The Sentinel=record., 1912-09-04
VERMONT FAILS TO ELECT A RE. REPUBLICAN, GOVERNOR BY
 VOTE OF PEOPLE.
POINTS ID DEMOCRATIC GAIN
Republican Candidate, Failing to Get Majority of all Votes, the EIec- ton Now Passes to the State
 Legislature.


 Strength of the new progressive party in it's 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 me history of the state on presidential year. were outstanding features of the state election in Vermont today.
 The vote for the five candidates for governor from all of the six cities and from 196 out of 240 towns, was.
 Allen M. Fletcher, republican, 22366.
 Harland B, Howe, democrat, 17,540.
 Rev Frazier Metzger. progressive, 13,630.
 Clement F. Smith, ocialist 976. Returns up to midnight showed that the next legislature will contain 1l0 republicans, S6 democrats and IA pro- gressive members of the lower branch, as well as 80 republican senators. | It was apparent early in the even | ing that there had been no election by the people, although a sufficient num- Der of republican representatives were successful to seem to insure the choice of Allan Fletcher by the legis- | lature.
 , For many years political students have pointed out that any decrease in the republican majority in Vermont ] ill September below normal of 25.000 l has been followed almost invariably by the party defeat in the presiden. | tial fight in November These majorities, which have aver aged close to 30s000 in all the state elections in Vermont in presidential years since 1892, were represented to- day by bare plurality. The republican loss apparently went in great degree to the progressives and to a somewhat lesser extent to the democrats.
 The falling off in the republican vote began with the first returns. while the progressives gained all along the line, in some cases carry- ing towns which had heretofore been regarded as strongly republican,
 Yet, the disaffection from the re- publican ranks did not extend very far beyond the head of the ticket. Many towns that showed strong pro- gressive tendencies sent republican representatives, to the legislature. so republican party leaders were assured early of a substantial majority on joint ballot for governor. as the fail- ure of candidate to get a majority at the polls throws the election into the legislature.
 Progressive leaders were greatly pleased with the results. It was point ed out that the party had gone into the fight with an organization that was new to politics, and was forced to make up with notable orators what it lacked in party management. with Colonel Roosevelt leading the charge.
 The democratic managers also de- rived satisfaction from the early re- turns, showing, as they did, decided gains over two years ago They also pointed out that these gains had been made despite claims of the progressive speakers that the latter party would recruit some of it's strength from dem- ocrats.
 The prohibition and socialist vote did not vary materially from former years.
 Many republican leaders claimed that the threatening weather contri- buted 10 the falling off in the party vote. These men stated that the reg istered vote of Vermont was close to 10000 and that had weather con ditions been fair. the party would have rolled up more than 10000 for Mir. Fletcher