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

vermont, where state and county
officials are elected for only two
year terms. In some states, where
officials are elected for terms of
from IL to 8 years, can see where
recall might sometimes be desir-
able to get a dishonest or incompe-
tent man out of Office.
CD This question is intended as
slur, but no one will be deceived,
except those who prefer to believe
untruth Slightly more than year
ago, was a candidate for the speak
ership of the Vermont House OF
Representatives. When the ballot
was taken there were 194 RepuDii-
can representatives present and Vot-
ing and l received 194 votes. In
that canvass, 1 had the support of
such men as former Governors
d. Proctor, Edward C. Smith, Sen
ator w. p. Dillingham;, Congress-
man Frank Plumley, Hon. Allen M.
Fletcher, Hon. Joseph A. DeBoer,
Hon. Frederick G.. Fleetwood and
scores of other Republicans of SINH
lar high standing. Do the Journal
and the instigators of this attempt
to put me in a hole feel themselves
to be better qualified censors to pass
upon my party standingY
Cd 1t is not true. have never
either openly or secretly endorsed
the Democratic scheme of tarin re-
vision nor the entire program OF the
Democratic majority of the lower
house of congress. In this connec-
ton, might add that l have had no
quarrel with a man because ne is
Democrat, or a measure because IL
is introduced or supported by Demo
Gratis. Issues can no longer De
measured or controlled by party
lines. The good is not all In one
party nor is the evil all in another.
All patriotic citizens are seeking the
welfare of the nation and party lines
nowadays merely represent general
groupings of men of similar, but not
necessarily identical ideas. The
Democrats in Congress have present.
ed some good ideas, for which they
deserve credit and they have also
produced some plans that l believe
dangerous to the welfare of the
country. The Republicans during
recent years have done much that
was good and some that was evil.
AS a freeborn citizen of the United
States, 1 reserve the right to COM
mend good and criticise evil as | see
them, without asking leave Of any
party boss or would-be dictator or
party policy. If the Journal and
gentleman who aided and abetted 1t
in preparing this list of questions
are permitted to read out of the Re
publican party all who maintain the
right to think and act for themsel-
YES, then the days of its honor and
usefulness are over.
90 No, I never introduced a
Socialist soap-box orator and endors-
ed his views and l have never COM
mended the Socialist platform in
the columns of my newspaper. Pos
sibly, though, if you had worded
the question differently, leaving out
the endorsement part of it and the
soap-box slur, you might have con-
victed me after all, for it has fallen
to my lot to introduce speakers on
many and varied occasions. have
Socialist speakers with
out being a Socialist; l have intro
duced Democratic speakers without
being a Democrat; l have introduce
ed Presbyterian speakers without
being a Presbyterian. can even
even conceive of being called upon
to introduce a Chinese speaker with
out becoming a Chinaman. 1 pre-
sumo l may also have commended
some things in the Socialistic plat
form, for it contains some things
that no Christian citizen OF any
can refuse to commend,
though it contains other things that
[ consider dangerous and menacing
and calculated to bring woe and
and sure to in
crease poverty and suffering, IL
at the present stage OF
he worlds development.
This completes my answers to
your detailed list of questions but
he principal question Of all remains
o be answered and that is the i'm
,lied question as to my right to be
ONE a candidate for the office or
lieutenant governor. l will try to
nswer that also.
/ had supposed that coincident
With the efforts of all earnest Yer
nonters to develop and build up our
eloved commonwealth the issues
o be passed upon were the broad
mes of improvement of state citi-
enship, the welfare of children, the
rejection of the helpless, education
or service and not for show, the re-
eneration of the unfortunate, the
eform of our tax system, continued
ighway improvement, the building
D of our broken down communit-
IS, the extension of industry, new
evelopment of agriculture and
ull all together to make the Yer
lont of the future greater and bet
or than the Vermont in the past.
Until your issue came to me
ad never dreamed that there We're
elf appointed censors whose duty
was to pass upon fellow citizens
redentials. / had supposed that
ne citizens themselves retained the
ght, and / still think that they re-
lin and will maintain that right to
lie uttermost.
1 have been aware for long time
lat there are some who do not like
e or the paper which / publish,
1cause 1 have dared to make it a
ewspaper instead of a party or