The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1914-08-12
st. Johnsbury Lawyer Seeks
Republican Nomination
for Congress
COMES OUT STRONGLY
FOR PROTECTION
Has Resigned His Position as United
states District Attorney = Believes
That Military Schools Should Be Els
tablished.

That Military Schools Should Be Els
tablished.
Alexander Dunnett of St. Johns
bury announces his candidacy for Con-
gress in the following letter:
To the voters of the Second Congress
sional district of Vermont:
| have resigned my position as
United States attorney for the dis
trict of Vermont to become cal
didate for Congress on the Republican
ticket in this district. Having been
out of politics for about eight years
| think | should say that / believe the
great question properly dividing pc
ltical parties in the United States is
the tariff / am not a stand-pat-
ter. - | have always believed in re
vision of the tariff to meet present
day conditions, but such a revision
should always be upon the lines of the
protection of our industries. | am not
Of that class of protectionists who
have advocated. in the past a lowering
Of the tariff. 1t is my firm conviction
well afford to pay for articles that
can profitably be produced here what
it costs to produce them in our own
country, and the only proper occasion
| for a general lowering of the tariff
| is to provide greater revenue for the
government.
As a practical proposition this gov
| eminent has never been able 10 grow
| richer while the labor was performed
| abroad and the money sent abroad
| from this country to pay for the
| the products of labor Such q system
| always involves the sending of money
| out of this country and throwing our
| own laborers out of employment. In
| the opinion of experts this county Is
| capable of producing foodstuffs suf-
| ticient for five hundred millions of
people; and while foodstuffs sufficient
for our own people can be produced
| at home our agricultural interests
| should have the benefit of the market.
| In its last successful national cam
| paign the Republican party stood upon
| the strongest protective plank that
was ever written into it's platform, but
| by the vacillating attitude of our lead
CT upon the tariff question, his at
| tempted reciprocity with Canada and
| his advocacy of a general cutting
down of the tariff, the temporary
downfall of our party resulted.
This country in 1914 is in the humili-
ating position of living under tariff
| framed by the people who declared in
their platform that protection was un-
| constitutional. They have directly
adopted the principles originated and
most brilliantly advocated by John G.
Calhoun more than eighty years ago
when under the spell of his reasoning
South Carolina passed the notification
/ act. These principles were so rank
that Andrew jackson threatened tC
hang the author, and they have beer
repudiatod by the people of this gov
eminent for more than half century
The principle that this government
has a right to protect itself, It's people
and its industries IS so firmly estab
lished that in the last presidential cleo
ton more than two million majority Of
votes were east in lis favor-the Taft
and the Roosevelt votes combined. Al
believers in this doctrine should stanC
together, and no community is NOR,
vitality interested in it than the people
of Vermont. | believe not only thai
this country has the right to protec
but that its duty and interest are t.
protect it's labor and it's industries a
much as It is its duty to protect it
shores from foreign invasions.
While | am not without views OF
pending and prospective measures il
COngess, | prefer in this limited space
to speak of measure not pending, t
my knowledge, in relation to our ar
my. l believe that miEtay school
should be established for boys VIII
have completed the common schoo
studies in which agricultural and othe
useful learning should be impaired
These schools should be entirely fee
but attendance should be upon condi
tion that the student should for u eel
tain number of years after graduatio
serve in the army when called upoT
| believe such schools will accom-; lis
three purposes:
First, They will do away with tn
necessity for a large standing army.
| Second, They will provide a yer
1 large and efficient army in time o
4 | need.
! Third, Every part of the body pol
! tie will be strengthened by the cor
/ slant addition of this body of wei
] trained and well-educated young mei
And finally, ! think this can all b
; accomplished az eheaply as we supper
our present standing army and the mi
tia of the several states.
| do not say that this general prop'
- sition can be formulated and write
into law at once, but | feel that thel
= is an opportunity for an endeavC
toward progress along these lines.
This district is rather off on til
side respecting the great comme; ci;
and industrial interests OF the countr,
but it has interests as dear and in
portant to its people as any, and
nominated and elected to this hig
but it has interests as dear and in
my pleasure to do what / can for yo
and my state and my country.
ALEXANDER DUNNETT.