Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1912-08-29

date, because the display of strength Will
EaVe some effect. one way or another,
"a, the country Mr.. Roosevelts own trip
INTO the state the last OF next week re-
Vea's his concern over the Vermont sit
uation. Both the republicans and the dem
ocrnts VIII have outside speakers In the
canvass. As In Maine. the democrats APP
pear to he holding together. Mr.. Mum
sey's Boston Journal, which is ardently
pro- Roosevelt, prints Vermont dispatches
admitting that the Vermont democracy.
winch of course never was large In num-
bers. is not being disintcgrat Jed The Jour-
nal say: "A few republicans are known
to nave declared their intention Of vot-
ing for tho democratic candidate for gov
einor In September and for president In
November but none OF them is Of any
political prominence or Importance. II
Is plain. therefore, that Mr.. Howe. the
democratic candidate. can expect little
moro than his party vote"
The Vermont democrats polled 1888
votes in the state election Of 1908. 17.129
IN 400 and 1920 In 1890 In 1902 their vote
Tor governor was ms low as 1884. In
presidential year. they should poll In
September at least 1900 votes to prove
that their party Is substantially intact.
" they poll over 5000 next month, the
fact Will Indicate that their strength is
greater than IL was four years ago. One
cannot Judge OF the cohesiveness of the
Democratic party in the country at large,
perhaps. by democratic cohesiveness in
Vermont. since for generations the Green
Mountain democrats have stuck to their
party under the most hopeless conditions
n
he proof against all outside allurcments:
yet everyone wishing to learn whether tho
democrats of the country arc nibbling
at the Roosevelt bait will examine close
~ the figures for the democratic vote
in Vermont next month.
The present signs are that with uni
ted democracy sure of polling 5000 or
more votes. tho republicans will divide
with sufficient ovenness to make the re-
suit in doubt and possibly throw the
election into the Legislature. In the Sep
tember election of 1898, the republicans
| poled 45,59S votes. While the plurality
| over the democrats was nearly 10000, the
present detection to the Roosevelt state
| ticket will undoubtedly be very formid-
able; and, besides, the popular master OF
the state grange. which has 5000 men,
bers IS running for governor on the
prohibition ticket. Under such circum-
stances. the traditional! test Of the Sep
tembcr election with reference to tho
November election for president will be
| eliminated. The normal republican plural
| ity for nalf century has been 5000.
When above that figure, the plurality has
| usually foreshadowed republican sue
| cess In the presidential election: when
below 1t. democratic success has been
| foreshadowed. Obviously in year when
the Vermont republicans are split, no
such test can he worth anything. BUT
much better test than the old one will!
he furnished by the cohesion Of the DEM
ocrats as compared With the disintegra-
don Of the Republican party.
The campaign of the Roosevelt state
| ticket Is being led by a CONGREGATIONAL
clergy man as candidate for governor. He
is sure OF over 10.OO votes, apparently.
| General political conditions in the state
are favorable to an assault upon the old
, republican regime which has been irwin
cible for so many decades. The Proc
tors are gone and the republican organ
cation has not been progressive in state
affairs. Reciprocity with Canada as
fathered by President Taft. angered
many OF the Vermont farmers The
Roosevelt tradition Is also strong in the
state.
| On the other hand is the ingrained
habit Vermont republicans have to vot-
ing the straight party ticket They will
not find the name Roosevelt on their
ballots in September. They will be call
ed upon to abandon their lifelong party
associations in order to vote for Rev
Frazer Metzser progressive. The differ
ence between the name Roosevelt and
the name Metzger may be considerable
when figured in votes.