The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1914-03-06
CLAIMS A PARTY VICTORY
Leader of Vermont Progresslves so
Considers Primary Vote

Montpelier, March 5.--Charles II.
Thompson, national state committee
man of the Progressive party for Yer
mont, plans to leave on two weeks
vacation trip to Mexico soon. Mr..
Thompson has been busily engaged
with the organization of the new par
ty in this state since its birth and the
strain has told on him. A few weeks
ago he was forced to resign as con-
tributing editor of The Advance, the
Progressive organ, and now that the
primary referendum vote has been
taken Mr. Thompson viii try to get u
short rest.
In the course of a letter written to
the chairman of the Maine Progress
sive state committee telling of the pri
mary victory in Vermont, Mr.. Thomp-
son asserts that it was Progressive
victory and goes on to say.
I'VE started this campaign with an
open challenge from this Office for a
debate with any opponents for the
QliCSb 1T dAS lAuiC vi PAdNC
in the state. This move on our part
was unexpected by the opposition and
the fact that they did not dare ac-
cept the offer TO debate this question
This has been a campaign without
any fireworks and from town to town
and has been put over only by the
strength of our organization in every
little funds and have only been able
to hold five large meetings. The rest
of the work being done entirely by
this office and as above stated through
cations to five men without the state
OF Vermont, one of whom is a resi-
dent of your state, +. NJ. Lawrence.
who contributed to our direct pri-
mary campaign fund, which it will sur
prise you to know, totalled less than
$500. We are also under obligations,
and wish to publicly acknowledge
same, to Governor Fletcher who, al
AhOuSh ClCIbtQ Oil a. iAtVuDhkNdi liIhCl
has spoken many times in every coun
~ in the state on his own initiative
and at his own expense in favor of
the direct primary law. We are also
under deep and abiding obligations to
the entire press of the state of Yer
mont who have treated us most fair
ly. The majority of the state papers
have joined in with the Progressive
party in supporting this measure. You
are aware that until within a few
weeks, we have had no official power
of our own and We therefore deeply
the attitude of the press
toward this campaign.
Some of the men. within the Pro
gressiye party, who are more anxious
to carry out their own personal ideas
than to see the Progressive party
grow on broad principles, have recent
ly charged that our organization
to nothing. 1t is therefore
only natural that the home office OF
the Progressive party, although very
tired from the strain OF long and
hard fight. feel this morning that II
has been worth while. We have Civ
Ell to the reactionary element in both
the old line organizations which have |
fought this direct primary measure
from the first, the most severe defeat
that has been administered in any |
state since the inception of the Pro
gressive party movement. The vote |
for the direct primary measure was
4 like successful in the industrial and |
large centers as well as the farming |
Montpelier, the state |
capitol where the home Office of the |
party is located, went al
most to for the measure. Brattle |
boro, the home of the writer and |
Judge E..W. Gibson, our candidate |
Tor Congress from the second district,
who has given us great aid in this |
fight, went almost to for the meas |
ire Complete returns show that we
carried every county in the state.