The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1912-09-03
VERMONT
Is 90 The Eve Of A Big
Election
Governor And State Officers
To Be Chosen


mont will elect governor and other
State officers, representatives in Con.
gress and members Of the legislature.
Politicians have been wont to regard
the Vermont elections in presidential
years as the straw which indicates
which way the political wind Is blow.
ing. II there Is an outpouring Of the
Republicans OF the State next Tues.
day Taft men will rejoice. If there
is simply sufficient representation
to give matoUty not much in ex-
cess OF an of year lead the opposition
naturally will! find much encourage.
ment.
Realizing the fight they have ahead
OF them this year, the Republicans
have redoubled their efforts to main.
tain the normal Republican plurality.
b, cause of the significance which that
plurality has been shown to have with
respect to the result in November
throughout the country, the Vermont
Republicans have received the assist.
ance of the national organization TO
an extent never known before. The
same is true of the Democrats and
Progressives.
During the present week Colonel
Roosevelt has stumped the Green
Mountain State from end to end.
Numerous other effective Progressive
campaigners have been heard. The
third party leaders found much to en-.
courage them in the results of the pri.
maries early last summer for the Sc.
lection OF delegates to the Chicago
convention. A month before the pri.
maries it appeared that Taft would
have no opposition so far as the Yer.
mont forces lined up with about even
strength. Ever since the Chicago con
vention the progressives have been
actively at work here. They hope to
cut down the Republican plurality to
a minimum point, even II they &c
noe elect their ticket = : -
The Republican split has sent the
Democratic hopes soaring sky-high
Thomas Fl. Brown of Rutland, the
Vermont member of the Democratic
national committee, has gone OIL rec
ord with the prediction that the Dem
ocrats will overthrow the normal Re
publican plurality and elect thelI
State ticket next Tuesday, and that
they will follow this up with victory
for Wilson and Marshall in Novem
ber. This prediction is not only in
teresting coming from the national
committeeman, who is on duty at ma
tional headquarters, but 1t will make
It easier to tell after the Vermont
election whether the predictions ol
the Democratic managers are based
upon accurate knowledge of actua
conditions or upon the usual enthus
iasm and hopes of campaign times.
The contest for governor is five
sided affair The Republicans, Dem
ocrats, Progressives, \Prohibitionist.
and Socialists have each a candidate
The Republican candidate for thu
governorship Is Allen M. Fletcher
prominent In the business life of thu
State. and with creditable recort
as member of the State Legislature
The head of the Democratic ticket |,
Harlan b. Howe, an able and popular
young attorney of St. Johnsbury. Th'
PrCgressives are following Rev. Fras
err Metzgcr, q Congregational minis
ter.
The situation is complicated by thu
candidacy of C. s. Smith, who wal
named by a combination of Prohibl
'tionists and Changers. Smith ha'
been at the head of the State Grang'
for number of years and is an ex
tremely popular citizen. He has beel
making an active campaign In th
hope OF turning the State back to pro
hibition. Some well informed politi
clans predict that the Prohibiti0nist
Changers are likely to poll surpris
ingly heavy vote next week.
The Democrats have put forth tn
tariff as the vital issue In the cam
paign. They also claim that tn
Democrats of Vermont have been tn
progressive narty In the State TO
years and have long ago espouse
such policies as State tax regulation
OF corporations, and the initiative an
referendum and other innovations 1
; Government supposed to be essentia
to any progressive creed today.