The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1913-10-14
BENNINGTON. VT. OCT. IA, 1913.
WHAT IS PROGRESSIVE


sive camp. There are others com
ing. Who? Stand-pat Republicans
who have translated the hand writ
ing on the wall and who, to save
themselves are passing as progress
siye Republicans expecting to be
able TO put over the same deal
which recently won for them in
Maine, namely the selection OF can
didates labelled as progressive men
half breeds-who are able to com
mand the support OF certain timid
element of the Progressive party.
This element added to the stand-pat
crowd spells success and the pos
sible survival of the Republican par
ty. 1t is the same game that Is be-
ing played in Massachusetts by Gard
ner. Here is an illustration. Last
fall Senator Rabbit of this county
travelled its length and breadth hit
ting every Progressive in sight and
slam banging every principle Of that
party. Last week this same Senator
Rabbit made n red hot Progressive
speech at Bellows Falls and fell all
over himself in praisng the dear
ptOlllC anu diIlOol nhNu ANtii = Wv q
their wrongs. or course this same
distinguished gentleman would not
know a plank OF the Progressive
platform II he met it alone fully
labelled in Dad daylight But that
does not matter, the stand-patters
are now all progressiyes, but with a
small 'p' and for Il purpose.-Wll-
mington Times.
In it's zeal for the Progressive par
ty the Times forgets the old truth
thac piety isn't all in one pew and re-
ligion isn't all in one chu-ch any
more than all acorns are on one
tree. The Times has right to en-
thusiasm in its own views and opin-
ions but because Of this very en-
thusiasm 1t should be tolerant OF the
opinions of others.
In the matter in question is Meth
err tolerant nor fair in It's attitude
toward Senate: Rabbit. In the first
place Senator Rabbit did not travel
the length and breadth of the county
hitting every Progressive in sight
and slam banging every principle of
that party"
Mr.. Babbitt did spend some time
hitting at Ernest W. Gibson of Brat
tleboro and questioning his pcin.
ciples. Now the charge is made
that Mr. Gibson either writes for the
Times or inspires some OF its edi-
orial utterances. If this is true 1t
might explain the attitude OF The
Times toward Senator Rabbit.
The fact is that Windham county
has seldom been represented at
Montpelier by as prog essive and
valuable a man as Senator Rabbit.
Mr.. Babbitt represented Rockingham
in the House in 1910 and was one of
The senator's from Windham county
in 1912. II is easy TO look up his
record there. |, is also easy to CON
pare 1t with the -ecord OF Attorney
Gibson who was in The House from
Erattleboro in 1906 aud in the Sen.
a'e from Windham in 1908
Without looking up or comparing
the records OF the TWO men we are
willing 10 wager peck of doughnuts
tand doaghnuts are 4 mighty short
crop in on, kitchen this fam that
Mr. Rabbit, introduced more pro.
sressive measures and voted more
frequently on the progressive side Ct
questions during his two terms in
the legislature than did NJ. Gibson
in similar length of service. We
will 20 even further than that and
make a similar wager that Mr.. Bah
bit while in the legislature more
frequently supported the things that
are now in the Prog esslve platform
and a part Of the propaganda Of the
Progressive party than did AR Glib.
son while he was In The legislature.
And we are not criticisine Mr..
Gibson. So far as we know he
made good reco d in the lcgisla-
ture and is today sincere in his ef.
forts to build M the Progressive
party. What We are trying to do is
TO depreca;e the attitude of the
Times in questioning the motives OF
an honorable man and in trying to
rise through the ruin OF others. II
Mr. Gibson inspires or controls the
Times We believe he should take
warning from this friendly criticism.
Nor do we intend to convey the
idea that Senator Babbitt was or is
always right IN on opinion he
made some mistakes in the legisla-
iure and occasionally voted wrong.
or WHAT seems TO ms wrong. What
We do mean 70 say is that his rec
crd contains so much Of hones. ser
vice. Of constructive statesmanship.
clean progressive effort. high ideals
and actual accomplishment OF good
inat TIE Times is moi Justified m
rue-tionius his since ity end hcc-ns