St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1914-04-01
play Up! Play Up! and Play The
Game"

OtA4AAC~
The above heading is aimed at the
republicans OF Vermont. For weeks
certain republican newspapers have
been portraying the disOrganized
conditions within the party, others
have been advising the use of muf-
ners in the hope the progressives
would not be scared away from the
dough dish while still others have
uttered praise of the golden calf to
show they were not too strongly
pledged to any principle. Candidates
for political Offices have been looked
for but the gaping wiseacres have in
sisted in looking in every direction
instead Of looking in any direction.
Certain men are named as machine
candidates" others as one 1--WE could
get together on" and SO on ad in
initum. The result is no progress
in any direction.
The democrats are hoping there
win be enough division to allow
them to get the lead in the coming
election and a dozen progressive
leaders" have declared for ''the peo-
pie" there will be. complete progress
sive state, county and congressional
tickets in the field in the coming
campaign. So the people who have
been looking for the man we can
get together on" will please turn
around and begin looking in the
direction some of the others are
looking.
The conditions call for action on
the part of the republican party. 1t
should go just as far as the law al
lows in giving the people an OPP
portunity to vote directly for their
candidates and it should place some
candidates before the people to act
upon. The cry is made that the
people should select the candidates
hut. they are making no selection.
The demand of the hour is for some
man to get into the field as candi-
date and see whether or not the
people will endorse him. 1t is not
a time for hesitation but for cour-
age and action. To Messrs. Gates,
Bailey, Fleetwood and Howe we would
inquire have any or all of you got
the courage to announce that you
are an active candidate for the posi-
ton of governor? If you haven't
the chances of your being governor
are small but the probabilities are
that almost any one OF you can be
the next governor of Vermont if you
will declare yourselves a straight re-
publican candidate and go after it.
There should be no such hesita-
ton. 1t is no disgrace to be a re-
publican. The republican party does
not stand for any principle that an
honest man need repudiate. Its OPP
portunity is to stand for a construc-
tive rather than a destructive pro-
gram. Better schools for the money
expended, a shorter cut to justice, :"
construction of good roads as fast as
the tax payers will authorize It, fair
treatment and equal opportunity for
capital and labor, complete election
system in accord with public demand,
opportunity for every legitimate Yer
mont industry to secure all capital
needed for sane development, the
enactment of laws for general rather
than special purposes are all safe
things to stand for and the party
stands for fhem Thare chO,rld ha
a man among the republicans of Yer
mont ready to get upon such a plat
form and appeal to the people for
support. The trump has been chosen
and it is the candidates lead. We
repeat, play up! Play up! and play
the game"