St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1912-03-20

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 we'll as
numerous other friends, feel that,
being a county man, he was entitled
to their support, but they also feel
that they would like some further
enlightenment as to how he stands
regarding the party from which he
has asked support, namely, the Re
publican party.
The Journal would like him to an
swer the following questions bearing
on his status as Republican.
1. Are you a Republican, Demo-
crat or Socialist?
2. If you claim to be a Republi-
can, will you not kindly name one
single Republican ticket, either
county, state or national of that par
ty which has received your hearty
support in the last eight years?
3. Is it not true that you have
repeatedly attacked the administra-
ton of President Taft in your news
paper and pronounced the same in a
late issue as being total failure?
4. Also, did you not for time
openly advocate the nomination of
Senator LaFollette?
5. You have announced that you
now favor the candidacy of Col.
Roosevelt, so we inquire, do you en-
dorse Col. RooseVelt's platform in
full, including the initiative, referen-
dunn and recall of judicial decisions?
6. If you are a Democrat, why
do you seek nomination at the
hands of the Republican party?
z. If you say you are not Dem
ocrat, nevertheless is it not true
that you have openly endorsed the
scheme of revision of the tariff and
the entire program of the present
Democratic majority in congress?
8. If you say you are not Soc
ialist, yet is it not a fact that you
publicly introduced Socialist
"soapbox' orator in the streets of
Bennington, endorsed the views of
this agitator and commended the
platform of the Socialist in your
newspaper?
% I have supported the prin-
ciples of the Republican party and
for nearly twenty years have GUS
tomarily voted for Republican can
didates at election, but / have never
hesitated to vote against a Republi-
can candidate when / have felt that
he was unfit or when | believed that
the candidate of some other party
would give the public better ser
vice. To have done otherwise,
would have been to violate my free
mans oath.
(2) Claiming to, be a Republi-
can, I have supported every county,
state and national ticket of that
party, not only during the past 8
years, but for the past Is years.
During that time, there have been
several candidates out of the hun
dred and more on the several Re-
publican tickets for whom l have
not voted, because 1 deemed them
not well qualified and l propose to
continue this practice in the future.
CD It is not true. I have not |
attacked the administra- |
ton of President Taft and 1 have |
not pronounced it a total failure. l
have criticised things that l believed |
wrong and commended things that
[ believed right Does any honest I
man follow any other course?
(4) I have never advocated the
of Senator LaFollette.
On the contrary, 1 have repeatedly
stated in public and private and
the columns of the Banner
that he ought not to be nominated.
He is a man of many good qualities
and has done many creditable things
in his public career, but on the other
hand, he has weaknesses that think
unfit him for the presidency. / do
not understand, however, why there
should be any interest in this point.
Has the Journal and it's partner TAX
IN over the contol of the Republi-
AN party with the intention Of driv-
ng out all who disagree with them?
On this basis, they will little later
nave to excommunicate all the sup
,orters of Mr. DeBoer or all who
avor Mr. Fletcher. Do they think
hat the Republican party is close (!
and that they own a
majority of the stock?
(5) I have not announced any ]
.dvocacy of the candidacy of Col. {
1 have stated that /
would support whoever was nomi- g
Lated. I have further stated that 1T
,ppears to me more important that '
he party principles succeed than I
or any particular man to win.
m willing to let the party select t
heir candidate and one thing that c
have little patience with is the eff z
orts of the bosses and agents of sell 2
sh interests to control the choice OF I
andidates. The Banner was the G
rst newspaper in Vermont to sup r
ort Taft for the presidency and it h
interesting to note that the very u
len who were criticising me four Il
ears ago for supporting Taft are d
ow critisicing me because I have p
dvised the selection of a stronger n
andidate. There are always men t
-ho seek to dictate what their
shall believe and do, and b
-ho never learn that the party is g.
.ronger and better for having di- il
ergent opinions The small mind G
4 boss, who would regulate all &C Il
0rding to his own narrow vision is r.
lie worst danger to which any par Il
2 is exposed. My views on the ini- Il