St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-05-01
An American Menace.


That the American people are
facing a serious danger in the
campaign of villifcation that is
now in progress cannot be denied by
any thinking person. If the charges
of Theodore Roosevelt and his fol-
lowers are to be believed there are
no honest or decent Americans OUT
side of their ranks. When the small
proportion of people who declare for
him at the polls is remembered it
will be seen that he charges the
great majority of the people with
being dishonest. This is a false inn
preston, because the majority of the
people and public leaders are hon
est. This was we'll illustrated in
the brief campaign here in Vermont.
The claims of the Roosevelt men
that they were lighting against the
ring" and the choice Of Taft dele
gates in any town announced by
them as a victory ''for the ring"
have been frequently made. Roose-
velt's manager, Sen. Dixon, came
here at the direction of Roosevelt
himself "to prevent fraud and the
stealing OF Roosevelt delegates"
Such statements are the grossest
Misrepresentation, an indecent act
by those making them and a dis
grace to the state of Vermont.
There was no organized campaign
for President Taft in the state of
Vermont. The republican state
committee is the head of the party
organization in the state and that
body at a meeting held to make ar
rangements for the state convention
voted not to take any action as a
body in behalf of either candidate
because it was found there were
friends of both men in the member
ship of the committee. 1t is true
that Chairman F. G. Williams as an
individual was an active supporter
of President Taft. The same is true
Of other members of the committee
but not of all of them. At the close
of the state convention Wallace G.
Batchelder one of the leaders of the
Roosevelt movement, voluntarily
went and thanked Chairman Will
liams and Sen. W. P. Dillingham; for
the perfect fairness shown the
Roosevelt forces in the convention.
The contest in Vermont was con-
Quoted honestly and above board.
Every man who wanted to vote had
the opportunity to do so. There
was more money spent in behalf of
Roosevelt than any other man. The
Roosevelt forces had speakers in
different towns in the state, they had
an advertising fund which was spent
by 1.-THE Roosevelt Committee a
body whose membership has never
been made public. The source of
their funds has never been made
public either but we are told that
the money raised to get Gov. Bass
in st. Johnsbury, to pay for the hall,
advertising, and band was raised by
local subscription perfectly legi-
innate act. There was no advertis-
ing for President Taft, no speaking
outside of st. Johnsbury and so far
as we know no money spent to get
the voters to the polls. The Taft
speaker here cost no Vermonter a
cent and the hall, etc, were paid for
by local subscriptions. The people
of Vermont had full and free oppor-
tunity to express their choice. There
should be no talk of fraud or unfair
ness here.
Despite these facts Roosevelt and
his followers continue to claim that
had the people OF Vermont had a fair
show they would have declared for
him. They continue to yell in other
him. The ycnotinued to ven in other
states that they are fighting the
bosses and corruption. Judging
from the claims and the actual con-
ditions here we cannot credit these
statements elsewhere. We believe
that Mr.. Roosevelt. thoroughly in
formed as to the real nature Of the
American people, is grossly misrep-
resenting them to America and the
. world. He is doing it for political
effect alone. He is undermining the
basis Of all healthy progress. con-