The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1914-07-02

candidate for the senatorial success
sion, on either Progressive or non
partisan basis, naturally leads to Q
query as TO the identity Of the Pro
gressiye candidate and the possibility
Of a regular Republican nomination
aside from Senator Dillingham's can
didacy. 1t is not altogether likely
that Mr.. Dillingham; will nave an un-
obstructed pathway to the succession
and "the subsequent proceedings will
be awaited with interest.
Away back during the legislative
session Of 1928, ii was rumored
that Governor Fletcher was laying
the wires to secure the Vermont sena-
torship. AT first few credited it, but
every successive move on his part
since that time-his secret conferen-
ces with the lately deposed Chairman
Thompson, then head of the Progress
siye organization in Vermont; the lat
ter's continued activity in his behalf
despite the rebuff he received at the
hands of other leaders Of the new
party; the governors newborn inter
est in the subject of direct primaries,
the cardinal tenet in the Bull Moose
faith; his savage onslaughts on pub
lie service corporations; his break
with leading members of his own par
ty, who had striven to elect him only
to be assailed without conjunction;
his announcement of Progressive"
leanings; his indictment Of the sup
rene and other courts; his rawlings
about special interests" his declara-
ton that our representation in Con-
gress ought to be "vitalized;" his
reputation Of other officials elected
on the same ticket with himself; his
perigrinations about the state on edu-
cational-poiltical errands; his an
nouncement that the state and the Re-
publican party have reached a condi-
ton that demands "house-clean-
ing; his more than-suspected control
of a portion of the Vermont press
all these things and many others not
instanced point in but one direction,
which receives confirmation from such
significant hints as that of the Tri-
bune.
Allen NJ. Fletcher will be candi-
date for the Senate this fall.
He will run under some title that
will give him claim to the Bull
Moose strength.
He will not contest seriously for the
regular Republican nomination, but
will be candidate by petition at the
election.
No other meaning can be drawn
from all the signs at hand. Having
the situation long ago with
a shrewdness that will be conceded
to him, he saw that his only hope of
a public career lay in
positive break with the regular Re-
publican organization, an appeal to
the prevalent spirit of unrest and the
assumption of a role as foreign to
his natural tastes as can well be con-
reived. He did not hesitate to take
the step, for public life is very con-
genial to him and as matters stood it
was the only avenue that promised
results.
Governor Fletcher has a perfect
right to run for the Senate. No one
questions that. The people, however,
have perfect right to form an esti-
mate of man who stands before
hem for judgment. ln Allen NJ
case it isfor them to deter
mine how far, in his spectacular re-
ord in Office, he has been actuated by
IN honest, unselfsh desire to serve
he state of Vermont, and how far he
las been prompted by the hope of
helping to create conditions whereby
he, Fletcher, could advance further in
,ublic life; whether his present politi-
,al attitude rests on defensible facts,
n whether it is adopted and the facts
.dapted to serve a purpose of his own.
Randolph Herald.