The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-08-21
The Vermont eovernOrshIp

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Never before WAS the political stu
alton In Vermont so mixed as at the
present time. The oyershadowing
fact is that q nomination for Office no
longer necessarily means an election
in cases where the one was equi "a
lent TO the other. and the republican
leaders are beginning evidently to rea
liZe this fact. Only a few days age
the BrattleborO Relormer threw .lis
bombshell into The political camp;
Acknowledging Mr.. Clements per-
sonal fitness TO hold the office OF gov
ernor, the Bellows b'alls Times makes
the pertinent inquiry whether it
would be good policy for the Republi-
can party to place at the head OF its
ticket man OF great wealth whose
entire life has been bound up with
big business and the kind OF big bust
ness that many suppose has In the
past influenced legislation In it's own
behalf
Assuming that the leaders OF the
Republican party in Vermont are anx
ious to rehabilitate the @. 0. r., IT
would be well for them to give this
question serious thought. Senator
Dillingham; who seems reasonably sure
of getting the republicans TO renomin
alto him, belongs to the same wing OF
the party as Mr.. Clement. Even his
admirers admit that he isn't in ally
sense a radical.
$50 the question naturally arises:
Can the party march to victory under
Clement-Dillingham banner? Hav-
ing in mind the way the State vote
was shot to pieces two years ago. we
confess the situation is somewhat OF
a problem"
The fact that the Rutland Herald
jumped into the political arena as
long ago as the first week in June.
1913, in support of Dillingham; for the
United States Senate led the Clipper
to state that Mr.. Clement would be a
candidate for governor and that the
two would be found pulling together.
II must be admitted that fo> some
limo the men who were for the one
seemed to a marked degree to be for
the other. but the feeling reflected by
the Reformer that a ticket combining
the two might be a handicap has
plainly been making it's influence felt
In Washington county. The Barre
Times. which Is In close touch with
the political situation in that part Of
Vermont, may not have been inspir
cd. but 1t plainly voices a prevalent
sentiment In an editorial headed,
why Not Gates?" as follows:
Three good citizens of the State
have announced themselves as Will
ing to be the republican candidate for
governor this fall, and although the
caucuses to elect delegates to the con
yention that will select candidate
are less than two weeks away. no one
OF the three has as yet created any
enthusiasm among the voters Two,
four and ak years ago the Times adj
yocated getting out of this rut Of al
ways selecting the candidate who put
himself most prominently forward,
but the custom prevailed with the re-
suit that each succeeding oe,ti, n
brought rmallcr republican vote.
VIII the parry continue To practice
this year. or has IL learned by exper-
fence that there must be change in
methods IL the party is TO continue in
power in the State?
IF ever the party should make the
selection, IL is this year.
IF republicans who strayed away
from the party two and four years
ago are to he brought back TO tho
fold, candidate must be selected
whose very name will be an assur-
ance that IL he is elected governor the
state win be guaranteed wise. pro-
grecsive and economical admin!stra-
ton. lie must be man whose per.
sonality will lend great strength to
the ticket.
THE party has such men, and the
Times has in mind one in particular,
who by his able public services In tho
past eight years. has won for himself
high place In the esteem OF all our
citizens, and has shown capacity for
even greater duties.
This man is Charles w. Catea.
Although he refuses 20 become an
active candidate for governor while
holding his present office as state
highway commissioners. ho win not 70.
fuse the nomination. The Times has
assurances 10 this effect
why not, then, nominate him."
As we understand the situation Mr..
Gates is regarded by many rcpubli.
cans as a possible compromise candi-
date In the event of the development
of strenuous struggle between Gle.
ment, representing the reactionary re.
publicans, and Fleetwood aud Howe.
representing the more progressive
wing of the party. Republicans have
told us they had repeatedly urged Nj.
Gates to become candidate. but he
took the stand that he could not con
sistently become candidate for the
Office while holding his present posi-
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