
PRESS COMMENT


In the full candor of truth, what
has been troubling Oyster Bay far
more than the uncertainties of Balti-
more is the question of cash. The at
tempt of Colonel Roosevelt to make
himself president for a third term
has already cost his angels-not on
~ the visible but also the invisible
host-a sum Of money probably ap-
preaching if not exceeding two mil
lions of dollars. We have heard
much higher estimates, but few of
the cognoscenti would venture to put
the total under 100000.
Colonel Roosevelt has an unsur-
passed genius for inducing other citi-
zens to pay for his corking good
times. The Pennsylvania Railroad
Company discovered it, the late Mr..
Hartman discovered it, various gen.
tIemen interested in the fauno of the
African continent discovered it; it
has even been rumored that the ven
cradle Sorbonne itself discovered the
circumstance. Purses in the pockets
of friendship, of sinister interest, of
romantic admiration and of genuine
devotion to ideals alike groan and
lose weight as the Colonel marches
on to glory.
In the present enterprise the mon
ey seems to have come in easily up
to the time of the Chicago conven-
ton. The sources of the funds con-
/ tributed and expended during the
preliminary campaign for the regu-
lar republican nomination are known
| in part to the public. Colonel Roose-
Welt benefited by the pecuniary trib-
utes of loyal personal friendship. He
profited by the liberal application of
spite money. He protted by the
high admiration in which certain
corporations hold his craftsmanship.
He profited by the investments of
bosses DESTROYS of becoming more
powerful in bossdom. The cash was
forthcoming, and right lavishly was
in expended for the third term.
Our intelligent readers will now
note a distinct change in the situa-
ton. We are not speaking of any
possible indisposition on the part of
the angelic group of Perkinses, Pin
chots, Munseys, McCormicks and the
rest to send good money after bad.
1t is human nature to send good
money after bad in d great game of
speculation; and we haven't the re-
hottest idea that any of these contri-
butors are cutters. The present diff
| ficulty is of another sort.
Heretofore the question of enforc-
ed publicity as to receipts and ex-
penditures has affected the fnanciers
of the movement only very little,
practically not at ALL The require
ments of the various laws as to pub
1icity touched the preliminary cam
paign for the nomination only here
and there, and lightly at that. An
occasional formal admission that Mr..
Perkins had contributed so many
thousand dollars and Mr.. Munsey so
many thousands in the primary con-
| test in a particular state, and vague
rumors of this or that contribution
by some other benefactor, failed to
disclose comprehensively the scope of
Oyster Bays financial operations. But
hereafter if the Roosevelt movefent
is to proceed with all the machinery
| of an organized party in campaign
for election, the searching eyes of the
publicity laws so highly approved by
the Colonel as a moralist and refOr-
mer will be not only on every dollar
expended but also on every dollar
received and the exact source from
which it came; and dire will be the
penalty of concealment or subter-
age, if suspected and detected after
ward by rigid and unsympathetic in
vestigation.
No longer the comfortable days of
affluence not too closely scrutinized
by the law. The dilemma of the Bull
Moose in the next stage of the Oys-
ter Bay enterprise must be more or
less disturbing to reformer of Colo
mel Roosevelt's we'll known sensitive
ness about the use of money in poll
tics 1t must alarm even some of
his remaining contributing angels.
To go without the cash that might
be had for the asking, for the uplift
of humanity through Colonel Roose-
velt's election for third term; or
to risk the moral ard possibly the
material Inconvenience of investi-
cation and publicity York
Sun.
Insurance in Vermont.
We of Vermont paid in 1911 for
protection against fire losses ST.
384,24O, and for life insurance, S.,
1O8,745.
Pretty big figures, these. But
they are fundamentally correct, for
they are taken from advance sheets
of the biennial report of the State
Insurance Commissioners just sent
out to the press.
AS to life insurance in Vermont, it
appears that 5000 policies were
issued in 1911, of which 1906 were
ordinary life policies and 1854 in
dustrial; the former class covering
insurance of $6,37S,206, and the lat
ter $1,73O,539.
AS to fire insurance, in 1911 fire |
risks were written to the amount of
$98,z08,849 and on which the prem |
iums were $1,3S4,24O, and fire loss
es of $737,545 were paid-an enor-
nous sum to go up in smoke. 1t is |
much smaller than the total damage,
however, for the fire loss was $685.
40, in 1885 fires.
In the miscellaneous department, !
accident, fidelity, plate glass, ETC.,
1894, 6S5 was paid in premiums and |
losses of $163,123 were paid. OF
these sums, accident policies cost
$194,903 in premiums, and injured |
VermOnters had their sufferings !
alleviated by the payment of $780,
8S5.