The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-09-30
prou.x sentiment .won,t Down.

If any proof of the bold Charles A.
! Prouty has upon the people OF YER
| mont without regard to party and in
all parties were needed, that proof
| has been furnished by the develop
| ments of the campaign thus far. in
| Vermont in connection with the Unit
ed States senatorship, and in the
light of these Developments there can
! be no doubt he would be the next
United States senator from the Green
Mountain state, if the people could
have their FREQ choice.
1t is no small tribute to men,
standing without the powerful aid Of
any -ganized party, to receive the
nomination OF two political parties
and to escape narrowly receiving en-.
dorsement from a third party, merely
because of his fearless stand for two
great principles, the right of people
TO choose their own government and
to have honest management of the
great public corporations OF the
United States for the benefit OF stock
holders as well as OF patrons.
1t would be difficult 20 convey to
the people Of Vermont any adequate
conception OF the powerful efforts it
has required on the part of machines
and the big New York interests thus
far to smother spontaneous sentiment
in both the Republican and the
Democratic ranks.
They say Prouty sentiment did not
find single expression in the state
Republican convention II is true and
that very boast is the only needed
proof Of our asse 'ton that Prouty
sentiment was smothered at Montpe
lier in ways already described, for the
news reports showed that delegates
from Prouty towns were elected fo'
Prouty and that delegates promised
publicly and even In printed state
ments to vote for him.
1t required tremendous efforts to
prevent the popular sentiment for
Prouty from sweeping the state con-
vention yesterday, without any effort |
at fusion or trade or without any APP
peal from him, except his public rec
ord, and but for a tactical mistake in |
adjourning when the opposition to
him had collapsed. he would have
won even that convention.
Indeed one OF the effective argu
ments urged against HIS endorsement |
was that the Democratic party was
to get no concession from any other |
party or any fusion in return for |
supporting Prouty, and the reply TO |
this was that he was running on an !
independent basis as a non.partisan |
candidate, and had nothing to offer |
in return for such support
1t was urged against him that he |
was a protectionist. which is false; |
that he was not a Democrat, which is |
true; that he was Republican. and |
that it would be better for the party |
TO nominate straight Democrat and |
suffe. inevitable defeat rather than |
help elec. Prouty
Yet ...y.te all this appeal to par
tisanship and all the herculean ef- |
forts OF tae Washington county re-
INTERCHANGEABLE combination to |
prevent his endorsement this mans |
public record alone gained for him |
nearly half OF the votes cast for Unit
ed States senator. 204 to 1914 for
Charles ID. Watson, who was drafted
to prevent such endorsement. Truly
that was a remarkable demonstration
OF Prouty's hold on the rank and file
OF the people of Vermont in spite of
party.
AS we said of the state Republican
convention at Montpelier. il is al |
ways interesting TO watch proceed |
ings, not from the standpoint of the |
spectator in the audience, but behind |
the scenes. From this vantage point |
il speedily became evident that the |
whole state convention hinged on the |
effort to prevent the nomination of |
Prouty. and here again few Dill |
bingham Democrats, protesting TO |
stand heroically for straight demo
cracy, sought in vain to smother Prou |
ty sentiment.
AS soon as Mr.. Prouty's name had |
been presented to the convention |
John II. Senter, of Montpelier, stating |
that he wanted neither prouty nor |
Dillingham;. nominated p. NJ. Meldon |
of Rutland, but Mr.. Meldon declined. !
Then ensued a great hurrying and |
scurrying between Mr. Senter and |
c. II. Shurtleff. of Montpelier. and |
few others as to a substitute to block |
Prouty sentiment. Finally Mr.. Shurt-
left. who was at the secretary's desk. |
went from the platform to his delega-
ton on the floor and named Charles |
ID. Watson OF st. Adams, despite the
fact that the latter had sent word |
he did not want any nomination.
II soon became evident that the con |
vention was completely dominated by |
Prouty sentiment, as II had been the
night before. among the delegates and
that there was little hope of stem
ming the tide flooding in his direc- |
tfo, A. fhic r,ofnf opa of tho obra,,.