The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-06
John w. Gordon Formally
Enters Field for Seat
in Congress
EXPLAINS POSITION TO
I'd DISTRICT VOTERS
Candidate Is Vermont-Born
and Raised and Is Well
Known Lawyer

1 hofmai announcement was made TO-
day by John w. Gordon of Barre that he
| is a candidate for the position OF repre-
sentative in Congress from the second
district to succeed Frank Plumley of
Northfeld, who announced 10 days ago
that he was not to be a candidate. Mr..
Gordon's statement is as follows:
TO the Voters OF the Second Congress
| sional District:
"The declination of the Honorable
Frank Plumley to be candidate for re-
election TO Congress casts upon the sec.
ond congressional district the duty Of
electing his successor. To succeed him
is high aspiration.
"The legislative problems of to-day
are broad, deep and fundamental. The
very work OF the founders OF our gov
lernment is under review. The practices
of a century are attacked. An announce
ment of this kind permits only a brief
reference to ones attitude towards the
problems that demand attention. | hope
that an opportunity may be afforded me
before election to discuss some OF them
in more detail.
Speaking generally, there is little
need of any radical revision of our fun
damental law. That has been found so
elastic and responsive TO the needs of
the people that only seven amendments
have been made since the year that Yer
mont became q state.
ave should regard our constitution
with reverence because of the blessings
that have flowed from it. And vet we
should not look upon it as too sacred to
be changed when occasion requires. 1t
was itself an innovation among existing
systems, and its trainers anticipated
that changes might be needed and pro-
vded for orderly and deliberate amend.
ments. The two recent amendments are
illustrative of what can be accomplished
when public opinion is so far unified as
TO warrant change. Both OF these
amendments received the consent of
three-fourths Of all the states, and neith-
er is the work of faction, class or
party. Such are the amendments that
the founders contemplated should be
made, and such are the changes that viii
be respected.
"Allow me to say that gave my hum
BILE support and advocacy to both OF
these amendments, believing that an in
come tax law viii more equitably dis
tribute the burdens of government and
that the direct election of senators will
prevent the legislative deadlocks and
corruption that have existed in some
states.
81 call attention to my attitude to-
wards these amendments as an illustra-
tion OF my position respecting the ques-
tions Of the day. While eschewing fad
dism, | believe in progress. claim TO be
a progressive Republican, and am conf |
dent that my record, so far as | have
had an opportunity to make one. will
Justify the claim. / do not fear wise
any more than the founders |
of our government did, and / believe that |
in the main the principles of our gov
ernment do not need alteration, although |
the eyer-changing and varying conditions |
of our progress may require new applica- |
tions or adaptations of those principles. |
"If elected to the office of representa- |
tive, !. shall act on the belief that the |
Republican party is still an organization,
ready and capable of making new laws
or changing old ones as occasion may re-
quire; that il is still yitalized by the |
ness was not ended when it purged the
of its slavery provisions.
but is alive to the needs of the present
as when but yesterday it supported the
now adopted, whose purpose is
to prevent corruption and equalize bur
lens. The recent division of that party
has been a national misfortune. One re.
suit is that the caucus of the minority
controls nation founded upon the idea
-hat a majority should rule. What un-
on OF discovered elements may take
place in the future cannot be predicted;
out those who have acted under the
name of the new party, as well as those
who have acted under the old name
lain the same heritage of principles
md traditions. A common heritage i'm.
,lics community OF future interests.
"Such being the case, | ask each voter
. give my candidacy, as well as that of
,thers. the same careful consideration
hat he would give to the important
oncerns that touch him intimately If
le does this. he viii serve his state and
ountry best, whether his vote is for or
igainst me.
"ln promoting my candidacy, ! shall
ave neither the funds nor the disposi-
ion to promote it by the method of eX-
ensive and paid advertisements, extoll-
ng my virtues, real or imaginary. The !,
at purse has fabricated too many cam
,aigns in Vermont. The day has come f,
When the individual voter, as | believe,
esres to cast his ballot solely from
of the merits of candi-
ates and the attitude that they take
owards the questions of the day.
81 shall strive to avoid making my
elf ridiculous in the eyes of the Judi
ious by claiming myself or having 9TH
Is claim that my virtues and qualifica-
ions equal those of an ideal candidate.
would cut a sorry figure in the shoes
+ Abraham Lincoln or the cooked hat of e
ieorge Washington. Born in Vermont, v
cared upon one of her farms, educated in n
er public schools and academies, a grad lp
ate of the college of neighboring i,
tate. acquainted with the surroundings t
f an ordinary Vermonter. an humble 5
tudent of the legal. legislative and eco L
omical questions of the times. | have Il
ndeayored to fit myself to perform the lv
uties of citizenship and to qualify my "
Elf for such service as may fall to my e