The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1913-10-31
BIRDS CAMPAIGN
IN MASSACHUSETTS
c. II. Thompson Says Progressive Can
dldate IS Practicing Principles
for Which He is Standing.
MONTPELIER, Oct. 80.

MONTPELIER, Oct 80.
Editor The Reformer.
Dear Sir:-The coming election i'm
the state OF Massachusetts presents
such an unusual situation in political
l1ie that few comments at this time
on that situation may be OF value. We
hnd SIX candidates running Tor tile
/ honor OF being governor of Massachu-
setts. Personally, ali of these men
stand high as individuals 1t is there
fore OF some moment what these
gentlemen stand for and what the
platforms behind them stand for. Much
has been said in the last wear along
the lines that there was no real in
tercSt for the National Progressive
party. The present campaign in Mas
sachusetts would seem to lie a good
answer to this question
No one denies but that both the
/ Democratic and Republican platforms
were changed and Progressive planks
put therein for the benefit OF the
people IN Massachusetts solely because
of what the Progressive party stood for
In that state. If the Progressive
party has accomplished nothing else in
New England, we are worthy of ex-
istenee for what we have done for the
/ platforms in the three leading parties
III the state of Massachusetts. As
result of this we find a unique situa-
/ ton. Mr.. Walsh candidate of the
/ Democratic party. stands ON the Dem
oeratic platform endorsing the initia
! tive and referendum and in his own
! speeches endorsing these two planks
and with u personal record behind him
Of voting, at every opportunity that
he has had in public life, against both
the initiative and referendum bills
Mr.. Gardner. the candidate Of tho
Republican party, under the columns
OF the new Republicanism standing on
/ a platform made up of MANY of the
. Progressive party planks. also has
record behind him of being ominouslv
silent in Washington WREN there was
real need Of Progressive being at
the front. 1t is true that he was
classed a. an insurgent. but his insur
genev was very short lived. Within
the last four days there has been such
IN open movement in Massachusetts
that it is practically acknowledged bv
i'll concerned that the re-actionarv
men Of the Democratic and Republican
parties have come together with but
one purpose. and that is the defeat OF
Mr.. Bird. 1t is another demonstration
OF what the Progressive party has
claimed from the first, that in the final
analysis there is no difference between
Il re-actionarv Republican and re-
dictionary Democrat and that they will.
representing as they ito the especial
interests. get together from time to
| time for the purpose Of defeating 4
| Progressive party candidate. What
| ever the result may be next Tuesday.
| the Progressive party Of New England
| has reason to be proud of its candi-
| date III Massachusetts and the cam
| paign the party has conducted
Realizing that there are true fiffcr-
ences of opinion as to the political
situation Of today, still it would seem
that the editorial in the Montpelier
, Journal of this morning, Oct. %, has
for its foundation a weird idea as to
, what the real condition is in Massa-
chusetts. They suggested Mr. Bird
retire from the fight in order that Mr..
Gardner may be elected. Mr. Bird
was a candidate for the governorship
, Of Massachusetts long before Mr..
Gardner had any idea of entering the
race. Under the guidance of Mr..
. Matthew Hale and Mr.. Charles Henry
Davis, Mr. Bird has conducted what
is conceded by all parties to be the
most complete political campaign that
has ever been enacted III New Eng
land. To ask him within six days Of
, election to retire in favor Of man
who came late into the race and who
apparently has been a weak candidate
from the first is, to say the least, a
most peculiar request. Particularly
coming along the lines of the now