The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-03-14
rae youRNAL,s aUssrloNs

THE JOURNALS QUESTIONS
In last weeks issue of the Man
chester Journal was printed a series
of eight questions directed to Frank
E. Howe, editor Of The Banner. Mr..
Howe on Monday of this week adj
dressed the Journal the following let
ter:
Editor of The Manchester Journal:
i'm your issue of last week, you ask
me a series of questions and chal-
lenge my right to be a candidate ior
the office of lieutenant governor. l
do not admit your right to question
nv personal honesty and political
probity. Neither do | think that the
questions are asked in good faith. IL
is my opinion that the questions are
Instigated by those who seek to put
me In a hole for selfish reasons and
in revenge, because | have declined
10 take orders from some OF the little
old bosses, who have controlled party
affairs so long in Vermont that they
think they have superior rights and
that no man should think and act for
himself.
have sought the welfare OF Yer
mont to the best of my ability and
in so doing, have trodden on the toes
of some and ! do not expect that all
will agree with my views, but II
seems TO me unfair to try to dlscredlt
me by yelled untruths and misleading
insinuations. However, | am going TO
answer the questions just as fully and
freely as If they were asked in GOOD
faith, though | regret that the time
and space is not given to a discussion
of real issues instead OF personalities
The questions and answers are as ioi-
lows:
Since Frank Il. Howe of Benning-
ton. editor OF the Banner in that toWn'
has seen fit to enter the race and ask
for the support of the voters OF the
state. The Journal, as well as numer-
ans other of his friends, feel that, be-
ing a county man, he was emitted 10
their support, but they also feel tnat
they would like some further enlight'
eminent as to how he STANDS regard
ing the party from which he has ask
ed support, namely, the Republican
party.
The Journal would like him to an
swer the following questions bearing
on his status as Republican.
l. Are you Republican, Democrat
| or Socialist?
2. If you claim to be a Republican
will you not kindly name one single
Republican ticket, either county, state
or national of that party which has
received your hearty support In the
last eight years?
3. Is II mo- true that you have re-
peatedly attacked the administration
OF President Taft in your newspaper
and pronounced the same in a late
issue as being a total failure?
4. Also, did you not for a time
openly advocate the nomination OF
Senator La Toilette?
5. You have announced that you
now favor the candidacy OF Col
Roosevelt, so We inquire, do you en-
iorse Col. Rooseyelt's platform In
iull, including the initiative, referen,
dunn and recall of judicial decisions
6. II you are in fact Democrat why
do you seek nomination at the hands
Of the Republican party?
7. If you say you are not a Dem
ocrat, nevertheless is it not true that
you have openly endorsed the scheme
/ Of revision OF the tariff and the en-
lire program OF the present Democrat
&c majority in Congress?
s. II you say you are not Social
ST. yet is II not a fact that you pub
Icly introduced Socialist "soapbox'
| orator in the streets of Bennington
| endorsed the views OF this agitatoI
and commended the platform OF the
Socialists in your newspaper?
% | have supported the princi
pies of the Republican party and fol
nearly twenty years have customarlly
voted for Republican candidates al
election, but l have never hesitatec
to vote against a Republican candid
ate when have felt that he was unhl
or when believed that the candidate
OF some other party would give the
public better service. To have done
otherwise, would have been to violate
my freeman's oath.
90 Claiming to be Republican,
have supported every county, state
and national ticket Of that party. mo-
only during the past eight years, bu
for the past is years. During thai
time, there have been several candid
ates out OF the hundred and more oil
the several Republican tickets To-
whom / have not voted. because
deemed them not we'll qualified an'
propose to continue this practice II
the future.
GO II is not true have not re
peatedly attacked the administrator
Of President Taft and have not pre-
nounoed Il q total failure. hav
criticised things that | believed wronl
and commended things that believes
right. Does any honest man follo'
any other course7
(D have never advocated tn
nomination OF Senator la Toilette
On the contrary. have repeated
stated in public and private an
through the columns OF The Banne
that he ought not to be nominated
Ho is a man OF many good qualitle
and has done many credltable thing
in his public career, but on the othC
hand, he has Weaknesses that thin
unit him for the presidency ] d
not understand, however, why theI
should be any interest in this poin
Hn. tb. fnurpnl and tee nnrfuar tnkn